Travailing In This Time
There’s a certain kind of prayer that is needed right now.
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada, and perhaps for you, like me, it’s been pretty hard to sleep these days. The other evening, my eyes stayed open through the watches of the night – that’s actually from Psalm 119. But I just wasn’t awake from pain; even though the riots have calmed down, my mind kept replaying the brutal suffocation of George Floyd there in Minneapolis, and the other shootings that followed it, and, of course, the anarchy in the streets. When I got up the next morning and I wheeled over into my kitchen, the Bible was open on the table. And I noticed it was to Psalms, and the first thing my eyes fell on was Psalm 120, and I read these words: “In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me.” Well, with emotion rising from the night before, with all the pain from watching the craziness on TV, I started crying out; I called out to the Lord; I wailed, as it were, right there in the kitchen, on behalf of our nation and its broken people. Because we are all so broken, heartbroken, by the tragic events over the last few weeks. And I’m a praying person, and Joni and Friends is a praying ministry, but this moment in our nation’s history is requiring more than casual prayer, if there is such a thing. God is looking for deep supplication, deep travailing; pleading, beseeching, imploring before the throne of God, for the Prince of Peace, Jesus, to mercifully intervene.
Just what does supplication and travailing look like? Well, it’s not the dainty, runaway little knock-knock-knocking at the door of God’s mercy. No, as Spurgeon puts it, it’s “The energetic, vehement, violence of the man who is not to be denied, but intends to carry heaven by storm until he wins his heart’s desire….” Because Jesus grieves over anarchy in the streets, doesn’t he? His righteousness, his indignation is aroused by contempt for authority, by systematic racism, and the pitiless disregard for human life. And I could go on and on. So, I don’t mean fingertip petitions that barely touch the burden; no, we need shoulder prayers that bear the heavy load of our nation. Let’s shake the gates of heaven with supplications for God’s mercy, for revival, for transformed hearts. And one more thing: please remember that as we watch this rioting and looting in the streets, this total disregard for authority – these things are just as insidious as our own willful sins that we try to minimize in our own hearts. Friend, we need revival. And it has to begin in our own heart – my heart and yours. Let’s humbly seek His face, turn from wickedness – whether it’s self-righteous anger in our streets or the self-righteous pride in our hearts – oh, may we mourn our sin, mourn our nation, beg for God’s mercy. And then? Let’s get about the work that God’s put before us. Let’s give the Good News to people who have had enough of bad news. You with me? I trust you are.
And may I ask you to be open to hear the views of others; to please step into their stories, their pain; please, let’s listen and take their needs to God in prayer. And, friend, if you don’t agree with these views, don’t argue, don’t resist, don’t chalk up their convictions as, “Oh, he’s one of those.” Rather, just listen. Let’s understand the depth of people’s struggles. And I would be so grateful to have the chance to listen to you. Because if you agree, or don’t agree, then let me hear from you. Let me know how God is leading you to pray. And let me know how you’re part of the solution. You can always connect with me at joniradio.org. Only join me in crying out, calling out, travailing before our Savior. For Christ and Christ alone is our nation’s only hope.
© Joni and Friends
A Biblical Understanding of Justice for the Oppressed
“A great definition of justice is love in action… Real love takes action. Real love touches hurting people.” What does the Bible have to say about God’s heart for the oppressed? Is there instruction for how we should respond in the face of injustice?
Listen as Pastor Kempton Turner joins the conversation about divine justice and how to demonstrate love in action to those who are hurting.
