Welcome to day 4 of Christmas Prayer. If this blesses you, please share with a friend so they can be encouraged to pray, as well!
Today we turn to a story that is all too familiar to us in the context of the world today. For years, I couldn’t comprehend the evil of King Herod or people who would kill babies to advance their agenda. However, now we see this same evil day after day spread across the news and our social media pages. It’s easy to skip this part of the Bible, but here today we see how real it is and how relevant and ageless God’s Word is. Here, we find hope.
The Escape to Egypt
Matthew 2:13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
18 “A voice is heard in Ramah,
weeping and great mourning,Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more.”
The Return to Nazareth
19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20 and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.”
21 So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, 23 and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.
Prayer
Deliver us from the evil one.
Father, in Jesus name we worship you because you are the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end. You know the plans of the evil one, the devil, and you know who he is using to bring destruction. You are not surprised. You are in control.
I thank you, first of all, that no weapon formed against us can prosper, in Jesus name. I thank you that you teach us how to pray against evil. Jesus, you said that all authority in heaven and earth have been given to you and that you have given us authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy, nothing will harm us.
I thank you that as Satan comes against us like a flood that you will raise up a standard against him. Even though Herod did his best to destroy your son Jesus, you hid Jesus in Egypt until Herod died.
Lord God, many people have suffered because of the evil in this world and many have suffered because of sin. Please help me to be a force of righteousness in this world, full of your Holy Spirit and to stand up for the fatherless and the persecuted.
I pray, Father God for the persecuted church and for those suffering under the hands of evil men and women. Deliver the children who have been orphaned by ISIS. Put them in godly homes. Lord, deliver the true refugees who are oppressed. Bring the power of your spirit the same way you delivered Peter from prison. Bring your angels to release the prisoners who are locked in slavery to Isis and other evil people. Lord, we remember Paul and Silas and how they praised you in prison. Fill the prisoners with hope. Fill their mouths with praise and hope so that even their jailers will say, “What must I do to be saved!?”
Lord, pour out your Spirit so that those who are riding out spiritual storms and physical storms may be delivered, even though their lives may be shipwrecked. Bring them through the way you delivered The Apostle Paul. Even though he was bitten by a snake, he shook it off into the fire and many were saved by seeing the power of God at work in his trial. May many be saved as they see the work of the Lord in our trials.
Lord God, pour out your Spirit in power around the world and anoint your persecuted church to walk in the power of God. Forgive me for not praying for the persecuted church, Lord.
Lord, as the darkness tries to overwhelm us, may your provision and your light shine brightly in the darkness. Bring your glory! Bring your glory! Bring your glory!
Lord, when the devil makes plans against my life, turn his plans back against him in Jesus name. Send the Devils plans into confusion against himself. Reveal his lies, so I may walk in truth. Fill me with your truth.
Exalt your truth in the land. While a great delusion is coming over the land, protect my mind with the helmet of salvation and truth by your Spirit. Thank you for your faithfulness, oh Lord! Protect my family and friends from the lies and deception of Satan, in Jesus name. (List their names here) Bring your truth and freedom and salvation to their lives.
Protect my family and friends by the protection of the blood of Jesus. Father, you protected the people of Israel when the blood of the lamb was on their door posts. How much better is the blood of Jesus to protect us? Lord, thank you for pouring out your blood for us to save us, protect us and deliver us!
God, when you choose to allow me to go through a trial, teach me and refine me and use it to build your kingdom in my heart and in my family. What do you want me to learn, Lord? Speak to my heart. (Wait and listen.)
…………
God, if there is sin in my life that has allowed Satan access to harass me, please show me. If there is bitterness, lying, sexual impurity, pride, rage or gossip, please reveal it to me and show me the truth. (Listen) Forgive me and deliver me so I can walk in truth in Jesus name.
Father,destroy Satan’s attacks against my community, town and neighborhood. May I be a light here. Release your Spirit to set captives free, heal families, and bring people into Jesus. Destroy Satans work against my church, my pastor and the leadership in my church. Lead them in righteousness and in wisdom. May they rise up to be people of prayer and fasting and in seeking the Lord for revival in our town.
Thank you, God, for loving me and fighting against the enemies of The kingdom. Thank you for taking people like the Apostle Paul and making them warriors for Christ. Make the same changes in our time and in our day. In Jesus name, Amen!
(Spend a few minutes in worship and listening to the Lord.)
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