Bits and bobs

Another random post about everything and nothing, apologies. I've been reading Philip Yancey's "What's so amazing about grace?" which is giving me so much food for thought, so expect an epic post about grace in the near future. But in the mean time, I thought I'd share an awesome story.

Last week I got an email saying that the daughter of Salvation Army officers in Ecuador had been kidnapped. When I was praying about that I was reminded of the dry bones passage in Ezekiel 37. The bit that sticks out to me from that passage is that God placed Ezekiel in the valley, in the time of testing, and then told him to prophecy into that situation. Yes, God is all-powerful etc, but there is a need for us to speak into our situations. By applying that to what I'd heard about this family in Ecuador I was reminded of the need to be intercessors. Too often I hear about peoples situations and just pass them off with a quick "it's fine, God will sort it". But we need to be more involved than that, to pray powerfully and specifically. Sometimes we don't know what to pray, but God will give us a prayer.

"We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will" (Romans 8:26-27)

God put it on my heart to pray for her parents - Salvation Army officers, faithful servants, a job close to my heart! I prayed that their faith would remain strong, that the work of the enemy would not prevail, and that they would be prophecying into that situation as Ezekiel did. Yesterday, I got another email saying that the girl had been returned to her parents and was now safe. Praise God!

If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing; whoever attacks you will surrender to you. "See, it is I who created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for its work. And it is I who have created the destroyer to work havoc; no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me," declares the LORD. (Isaiah 54:15-17)

This evening I've got an organ lesson with my new teacher...it should be good, I'm looking forward to it. And prophecying into it...