When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, your comforts delight me.

Psalms 94:19

God knows exactly what we’re going through. Our Christian character is defined by how we respond to the waves that crash over us during difficult circumstances and situations.

During this pandemic explosion of COVID-19 that our country faces, we also face another silent enemy. We are strongly reminded that “in all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one” (Ephesians 6:16). The silent enemy I speak of is diabolical and his name is Satan. We can’t see him, but his constant mission is to wear out and to accuse the saints of the Most High God, the Almighty (Daniel 7:25; Revelation 1:8; 12:10-12). I strongly urge you to maintain your identity of who you are in Christ. Never underestimate the concerted power of your prayers for the saints during these troubling times…that power of prayer comes to you from the “God of heaven” whose ears are attentive to the prayers of his servants who delight to fear his name (Nehemiah 1:5,11).

What prompted this post was a moment I had with the Lord while I was praying. I received from Him four key elements to regain spiritual healthiness. I’d like to share the first two here and the last two in the next post.

1. Be On Your Knees…stay strong and faithful in the Lord

This week, in the quiet of the morning,I was praying before the Lord. He put something on my heart that was veryclear. We, as God’s children, need to be on our knees seeking His face and praying over our family’s households asking the Lord to cause this virus to pass over our homes. We need to be asking our God to keep the enemy away from the Lord’s servants.

As I prayed, I pictured the Israelites with loins girded and ready to exit Egypt (Exodus12:21-27). It was at this moment in time that God told Moses to instructthe Israelites to sprinkle the blood of the Passover Lamb on the lintel (the horizontal support beam across a door) and the two doorposts so thatthe Angel of Deathwould pass over their home. You and I, as believers, have been sprinkled with the blood of Christ and are purified, yes, even our conscience is cleansed (1 Peter3:21-22)by the blood of the Lamb.

When I shared this with my family my youngest daughter said, “Dad, the crazy thing is that the other night when I was praying over Hazel as I put her to sleep, I was praying for protection and safety for each of us and our houses and I thought of that same exact story from the Bible (Exodus 12)!”

The Lord is good and true.

It was impressed upon me that we are not to fear these days, nor are we to fear Satan.John 10:10 tells us that Satan is out to steal, kill, and destroy, but that Jesus, who is our Good Shepherd, who lays down his life for us, has come that we might have life and have it abundantly!

We are to be on our knees for this country…that our leadership and those fighting at the center of this COVID-19battle would be protected; for our loved ones…that our homes would be protected; for our own faith…that it grows exponentially strong through time spent in prayer and reading the Word.

As these difficult times present themselves to so manyas uncertaintieswe are to“be strong in the Lord and in his might” as we hold our ground against Satan (Ephesians6:10-20)!

Christ Jesus is our Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7; Hebrews 11:23-28). His blood is to be spiritually sprinkled over the lintel and doorposts of our hearts. We are told in the Scriptures that we are to guard our heart—to protect it! The Apostle Paul tells us the “peace of God will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ” (Philippians 4:7).

God can hear our prayers anytime and from any place and posture, but I would like to encourage all of us to spend time bowing down to the only God who can save us. Even the wind and the waves obey Him as they bow in reverence and awe (Mark 4:41). Maybe we aren’t used to getting on our knees in prayer, but the Scriptures are full of men and women who come before the presence of the Lord with humbled hearts and bowed knees. When we can learn to present ourselves in full surrender to God, we can then experience the calmness of the Holy Spirit. By doing so wewill learn how to listen to His voice and come under His leadership.

2. Restore Your Vision Of Hope

I was listening to a newscast regarding COVID-19, where young 6thgrade students were interviewed. One student remarked how hopeless and sad she felt. Her comment made me realize she needed TRUE hope and encouragement in her life. When you are able to renew a vision of hope in the Living God…when you can know that there is light at the end of the tunnel…when you can experience your faith working mightily…then suddenly, you can feel a regained sense of supernatural strength because of thehope you place in the Lord. Just like the young 6th grader, people need HOPE now more than ever.

Listen to these words, “Blessed bethe God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead …” (1 Peter 1:3-9). There can be no greater story of hope and truth than the story of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. This is the Easter story of Christ. It’s a story of freedom and grace.

God is a living God and the hope you are to demonstrate is a livinghope…it’s active, it’s alive, and it’s able to bring meaningful purpose back into your life that will overcome your fears. This is why the Psalmist could say these words, “When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, your comforts delight me.” (Psalm 94:19).

Can I also remind you that your children need hope. It’s essential to speak a good word of the Lord into the hearts of your little ones so they “fear not.” We have to teach themabout the hope we have so they learn how to grow their faith and trust in the living God. From time to time, even our grown-up sons and daughters need a spiritual infusion of hope in their lives. Pouring into their adult hearts will strengthen you as well. Be their role model of how to look up to the Lord during this great pandemic the world is facing.

With all the changes, fears, social isolation, death, and countless unknowns, it is tempting to push it all down and not speak about these things…but God hears our thoughts and cares for us…He is waiting for each of usto cast our anxieties upon Him (1 Peter 5:6-11). The Psalmist encourages us when he says, “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety” (Psalm 4:8).

During the stay-at-home order, don’t allow for the adversary to rob your time that could essentially be spent together as a family talking and sharing about the experiences that have made you stronger in your faith. Talk about your fears and take them all to the Lord in prayer.

Remember, “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12).

Know that when you allow the light of Christ to shine in you,the darkness that surrounds you has only one option; to flee! “You Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light” (Psalm 18:28).

Even now, some might need to be pulled back into their relationship with Jesus. They’ve turned away, stopped praying, and have allowed fear, worry and anxiety to overtake them. Some might need to START a relationship with Jesus. If that’s you, I want to gently come alongside you and let you know that you can, right now, ask Jesus into your heart again…or for the first time. You can confess your sin as you seek His forgiveness and cleansing (1John 1:7-10). By receiving Christ’s sacrificial death at Calvary you can be set free…you can refocus on the preciousness of life itself!

And to us all, Christ will protect our hearts so anxieties, fears, uncertainties, hopelessness, depression, and sadness that comes from the world will be unable to overwhelm our spirit in Him.