URGENCY

Greetings,

John Franklin and myself are on a task force for Prayer link, the SBC committee on prayer.  Our focus and job is to cover the topic and issue of 'URGENCY".   The issue of urgency is a hard one to define, to implement, to convey.   And with this problem of defining it, here are a few thoughts about it.

Let us paint a picture of urgency:
Your in bed; asleep, the phone rings.   You rise and answer, almost assuredly knowing that no good comes at a call in the middle of the night.  When you answer, on the other end is a family member, tragedy as struck.   The loved one is in jeopardy, and they are in the emergency room, the results are unknown at this point, but their life is in jeopardy.    There is now a spirit of urgency. 

Upon arriving at the hospital, they are moved to ICU.  The doctors have been up front, more than likely they will not see the sunrise.   Urgency is upon the family, because the life is in jeopardy.  

For most men they are only interested in the here and the now; they live without urgency.   Their life is all about self and what they can get out of life for themselves.   There is no urgency for the eternity.  But once that same life is thrust into an emergency of life and death, now the urgency of eternity is present.  And only those that know the truths of eternity are fervent in pleading to God for their eternity. 

an urgent spirit comes from those that know of the emergency of the time and moment.   And with so much at stake a spirit of fervency is placed upon them.  They must prevail or else.   This is Urgency.

The mind of the intercessor, and prayer warrior must always have this urgent state, for much is at stake in this world.  Souls, assaults of Satan, evil, harm, God's wrath are upon the sons of men of this earth.   And the next moment that life which is so precious, may draw their last breath.   Knowing this reality and facts conveys the prayer warrior to stay fervent and urgent.   Distractions, disruptions and self, causes the mind and heart to lose that urgency and be focused on the lesser of life - the here and now.  

Headlines, eternity for souls, crisis, and the epidemics are catalysts to provoke the spirit of travail in the prayer warrior.   They must prevail for God to be glorified, souls to be saved, to undo the works of hell and Satan.   Failure to do this, to fight this battle of urgency surrenders the ground to Satan.   Much of our nation, families, churches and future has been surrendered.    the fires have grown cold, conditions are still just as much an emergency of life and death, yet fervency and urgency are absent form the prayer meetings of most churches, and secret closets.  

It is necessary to understand where we are and what is happening to provoke the church to a spirit of urgency.   In the book of Acts, when Peter was arrested and more than likely would have been killed, the church gathers and 'stretched themselves out' before the Lord and prayed.   God heard, God answered and in miraculous fashion released Peter and he went to the church gathered interceding for him.  
Defining Urgency and its Impact:

1.  Crisis & Calamity

One thing that generally causes urgency is crisis and calamity.  Jonah the prophet shows up and tells the people, 'You have 40 days before God will judge you'.  The word of God from the prophet set the whole city into action.  They was in great need to do something during these 40 days to stop destruction and death coming upon their city.   YEt, when the two angels from God showed up to Sodom and Gomorrah and compelled Lot to 'flee from the wrath to come'; in the morning, they were still lingering.   Crisis was upon them, but they were not urgent.

That phone call, the news from the doctor, the headline reported, can all trigger an urgent spirit from the crisis and calamity unfolding or happening.  


2.   Timing

The crisis and calamity is one spoke of the wheel; timing is the another.   Crisis and calamity, heightens the urgency because of the here and now.   Mankind is, I guess, largely procrastinators with regards to judgement and time.  MEn always feel like they have plenty of time.  "Eternity is coming"; yet, they still say, "I have plenty of time."   Is this not the epitaph of hell?  "I thought I had plenty of time to come to Christ".  Yet, time ran out.   There is no time in eternity.

God gives time for men to respond.  This is one of HIs great acts of mercy.  No man will charge God that he did not have time to respond.  


3.  Lasting Affects

"The wages of sin is death"  And we know that God holds the sinner(s) accountable.   If a nation/person sins and the sin is not dealt with, then the repercussions of that will be upon the people.  One of the hardest things to understand is generational sins.  Yet, for our nation this is upon us.   Sins of decades ago, that have not been dealt with; and the wrath of God against those sins is upon the next generation.  


4.  Lessons Learned

Wisdom and understanding are supposed to go hand in hand.   They are found throughout the Bible that God is able to give both of these gifts to His people.   But when wisdom and understanding is removed or hindered, then the opposite is upon the people, foolish and ignorant.   Lessons learned is about employing what God has said and revealed and applying it rightly to our choices, lives and sharing with those around us.   Somewhere the statement is made, 'We have been here before"; 'We have seen this before"   And from that observation and reasoning if it be judgement or punishment, which is what we are dealing with, then correction and warning be given to the people.   


If the hour is late, and the need is great, wherein is the urgency?   Why do people continue as if all is well?  or as if there is no immediate alarm?

--Can urgency be employed without crisis and calamity?
--Is there an urgent spirit among us?
--Must we be destroyed before urgency is employed?



Started:  August 22, 2018

Continued:  8/24;  8/26;

Finished: