(I will soon be devoting another post to the debacle in Afghanistan. My only comment today is that, like many Americans, the anger, disgust, and grief I feel - along with deep shame and embarrassment - is almost overwhelming. Though I (and others) knew and warned of the horrible price America and the world would pay for allowing Biden and his regime to take over the White House, watching it unfold is nevertheless shocking and horrifying. We will pray over the situation in a few moments.)
Moving Forward With God’s Perspective
In these extremely unsettling times, our outlook on life and our actions and decisions, including whether or not we pray with faith will be determined by what shapes our perspective. Will we remain anchored to God’s word, or sink into despair and hopelessness by focussing on the wind and waves. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 16:9, “A wide door for effective service has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” Paul had to decide whether to be motivated by the opportunities or the opposition. David and his band of faithful warriors suffered a horrendous situation at Ziklag. Amalekites attacked their homes while they were gone, burned the city and kidnapped their wives and children. The men blamed David and threatened to kill him, “But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God,” (1 Samuel 30:1-6). By keeping his faith intact, David received prophetic strategy and recovered all.
In her book, Awakening the Church to Awaken a Nation, our friend, Gina Gholston, shares a wonderful insight regarding receiving and moving in God’s perspective. The release of this encouragement, though planned before the situation in Afghanistan unfolded, is very timely.
“Having been raised in the country, I really enjoy being in the outdoors. Creeks, mountains, and nature are all things that give me a feeling of peace just by thinking about them. I also enjoy traveling, and when traveling includes the scenic wonders of nature and the outdoors, well, that’s just my idea of a perfect combination!
“One of my favorite places to travel are the mountains of East Tennessee. My mom and dad began taking me there when I was just a little girl, and I have never lost my awe and appreciation for the artistic wonders of God, the Creator, as seen while driving those scenic byways.
“Along the drive, there are overlooks offering spectacular views of the mountains and valleys below. As a child, one of my fascinations was with the viewing towers stationed at these overlooks. These viewing towers were oversized binoculars people could look through. By depositing twenty-five cents, you could unlock the ability to see farther and in greater detail than could be observed by the natural eye. Being so small, my dad would take me in his arms and hold me up so I could see through them. My excitement would build as he placed the quarter in the slot. Then the lens would open, and suddenly, I was given access to a grander view than I could ever have imagined! The view without the aid of the binoculars was already amazing, but through those lenses, I could see in much greater detail. Rocks, streams, and even animals were brought into view.
“Daddy would point out things for me to locate. ‘Look over there,’ he would say. ‘That’s where we’re going.’ With my natural eyes, all I could see were the trees and hills, but through the viewing tower, I could see the road winding through those trees and hills. I was still looking through my natural eyes, but depositing twenty-five cents opened the lens that gave my eyes an ability to see beyond.
“As we travel through this life, there are things we see from a natural perspective, and many believe that’s the full view. But it is not all there is to see. If our focus is drawn exclusively to the natural things happening around us, we will be controlled by the limitation of our human understanding. Such focus causes many to be emotionally driven, which can often lead to fear, hopelessness, frustration, and defeat. But God has deposited His Holy Spirit in us, and by Him, we are given the ability to see things through spiritual eyes which cannot be seen through the filters of our natural understanding.
“God has us on His path of purpose and destiny for our lives, and He has not limited us to the boundaries of this world. We have been given access to a grander view. There are details, wisdom, and revelation that give clarity and direction for where we are going, which can only be revealed by seeing through the eyes of the Spirit. There are obstacles He will expose, resources to be found, strategies to receive, connections that can be made, ideas to be imparted - tools God has prepared for us to see when we choose to look through this spiritual lens.
“In the book of Second Kings, we find an account that illustrates this powerful ability to see beyond that we have been given by Holy Spirit.
“When the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” So, he answered, “Do not fear; for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha,” (2 Kings 6:15-17, emphasis mine).
“For Elisha and his servant, the situation surrounding them seemed to lead to an inevitable conclusion of defeat; however, God had made a way for victory. The servant saw the situation through natural eyes, and consequently, was captivated by fear and hopelessness. Elisha saw things through spiritual eyes; therefore, he was not moved by fear of what was happening in the natural. Elisha saw beyond the natural realm and, by the Spirit, could see God’s provision for deliverance. He was able to access strategy and understanding that gave him the ability to advance with God’s intended victory.
“In this extreme and difficult time, we must allow Holy Spirit to readjust our focus, give us supernatural vision, so we can see beyond—beyond what is raging around us, beyond what is assumed based on what we see raging around us, beyond fear that has entered because of an obsessive focus on what is raging around us. God has revealed His verdict for America: She shall be saved! Through Christ, we are more than conquerors (see Romans 8:37). These are His prophetic promises, and He speaks with intent to perform. There is victory and transformation God has planned for our nation and world, and there is a remnant now beginning to move into it. We are allowing Holy Spirit to open our spiritual eyes so we can see things from Heaven’s perspective! We are accessing Godly wisdom and revelation that gives us the ability to advance with God’s intended victory. We are not afraid of, nor distracted by the enemy’s tactics. We are alert and focused on Christ, and by His Spirit, He leads us and always causes us to triumph.”
Pray with me:
Father, the words You have spoken over us, this nation, and the world, are true! Not one word from Your mouth will be left unfulfilled. What You have determined will be established! Your Ekklesia stands with authority and unflinching resolve to declare Your words over and above every contrary word, opinion, and circumstance. By faith, we access all that Holy Spirit imparts to us and the clarity and direction He gives for where we are going. We look to You. We do not view things through the lens of our emotions. We do not operate from a place where we think we are losing the battle. Our eyes are open to see and know that You have already secured our victory.
We do not deny that bad things are happening in our world, things over which we grieve, at times very deeply. But those things do not shake our faith. We allow Your truth to set us free from fear and uncertainty. We rise above the fray, we look beyond the chaos, and we confidently move with Heaven’s strategies to advance with You! And through us, You will firmly enforce Your verdict that America shall be saved and that a worldwide revival is coming and will not be stopped!
We pray for the people of Afghanistan. We pray that Your righteous judgments would be released against the forces of evil there, and the suffering will be minimized. Send great revival to that nation. Use the evils there to turn many to Christ. Give the Christians great grace - may they represent You well in this dark time of persecution. We pray this in Yeshua’s name. Amen.
Our decree:
We have eyes to see beyond the chaos, we are fully persuaded that God is with us . . . and the gates of hell will not prevail.
You can find out more about Gina Gholston by clicking here.
Click on the link below to watch the full prayer.