While Martin Luther was on trial in Worms, Germany he was asked to recant his writings or face punishment for heresy, from the Catholic Church. Although Martin was later likened to a lion for his firmness, he was AFRAID. So, when asked for the umpteenth time, “do you recant?” he asked for 24 hours to prepare a defence. He was granted 24 hours. This is the prayer he prayed that night which I have borrowed many times:
“Almighty, eternal God! How dreadful is the world! Behold how its mouth opens to swallow me up, and how small is my faith in You! O the weakness of the flesh and the power of Satan! If I am to depend upon any strength from this world, all is lost. O my God! Help me against all the wisdom of this world. Do this, I beg You. The work is not mine, but Yours. I have no business here. I have nothing to contend for with these great men of the world! I would gladly pass my days in happiness and peace. But the cause is Yours, my Lord; and it is righteous and everlasting! Stand by me! O faithful and unchangeable God! I lean not upon man. It would be vain! You have chosen me for this work. I know it! Therefore, O God, accomplish Your own will! Stand by me in the name of Jesus Christ, who will be my shelter and my shield, yes, my mighty fortress, through the might and strengthening of the Holy Spirit. I am ready, even to lay down my life for this cause, patient as a little lamb. For the cause is holy. It is Your own. Though this world be filled with devils, and though my body, originally the work and creation of Your hands, go to destruction in this cause — yes, though it be shattered into pieces — Your Word and Your Spirit they are good to me still! It concerns only the body. The soul is Yours. It belongs to You and will also remain with You forever. God help me.
Amen.”
God answered Luther’s prayer by giving him a backbone and he stood for the truth of God and God used his stance to bring about the reformation.
When king Hezekiah was threatened by the Assyrian army, he picked up the letter he received from them and went into the Temple and spread it out it before The King of Kings, saying, “O LORD, the God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. Incline your ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God. Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed. So now, O LORD our God, save us, please, from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O LORD, are God alone.” (2 Kings 19:15-19)
Hezekiah’s prayer had a tremendous impact on the heart of God, and I know that because this is how He answered Hezekiah’s prayer: “And that night the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies.” (2 Kings 19:35)
Maybe God will not send His angel to kill your problem, but maybe He will give you a backbone like in Luther’s case. The point is, whatever it is, go to The King, pray and believe that you were not just heard, but that help is on the way. Acknowledge that whatever it is you’re facing, they’re tiny, insignificant specks for The Eternal God, who’s child you’re happen to be.
“May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you! May He send you help from the sanctuary and sustain you from Zion.” (Psalm 20:1-2)
By Cristina Pop
No comments:
Post a Comment