MAKING SENSE OF THE NEWS TODAY
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MAKING SENSE OF THE NEWS TODAY
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We love to read the thoughtful comments that are posted in response to the articles on IFApray.org. As the IFA Communications Director, I oversee our digital and print publications. It is not false humility to say that I am utterly dependent on the leading of the Holy Spirit to guide and direct me. Yesterday, I read this comment from Loretta on one of our articles:
There are days that I don’t know what I’m supposed to be praying for on this prayer avenue. Articles regarding how people of faith are to act and behave are all over the place. Support; don’t support; fight; don’t fight. Those are all good except they are all about the same things. I am finding everyday there are more times I do not mark the ‘I prayed’ box (except the Covid prayer wall) because the day before I marked the ‘I prayed’ box that said something opposite. Feelings run high and it is difficult for all to get it together all the time. I am finding that it is as high on this median as anywhere else. Stances are different than opinions. While I know evil is alive and well I know God is still in control. I find it interesting high numbers read the articles but low numbers mark the ‘I prayed’ boxes. That is not on all articles but on many articles. I am beginning to understand why. Thank you.
Loretta’s concerns touched me, and we discussed them as a team. And I prayed! Then, this morning, I received this insightful statement from Lisa Cherry at Project 7000 with Frontline Family Ministries. Lisa said what I feel:
Disclaimer: I do not claim to have all the news sorted out between fake and real or accurate and distorted. I truly believe TIME will be the great revealer. The voices on all sides are LOUD and confusing. But the Holy Spirit’s still, small voice is still speaking and he is neither alarmed or confused. If we wait on him, he WILL lead us into truth.
Explanation: I think my best help right now is to give you the pertinent stories so you can prayerfully understand the battle lines. I will frequently give you both sides to an issue. I am alarmed to see many conservatives posting articles haphazardly on Facebook. I’m concerned about distortion and blind spots. We must be people of integrity. We must ask the right questions and hold on to our conclusions until we get enough accurate data and information.
On these pages, you will see varying opinions about the news. Please click “I Prayed” if you prayed about the issue. You don’t have to agree with everything in each article to click “I Prayed.” When there are issues that are controversial, and so many are, you, the reader, can ask the Lord to direct you how to pray. Then, leave a comment–share with everyone what the Lord showed you.
I am passionate about what the Lord is showing me, and many others who have been featured on these pages. Whatever else it is, now is a time to seek God earnestly and to repent. The verse that always comes to mind when I think about this is Hebrews 3:15 as I learned it in church as a girl: Today, if you hear His voice, harden not your heart. When I looked it up to share with you, I was stunned. Those words are repeated twice in just a few verses! We know that when the Lord repeats things, they are very important. Not only that, but also this passage (Hebrews 3:6-15) is such an encouragement and so pertinent to today that it warrants a complete Bible study! For the purposes of this brief article, I will highlight a few things (my thoughts follow the Scripture excerpts, which are in italics).
But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. And we are God’s house! Be courageous and remain confident in our hope in Christ. Dear ones, how vital it is in this pandemic to keep courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ. That hope does not disappoint! (Rom 5:5)
That is why the Holy Spirit says,“Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled, when they tested me in the wilderness. There your ancestors tested and tried my patience, even though they saw my miracles for forty years. Friends, let’s humble ourselves before God and ask Him how we may have been testing Him. A great help to this was referenced in an article earlier this week. It is a list of what the sin of pride looks like. I encourage you to pray through it.
So I was angry with them, and I said, ‘Their hearts always turn away from me. They refuse to do what I tell them.’So in my anger I took an oath: ‘They will never enter my place of rest.’For at least two years, Christian leaders from varying streams of the faith, empowered and directed by the Holy Spirit, have been encouraging Sabbath. This has coincided with a call to holiness and obedience in accordance with the word of God. We now have this pause to respond to God with a resounding yes!
Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters.Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. This is not a time for finger-pointing (go back to the pride list). This pause from God is deeply personal. It is not about how my spouse or children or pastor need to change. This is about me. This is about you. Our personal relationships with Christ, living for Him and with Him, are paramount.
You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. So, it is all about each of us, and we are not finger-pointing, but from a right, humble heart before God, we are burdened to urge each other to know that the time is NOW to get right with God. And, we also warn each other because we know that “we all stumble in many ways.” (James 3:2) We need each other to help one another!
For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. Remember what it says: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts your Israel did when they rebelled.” This sums up words that we have received from intercessors and leaders during this pandemic. One of the first when it started was that we need to pray for faith. And then we sensed that this time was one of God calling out to us-“Today when you hear His voice.” Finally, the overwhelming single thing has been a call to repentance–“don’t harden your hearts.”
We at IFA pray for you daily. We desire to be a blessing and to share with you the “news Christians need to pray about.” We are so blessed to hear that you are praying for us as well. Please continue to share your thoughts in the comments sections of the articles we post.
(Judy McDonough is IFA Communications Director.)
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Comments
If perfection was a qualifying aspect of human relationship with our Creator, none of us would qualify.
But, God looks on our hearts and it is a really good thing to know that no one can fool Him! It (whatever it is) is not all about anything but Him!
I was so excited to see you mention “Sabbath” keeping. I’m 60 and often wondered why we, as Christians don’t “keep Sabbath” or “the Lord’s Feasts Days” as the Word instructs, until Holy Spirit led me to an author [Sheila Holm] last year. Thereby, we have been attending a Messianic church and keeping Sabbath and Feasts for 3 weeks short of a year! I’m blown away by how God did that! We got to do Passover for the first time! At such a pivotal time!
When we started praying for the 2016 election 4 years ago, I was also guided to IFA and ElijahList.com and have grown so much since “for such a time as this”! Also, since Hanukkah, I’ve put away my quilting and been fasting Mondays and Fridays consistently until Jan. 20, 2021.
Heavenly Father, I am just bursting with praise to you, for your mercy, your loving kindness, and humbled by your faith in me. Thank you! Thank you! You do wonders throughout the Earth, be glorified and your name hallowed. Hallelujah!
This article is so timely.. I really do appreciate IFA. I look to forward to your articles, because I know you speak truth. I often download your prayer guide and I do appreciate knowing how to pray and what to pray. I often share your articles with family and friends. But like others, i often read them and don’t pray. I feel so strongly in IFA, that I just started to financially support you. Thank You and God Bless
Same here. Thanks for sharing.
Good article. Thank you Ifa for all your hard work in giving us all the details and instructions on what to pray. I am greatful for all the intercessors at Ifa for the information given so other are able to pray with direction. When I read an article I pray, watch all the video ,or website or links in the article. There is a biblical prospective in all the articles and when I pray I allowed the Holy Spirit to guide.
I just want to thank all my brothers and sisters at IFA for providing these timely, daily prayer focus items. This helps me to “agree” (symphonyze) in prayer with many others. I confess that there are times I don’t know how to pray and have to trust the Spirit of God to groan and pray for me as I pray in the Spirit. I feel you are in a sense the conductors for us who are the pray I g instruments. Blessings!
This is so good! I am certain that all of us are feeling overwhelmed with the many things that we need to pray for and the constantly shifting landscape. Help us Lord,know our ‘lane’. Help us to first worship You alone and hear from You what You have called us to walk in and to carry to You in prayer.
I appreciate your article and all that you do to help me as an Intercessor to pray with understanding. Could I also say, after a photo
, it will say Did you pray? , I don’t mark it because it wants me to sign things and I want to pray not work my phone more. I wish you wouldn’t ask for that. Typing on phones is exhausting. Thanks, may the Lord bless all of you!!!! Lucille intercessor for 🇺🇸 called by God, also a missionary from the Dominican Republic.
I want change in so many areas. I find myself angry and ready to march forth in my indignation. Then Holy Spirit touches me and says do it My way, please.
Please? It nearly broke my heart. When i prayed over those mental mouth openers. HE smiled!!
Now and Forever HE leads my steps and defines my path. AMEN AND AMEN..
Thank you, IFA, for all you do. Your articles are already prayed over before you even send them out, so I trust that you send out articles that have been inspired by the Holy Spirit. For people who want to investigate the articles you publish, I would suggest going to a Christian website rather than a secular one. For instance, Answers in Genesis has video a few times a week where they read the headlines and then tell how the headlines line up with the word of God. I am able to watch these on You Tube by typing in “Answers in Genesis Answers News”. Mike Huckabee also has a show on TBN on Saturday evenings at 8 where he talks about the news from a Christian perspective- old episodes of those are also on YouTube. I love hearing the news from sources that are biblically based and not secular based. Thanks again.
Thank you. You are right on. Father may I humble myself before You and trust You. May I have a spirit of humility and walk in love and trust rather than anger and fear. Praise You for this pause that we can learn to rest in You.
The Lord has already given me instructions on how to pray for the USA and other countries. I signed up to receive emails for more information. I take this information to the Lord and ask how I incorporate into what I already have. I don’t always check the I PRAYED because at the time of reading I have not prayed. I pray His Promises and not the problems. His Promises are His will. Blessings
Thank you to you, Judy, and all at IFA. You are a light in the darkness in a very challenging time. I, for one, don’t understand how we can make informed decisions without being exposed to more than just one point of view. Read…then pray. The Holy Spirit will guide our prayers.
Blessings
I need to take opportunity today to THANK YOU IFA!!—for all that you do—your prayer guides, your articles, your organization and encouragement to intercessors, and your prayer meetings/calls.
For me, it is a great encouragement to hear from like-minded, kindred spirits. The rising deception in the world and in the church (at times) can be discouraging.
This is my prayer for today: “All praise, glory and honor to You, Lord Jesus! The Father of glory has raised You from the dead and seated You at His own right hand in the heavenly places. You are far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age and in this world, but also in the world which is to come. All things have been put under Your feet and You have been appointed the Supreme Head of the church, which is Your body, the fullness of You Who fills all in all.” (Ephesians 1:20-23)
May Your church be established, governed and empowered according to and under Your headship that is far above all rule, authority, power and dominion. You desire to exercise Your headship through the church! Lord, realign, repair and restore Your church that we might again be ‘the pillar and foundation of truth’ (1 Timothy 3:15), that to You might be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus! (Ephesians 3:20)
Establish Your truth and authority in Your church I pray. The enemy is always desiring to rob You of Your glory. ‘Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless.’ (Psalm 60:11)
Could you please pray for my local church that we would become a church under His authority and divine Truth, firmly grounded and established? May the fear of the Lord fall upon us, for this is the beginning of wisdom. May our leaders ‘listen to the God the Lord, and not turn again to (self-confident) folly.’
(Psalm 85:8)
Thank you,
Becky
To me, as I listen to all the reporting networks, they are biased against asking the Lord to help us, in most cases. What I am finding, through my listening and research is that we are “depending on our own strength” through science. This is leaning on our own understanding. We have an Evil One who is working through the “human knowledge base’ to foster his own agenda. He does not care about our children or our elders. He is hijacking our young people through social media and our middle age people through physical pride and lust.
It is truly a spiritual battle on an epic level. Only the Lord, through His Power, and that of the Holy Spirit that can protect us and change hearts.
Prayer is an intimate conversation with Our wonderful Heavenly Father. A two-way conversation. Stay quietly on your knees until His peace floods your soul and then listen, listen to the LORD. HE is your Father. Would you rush into your earthly father’s presence and present him a list of your needs and then rush out before you even gave him a chance to speak? “Be still and know that I AM GOD.” Wait upon the LORD.
I mark “I prayed” on many articles I am not sure about. It seems the Lord reminds me that He is God, I am NOT! I feel I do not have to figure out the details on theses many situations (because I can not), but still pray and say “Your will be done”. Thank you ifa staff for all you do, and I do pray our Lord’s protection, wisdom, discernment and peace as you continue in your ministry.
Thank you, Mary Jean. I too press pray. It is not that I agree with the article necessarily, but to ask God for His will in situations.
So true, Carlene, and a great way to give clarity and truth to how many of us respond, and feel when we press I Prayed.
This article is God inspired words in answer from God to my prayer to Him before I went to sleep last night. Like Loretta, who was referenced early I your article, I recently find myself not marking the “I prayed.” I also at times struggle with my belief. My prayer last night was “Heavenly Father, I believe. Please help my unbelief.” There are soooo many situations that need to be taken to our Lord in prayer that if I prayed about each one, I would be awake 24 hours, 7 days a week, 365 days each year. I was so tired (and when I think like this I remember Jesus’-prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane and how the disciples were unable to stay awake) I just wrote in my prayer journal “Heavenly Father, You know my daily prayer requests. Please, may your perfect will be done in each circumstance.” I am physically healthy. My Heavenly Father expects more from me than that. I need also to be up off my knees in action to His will; being His arms, hands, feet and mouth here on earth.
I struggled over the seemingly, controversy of opinions that centers around, doctrine, truth, etc., within the Body of Christ for years until I prayed about it and God gave me an answer that satisfied me. I will share it here. There are absolutes regarding what one believes about Salvation, His Deity, Virgin Birth, His Sinless Life, etc. (This is, of course, not intended to be an exhaustive list. Just a few examples.) On the other hand, what one believes as to when the Rapture is to take place, or when and how much one should pray each day and how long. I have heard some argue over when one should pray; one says early in the morning while the other says late at night. These issues are not necessary to our salvation. It is those truths about salvation that are rigid.