Trending News This Week:
- 27 killed and 80 injured in London terrorist attacks
- 14 killed and 21 injured in terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California
- War on ISIS: Why Arab states aren’t doing more
Terrorism has become a real and imminent threat to the Western world. Why has this happened and what should the Church be doing about it?
Terrorism is now spreading throughout the world like a contagious disease. And it has continued to grow and strengthen, despite all of the combined global military efforts. At what point will someone decide that it is time to reevaluate our decision-making paradigm? What needs to occur before world leaders determine that perhaps military tactics aren’t the answer, but that God is?
If and when military tactics are successful in controlling terrorist attacks, how long will it be before new terrorist organizations spring up in new places with new leaders and new strategies? Evil can only be effectively dealt with through true repentance and complete surrender to God.
The Bible gives story after story about how God’s people were under attack or faced an enemy, and victory only came by bowing to God, waiting for His plan to be revealed, and being obedient.
Victory did not come as the result of a strong army. Victory did not come because of new military maneuvers or better weapons; it came because God’s people surrendered to His will and stopped relying on their own strength.
Take a look at the story of Gideon in the book of Judges. Gideon was set to battle a great army, but the Lord reduced Gideon’s own army from 3,000 to 300. He did this to prove that the victory would come from Him, and not the might of man.
The Lord said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands, for Israel would become boastful, saying, ‘My own power has delivered me.’
Judges 7:2
But God did not lift His hand to deliver the Israelites until they first cried out to Him (Judges 6:6).
When the Lord heard their earnest, heart–felt prayers, He spoke to Gideon and gave him a plan of action. The plan began with Gideon building an altar to the Lord and making a sacrifice.
As a nation, and as a Church, it is time to cry out to the Lord and offer a sacrifice of prayers, that the Lord would deliver us out of the hands of the enemy and our nations. It is time to praise Him for His goodness and love, knowing that it is not His will for His people to suffer.
Say this faith declaration out loud: Lord, I come to You with sincere, heartfelt prayers, asking that you deliver us from the hand of the enemy. Please forgive me for any of my actions or words that were outside of your will. Please forgive this nation for our sinful behavior, and have mercy on us. Thank You, that You hear our prayers, and if You hear them, I know that they are done.
Scripture Reading:
This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.
I John 5:14–15
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Philippians 4:6
Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.
Hebrews 13:15