The coronavirus situation is getting worse in the past few days, especially in the US. Such is also the case with the European countries such as Italy and Spain. We have been praying for China in the past few weeks. Now we need to pray for the US and the world.
I. We should pray for each individual country, as each country faces different challenges. Our prayers should especially go to US in the next two to three weeks so that the pandemic can be contained. Therefore let’s pray:
A. For the containing of the spreading of the virus:
Our Lord is the Lord of all. We should pray that Satan be bound.
B. For the opening of people’s heart:
We should pray for the opening of the hearts toward the Lord and His gospel. The heart condition of the people in this country has been stubborn and full of pride. Now it seems that what they used to rely on are no longer dependable. The problem now lies not only in the spreading of the physical virus, but the psychological virus of “fear” and “anxiety”. Only gospel is now the good news!
C. For the spreading of the gospel:
We should pray for the gospel to be preached widely. In the past we came up with the 30 words to help the saints preach the gospel. Now we can turn these words, such as anxiety, fear, into twitter or blogs, so that more people can hear the word of God. We should also gather fresh testimonies of salvation.
D. For the rulers and authorities to have the wisdom:
We should pray for the rulers and authorities of each country to have wisdom in dealing with this crisis.
II. We should pray with focus. Our prayers should focus on the coming of the kingdom. This kingdom does not refer to the earthly kingdoms, but the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ (Rev. 11:15). We should pray for the age, and for the East and the West. The Scriptures instruct us to pray in this way, and so does the Ministry of the age.
During the Welsh Revival, more than fifty thousand people were saved. Behind everyone saved, there was at least one prayer group praying. Evan Roberts certainly knew how to pray the most. He disappeared for a while. Later people asked him what he was doing. He said, “I am praying kingdom prayer.”[1] In the first Overcomers’ conference in 1928, Br. Nee said that we need to preach the gospel from the perspective of the kingdom. In The Prayer of the Age, Br. Lee said that “we need to learn something concerning prevailing prayer.” We need to pray the prayers of the overcomes, so that our prayers can match God’s desire for Christ to return. Therefore our prayers should be focused:
A. Praying steadfastly
The disciples prayed steadfastly for 50 days in Acts 1. Daniel prayed for 21 days. The Morovian revival began from watchmen prayer. They prayed around the clock and then started to send missionaries to many countries, including China. In China, the Chefoo revival came in through the 100-day prayer of the saints and then the saints began their migration to the northwest region of China. We should be like the widow in Luke 18 who caused trouble to the unrighteous judge. God will carry out the avenging of His chosen ones who cry to Him day and night (Luke 18:5, 7).
B. The Four Key Points of Prayer
1. The Gospel of the Kingdom to be preached to all nations (Matt. 24:14)
Based on the ministry, it is clear that we should pray for the gospel of the kingdom to be preached to all the inhabited earth before the end can come.
2. The Fullness of the Gentiles (Rom. 11:25)
All Israel will be saved after the fullness of the gentiles (Rom. 11:25-26). Our prayer is like putting cards on a balance. After the first one or two cards, the other side may not move; perhaps, only after you have added the last card will the weight be offset[2].
3. The producing of the Overcomers (Rev. 12:5)
Rev. 12 mentions the battle between the woman and the great red dragon, symbolizing the spiritual warfare between the church and Satan. The fiercest moment is when the man-child was born. Then the dragon began to make war with the rest of the woman’s seed and brought chaos to the earth. Therefore we need to pray for the producing of the overcomers.
4. The preparation of the bride (Rev. 19:7; Matt. 16:18)
The wedding feast won’t begin until the bride makes herself ready. In the history of Israel, God prepared prophets for the Israelites not only before their captivity, but also during and after their captivity. Likewise, not only before the Great Tribulation, but also during and after, God needs prayers to accomplish His economy.
Therefore, let’s encourage one another to join the 24-hour watchful prayers on March 31st. Not only that, we should respond to the call of 21-day prayer to pray for God’s move on the entire earth, from April 1 and go to unceasinglypray.org.
[1] The Prayer Ministry of the Church, Watchman Nee. Message 2.
[2] CWWN, Set 1, Vol. 10, The Present Testimony (3), Chapter 13.