I have come to believe that when He said no to me, that my sacrifice in the war with Satan had been laid on the battlefield. Some soldiers come away with terrible wounds in war.
And maybe Columbia was lost because we forgot about her and her astronauts and didn't pray for them. I have to admit that I am preoccupied with trying to keep our President alive and the U.S. and our military walking through the Valley of the Shadow of Death that I gave scant attention to this last shuttle mission.
As I was praying this AM, I felt The Lord press on me to pray that He would honor the Scripture about not rejoicing when your enemy falls.
Proverbs 24 16 for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity.
17 Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice, 18 or the LORD will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from him.
I felt that the Islamic leaders gloating over the Columbia were giving us a great opportunity to apply this verse in our prayers. Lord, please hear the gloating of our enemies and withdraw major portions and degrees of the judgement we deserve. Move on us by your Spirit in might and demonstration of your will such that masses of our citizens would turn toward you and away from doing their own selfish and evil things.
Lord, please cause politicians and other public figures who flaunt evil, infanticide, rebellion, sabotage and other destruction of the USA to themselves be destroyed in their careers and all their public efforts. Cause their falling to be a more vivid flameout than the breakup of the Columbia that all with hearing hearts would be effectively warned from following such a course. . . In Jesus' precious Name.
Lord, we also pray as follows:
--earnestly for Bush to demonstrate some extreme humility publically about the Iraq thing well before we go to war. Few things touch God's heart like our humility--especially the humility of leaders in proud positions. I believe we need extreme amounts of God's grace in our current situation with so much giving God the finger in public attitude, deed and law. It seems to me, extreme humility on the part of leadership is a good minimum to start with.
--THAT President Bush WOULD CALL THE NATION TO FASTING AND PRAYER BEFORE THE FINAL GO.
--that terror cells in the USA would be discovered before hostilities start--especially those with WMD's.
--That the forces of the enemy in Iraq and elsewhere would be confused and turn on themselves, destroying their material and personnel themselves.
--that people, plans & efforts toward sabotaging the USA would be discovered and thoroughly thwarted well before hostilities.
--that USA support of coercing, demanding, forcing Israel to give up, divide up Covenant lands with the Palestinians would be stopped. Otherwise, I do believe the predictions that God will bring about the New Madrid division of the U.S. will occur sooner than it otherwise would have to occur.
--that Russian, Chinese et al surveilance of our war efforts would be confounded, confused and come to naught.
--that our carriers would all be safe and fully operational.
--that President Bush and his family and the VP and all those who have any heart toward God and God's will at all in his Cabinet would be protected as well as their families.
--Particularly that Bush would hear God loudly and clearly and choose to obey God regardless of all other voices. That he Hear God without confusion or doubt. That he be enabled and supported in following God's instructions to him.
Lord, God, please hear the above as heart felt prayers of those who Love You and who seek to follow and serve you. Make it so by your Blood and Spirit, Lord Jesus. In your Name, Amen.