MATTIE'S CHRISTIAN PAGES

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Chim'sWRITE
18/12/00
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Arise And Cry Out In The Night
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' Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin pour
out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord' Lam.2:19
 
This word came to a people that were going through what I call 'the
nights of life'. Things could not be worse than what they were
facing. Theirs were times that would make even strong hearts faint.
 
Yet the message begins with a call to 'Arise..' . This is because the
easiest thing to do when we face the contrary winds of life is to
sink down. Down into discouragement, self-pity, anxiety, and fear.
Let me say this here, self-pity and it's bed-fellows are all sin. And
until we realise this we will continue to indulge in them. Not just
that but they are also enemies that come to sap all the strength we
have to fight.The thing to do in the face of the night of life is to
ARISE and cry out to God. To pray. All of life is war and we must
fight for our very souls. We must fight for our families,
nieghbourhoods, and nations.
 
We must arise and fight 'as the watches of the night begin' .It is
most tempting to give in to sleep because we are overwhelmed with
sorrows or just lazy. This was the difference between Jesus and his
disciples 'And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, .. (but)
when he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found
them asleep, exhausted from sorrow.' (Luke 22:44-45). Jesus prayed
because of the anguish of his heart but the disciples slept off
because they had exhausted themselves through sorrowing for their
hearts' anguish .But the battle is never won by those who love sleep.
Beloved, get up and pray. Face that your situation with diligent
unrelenting prayers that will not spare your body. True prayer will
always cost us something. Pray especially when you don't feel like
praying. And determine to keep praying until something happens.
 
'Pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord'. Be
specific. Come to God determined to pour out your heart like water.
To get into tiny details about what is facing you. I have found it
helpful to take biro and paper and make a list of specific things I
want to bring before the Lord. And then to go ahead and talk to him
about each of them as if he doesn't know anything about them.
 
Things will never change if we do not pray and continue to pray. No
matter how terrible and confused things have become, prayer will
change things. We must give ourselves to prayers. It is not right to
give up on our lives, our homes, our businesses, on our ministries,
neighbourhood, nation and the lost world. We must arise and cry out
in this night that is all about us. Let's stand in the gap and drive
back the night.
 
Brethren, let us pray.

That all the nations may praise Him,
Chimezie Onyebilanma
cross-cultural missionary with CAPRO in Togo.

To learn more about the cross-cultural missionary work of CAPRO Togo
send any email to caprotogo@bibway.com

To learn more about supporting missionaries please visit www.adopt-a-
missionary.org

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