When You Need God’s Protection – Ask, Seek, Knock

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What happens when God’s protection is withdrawn from a nation, tribe, or individual?

People are naturally sinful. In our human nature, individually and collectively we are prone to being distracted by worldly temptations and desires. We’re also prone to being crowd-following sheep. So, throughout history as the masses go so goes the individual.

If sin is no longer identified as sin . . . people go their own way and their own way is sinful.

God chose the nation of Israel as His own special people. But they collectively turned to idolatry and sin over the years rather than trusting and obeying Him.

Finally, after years and years of patience, they faced their enemies without God’s protection and their enemies prevailed…

Asaph wrote Psalm 74 after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. as a plea for God to help and restore…

Remember that we are the people You chose long ago,
    the tribe You redeemed as Your own special possession!
And remember Jerusalem, Your home here on earth.
Walk through the awful ruins of the city;
    see how the enemy has destroyed Your sanctuary.

They thought, “Let’s destroy everything!”
    So they burned down all the places where God was worshiped.

Psalm 74:2–3, 8

The Life Application Bible Notes add…

“When enemy armies defeated Israel, they sacked and burned Jerusalem, trying to wipe out every trace of God. This has often been the response of people who hate God. Today many are trying to eliminate God from our public life and particularly from our schools . . . but don’t become discouraged when others appear to make great strides in removing all trace of God. They cannot eliminate His presence among believers.”

God is living and active in our world today just as He always has been. He may allow a season of defeat to remind people of their need for Him. As His children, we must not give up or give in. We are given a fresh opportunity to go to Him in prayer…

• ASK – talk with God about our needs.
• SEEK – persistently pursue Him . . . get to know His heart and His will.
• KNOCK – in humble repentance go to the throne room door again and again in the name of Jesus.

Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.

Matthew 7:7

Then let your light shine…

Let your light shine so others can see it. Then they will see the good things you do. And they will bring glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 5:16 (NIRV)

Use a season of defeat to remind people of their need for the Lord. Tell and show people the difference God has made in Your life. Be a living example of the peace that passes understanding, the courage and strength to face giants, the joy that knows no bounds, and the hope that never fails.

And pray that everyone you meet will want to KNOW Jesus because they see the difference His love has made in you.

May we all remember that the Lord has not forgotten us and may we say with confidence…

Yet, from long ago God has been my king, the one who has been victorious throughout the earth.

Psalm 74:12 (GW)

Let’s pray…

A Prayer for God’s Protection

Father, You created us because You wanted a relationship with us and You created a beautiful world as our home. We turned the perfect place You made into a place of sin and idolatry. We worshipped Your creation and our own idealogy instead of praising and honoring only You. Please forgive us, Father.

Your Word says, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” (Psalm 33:12) Your plan was for nations to SEEK You . . . to know the blessing of Your presence. (Acts 17:27) You want people to humble themselves, acknowledge and repent of their collective sins, pray, and SEEK You. And You say that when we do, You will heal our land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Oh Lord, we need our nation to be healed. We have failed to follow Your will. We have openly excused, accepted, and even promoted the things that You call sin. Please help us. Turn hearts and minds back to You. May our nation recognize the foolishness and futility of disobeying Your commands. We come to You with humble repentant hearts. Please forgive us and move in us so that we might SEEK, TRUST, and OBEY You.

Please unite Your children with Your TRUTH. Strengthen us to follow Your will. Give us the courage we need to let the light of Your love shine through us. We trust that You are here with us and we thank and praise You with all our hearts. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

One of the prayers of my heart is that followers of Jesus would unite in His name and show the world the truth of His love. I pray that we might come together by the power of the Holy Spirit, humble ourselves, repent, and surrender our lives and our nation to God’s healing power.

The enemy wants us to focus on our differences but God wants us to focus on all that He has done for us through Jesus.

We need God’s protection in our hearts and in His church.

Paul wrote…

I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.

1 Corinthians 1:10

May we ASK, SEEK, and KNOCK that we might be united in faith and together shine His light to a world that needs God’s protection and love so very much.

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