On a trip to Washington, D.C., I prayed with a prayer group at various sites and memorials dedicated to our veterans who had given their lives for the cause of freedom.
All around me from newspaper stands I read glaring headlines of bombings in the Middle East, civil war in Syria, and threats and more threats from terrorists. The voices for violence, genocide and terrorism seemed to be overtaking the voices for freedom.
As I glanced at the papers, I saw other headlines reporting men and women being imprisoned, beaten or put to death for their faith in Christ. In this dark hour of the church, the voices for Christ are surely threatened, held hostage and being snuffed out.
“Lord, what’s next?” I asked in desperation. “What’s to become of the voices for Christ?
Then came that still small voice of His Spirit: “Is a voice not made for the purpose of speaking?”
I had my answer. Jesus has given us His Great Commission to make disciples the world over (see Matt. 28:18-20). Isn’t His Great Commission still in effect even today?
I was reminded of Peter who had been imprisoned for his outspoken faith (see Acts 12:4-8). Behind prison walls, Peter had been placed under the terrorism of four squads of soldiers, bound tightly with two chains and secured between two soldiers. In Peter’s darkest hour, it seemed as if his voice for Christ would be silenced forever. It appeared that all hope was lost—that his cause for Christ was too weak a match for the enemy.
But in that darkest hour, voices were still speaking out for Christ. Acts 12:5 states that, “Constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church” (NKJV). The results were miraculous—an angel rescued Peter and led him to freedom.
You and I must not be thrown by the persecutions and threats that come against believers today. We must not be discouraged to the point of not praying or speaking out as voices for Christ. After all, God’s Word reveals we might be persecuted, but we are not forsaken (see 2 Cor. 4:9).
In John 10:10 Jesus warned us that “the thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.” Jesus also stated that He had come that we might have life and have it more abundantly. Was not the second part of His statement our promise of victory over all threats of the enemy? So why should we be thrown by the threats and attacks against our Christian faith?
You and I need to keep on speaking out for Christ, never ceasing to be thankful for the freedoms of this great country that allow us to do so.
Prayer Power for the Week of June 30, 2014
As we celebrate Independence Day this week thank God for the freedoms we still have in this country. Ask Him for the boldness to pray and speak out for Him whenever the opportunity arises. Thank Him for those who valiantly gave their lives to secure our freedoms and continue to pray for those currently serving in our military. Pray that our current leaders would have godly wisdom to do what’s best for the nation regarding its economy, security and freedoms. Ask God to reveal His will concerning our dealing with Israel and other nations. Pray that revival would ignite in our churches, spread across the land and around the world (Prov. 15:29; Matt. 28:18-20).
Bill Wiese 
Paul McGuire 
