How Holy Spirit is Teaching us to Pray for the Nations and our Neighbors
Are you ever awed at God's perfect timing? How He draws us into events at exactly the right time? It causes me to be awestruck at His greatness. How does He do it? It is God's idea that we would connect with His heart for the land and people, pray and see things change. It is precious, beautiful and terrifying all at once. Globally and personally. We were studying China in homeschool when the coronavirus first broke out in the news. It felt like a set up from the Lord for myself and my children. We were drawn into learning about the culture, loving the people and then praying for them. Same with India. As we started our India study, we started getting prayer requests for India's troubles due to the outbreak. The timing is what brought me into awe.
After the libraries opened up after the stay-at-home order, we were able to continue our India study. It happened again, the same day we learned about India’s culture and people, a cyclone hits the land and people died. The people of India were in need of specific prayer that day. God lead us to His heart for the land and people of India and we prayed.
I have one more story, that happened in our backyard-neighbor’s house. One night in December, around 10 pm the sky turned orange behind us due to our neighbor’s house and backyard catching on fire. It was big enough to burn the house to the ground and thankfully no one was injured or home during the time of the fire. The girls and I had just read a book about a homeless family on Christmas. My heart was beating so fast because of the nearness of the fire but also because God prepared us ahead of time to pray specifically for this family that would be homeless on Christmas.
Again, I wonder how He does it? His timing, His compassion, His kindness to support those who are in need, experiencing loss and hurt in the midst of crisis.
He is teaching us to pray for the nations and our neighbors, if we are listening to His voice and open to His leading. When we pray for the nations and our neighbors, we are brought into a bigger story that God is orchestrating all across the earth. I don't understand all of His ways, yet I sure do love seeking to understand more and more each day.
"Oh Lord, teach us and show us all of the ways you are working to reveal your glory across the earth"
