Intercessors: Stop Praying for Safety

This is probably going to tick some people off, but I want to talk to my fellow intercessors, prayer warriors, and disciples of Jesus Christ. Prayer is one of the most important callings for the Christ Follower, and I want us to make the most of our time talking to God, petitioning Him, and giving Him our supplications. Many of us talk to Him throughout the day, inwardly and outwardly.

In our intercessory prayer group this morning, we were praying for our nation, Iran, and the middle east because the US just bombed Iran the other day. While we were taking turns praying, we prayed for safety for the Iranians, safety for us in the US, and safety for children and other innocents.

Suddenly, the Spirit reminded me Iran is one of the fastest growing churches in the world. Some sources call it THE fastest growing church in the world. God has been preparing Iran for the past several years by preparing His Church there. There’s an answer to this conflict God wants to reveal through His Church, and He prepared them. He reminded me of the beginning of Isaiah 43. “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name, and you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you,” (Isaiah 43:2, CSB). It doesn’t say, “When the waters get close to you, I will remove them, or remove you from their wake.” It says you won’t go down, because I am with you. “The rivers will not overwhelm you,” (v2). Then He continues with the promise, “When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, and the flame will not burn you. For I am the Lord your God, Holy One, and your Savior, (Isaiah 43:2,3, CSB - author emphasis). When you walk through the fire, not if you walk through the fire. We will go through tough things in this life, as Jesus warned in John 16:33, but we are to be courageous, for He has overcome the dark forces of this world.

You Will Go Through Hard Times! Obeying God Isn't Safe!

Remember Isaiah 43 when you go through hard things. God’s Promise: when you worry the raging waters will take you out, they won’t, because I am there. When the fires come and threaten to consume you, they won’t, because I am your Savior.

He reminded me that we aren’t called to stay safe, we are called to stay by His side in the fire and in the raging waters. I stopped praying for safety. Instead, I prayed for boldness and courage. I prayed for the Holy Spirit to give them divine instruction, direction, and wisdom. I feel the Lord impressing upon my heart the need to change the way we pray, and we need to think beyond praying for safety. God, we ask You to reveal to our spirits how you want us to pray. The things in this world are too important for us to take ourselves out of the game trying to self-protect. This world needs a church who isn’t afraid to lay down their lives for one another.

Psalm 91, which many of us run to when things get hard, says this:

“When you sit enthroned under the shadow of Shaddai,

You are hidden in the strength of God Most High.

He’s the hope that holds me and the Stronghold to shelter me,

the only God for me, and my great confidence.

He will rescue you from every hidden trap of the enemy,

and he will protect you from false accusation and any deadly curse.

His massive arms are wrapped around you, protecting you.

You can run under His covering of majesty and hide.

His arms of faithfulness are a shield keeping you from harm.

You will never worry about an attack of demonic forces at night

nor have to fear a spirit of darkness coming against you.

Don’t fear a thing!

Whether by night or by day, demonic danger will not trouble you,

nor will the powers of evil launched against you.

Even in a time of disaster, with thousands and thousands being killed,

You will remain unscathed and unharmed.

You will be a spectator as the wicked perish in judgment,

for they will be paid back for what they have done.

When we live our lives within the shadow of God Most High,

our secret hiding place, we will always be shielded from harm.

How then could evil prevail against us or disease infect us?

God sends angels with special orders to protect you wherever you go,

defending you from all harm.

If you walk into a trap, they’ll be there for you

and keep you from stumbling.

You’ll even walk unharmed among the fiercest powers of darkness,

trampling every one of them beneath your feet.

For here is what the Lord has spoken to me:

Because you have delighted in me as my great lover,

I will greatly protect you.

I will set you in a high place, safe and secure before My face.

I will answer your cry for help every time you pray,

and you will find me and feel my presence

even in your time of pressure and trouble.

I will be your glorious hero and give you a feast.

You will be satisfied with a full life and with all that I do for you.

For you will enjoy the fullness of my salvation!”

(Psalm 91, TPT)

Even in this Psalm, which we quote and pray extensively, the psalmist never mentions being removed from disasters, demonic danger, traps, false accusations, curses, diseases, or even the fiercest powers of darkness. God’s promise is that He will be your shield and your protection if you choose to hide in Him. We also have to remember, God doesn’t see “life” as we see life. In Luke 21, Jesus warns His followers, “You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. Everyone will hate you because of me. But not a hair of your head will perish,” (Luke 21:16-18, NIV). Clearly, to Jesus, being put to death and perishing are not the same thing. We focus on the temporal, but He is focused on the eternal. Our bodies may die, and it’s our flesh that we habitually protect. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, it’s just what humans are designed to do. I’m only saying where we pray for physical safety for people, God may actually want them out in the war zone doing His business.

I'm Calling Intercessors to Pray This Instead

I challenge us all to pray for them in accordance with Jesus’ words. That we would pray for them to “conquer [their enemy] completely through the blood of the Lamb and the word of His testimony…and not love their lives unto death,” (Revelation 12:11, NIV). And we would pray for ourselves to have the same courage should it be our turn someday.

I go on mission trips, and I have friends who do the same. My friend went to Pakistan earlier this year, and while we were in an intercessors meeting, someone asked him if it was safe to go there. My friend hesitated just a moment, and I jumped in (as I do, sometimes, being the blunt friend), and emphatically told them: No. It’s not safe. That’s why he travels with police escorts and needs a team of intercessors back home. That’s why he goes only when the Lord tells him to go. He doesn’t obey because it’s safe; he obeys because he’s called by God. He goes because reaching people with the gospel is worth laying down his life for. Another friend had terrorists taken down by police in the complex where they were staying. It’s not safe. However, we must obey and rely on God for our protection, or we will never go anywhere.

I go to third world nations where they have police with machine guns at every ATM machine. Every single one has armed guards. Why? Because it’s not safe. It’s not safe to be a white woman in the front seat of a car; corrupt policemen stop us all the time and we have to bribe them. It’s not safe to drive with the windows down in cities, or a motorcycle pickpocket will snatch your bag from your lap or your phone from your hand. We don’t go because it’s safe. We go because we’re called.

The Iranian disciples are called to Iran for such a time as this, and we are called to back them up in prayer. They have the same Word, Jesus, Holy Spirit, and a heart for their nation. They need to be filled with boldness and courage as they co-labor with God in a nation with corrupt governments and fanatic groups who will try to take them out if their beliefs were known. God knows how to prepare a nation, and God knows how to prepare His church. They need their brothers and sisters in other nations to lock arms with them in the Spirit and send them strength, encouragement, and victorious, faith-filled prayer. Intercessors need to rise up, lock in, and pray strategically by the direction of the Holy Spirit. We are just one church, and they are our brothers and sisters.

Let Him Add His Power to Our Weakness

Scripture says that when we are weak, He is shown strong. He says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness,” (2 Corinthians 12:9, NIV). It’s Ok to feel weak and insufficient for the task at hand. In fact, I’d say that makes you perfectly positioned for God’s grace to intervene and for His power to break in. So many of us never reach the end our ourselves, and many times it’s because we don’t like to take risks. We protect ourselves from failing too often. What the world needs is for God’s people to shake fear and go reach the end of ourselves where there’s weakness, and allow His Power to come and make our efforts perfect. We aren’t enough, but He is. His grace, favor, and power working in ours is enough for us, and it’s enough for our brothers and sisters. All around the world, we live in different conflicts and war zones. His Grace is sufficient to help us all. Let’s pray as if we believe that.

Thanks for sticking around

I love Intercessors, I believe we are all called to intercede, which is to stand in the gap for someone else. Thank you for being willing to hear this call, and feel free to leave me a nastygram in the comments or email me if I've ticked you off. I really just want to call us to this moment.