Special Fellowship for Prayers

Two days ago I received a call from a brother concerning the combined prayer meeting of the churches in NCR especially in relation to the ongoing situation as we have been facing persecution and that five of our brothers have been placed in confinement. This is one of the cases among others where certain anti-Christian groups joined together to purposefully persecute the believers who are a mere minority in their large influential domain. It has been one month since our brothers have been imprisoned. Since then, the churches have been praying and whatever legal steps necessary were all taken. Now the only way out is for the Lord Himself to intervene and do the needful. No matter what transpires these days, we believe in the sovereignty of God and His wise way of doing things. He knows what is best for His testimony in India, especially in North India. Therefore, we all came together online for a time of fellowship and prayer yesterday, Tuesday night, the 22nd of Oct exactly after a month of our brothers' imprisonment.

The burden and content of the fellowship were on fighting spiritual battle and building up the church. But the question looms large,"How to build up the church?"

And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18, RecVer)

The Lord Jesus is building His church and the gates of Hades have been opppsoing strongly ever since. As the members of the Body of Christ, we stand in oneness with the Body and fight in the victory of Christ, the Head of the Body. Fighting the spiritual battle in the Body by the following important points from the human side were fellowshipped. Once the church is built the enemy knows his time is limited. Therefore, the gates of Hades will attack the build-up church. But the gates of Hades shall not prevail. We must not have confidence in man but in God. 

Experience the Death and Resurrection of the Lord

The Lord Jesus went through the process of death and resurrection right after He unveiled the mystery concerning Himself and the church and made the greatest prophecy ever, the building up of His church. In this way, He set a pattern for us to follow in building up the church. he went through death and resurrection and defeated the gates of Hades. This signifies that believers today too should experience the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus in fighting the spiritual battle for the building up of the church. For this, we should no longer trust ourselves but trust in the God of resurrection. No longer begging or commanding prayer, but praying prayers of victory and ascension.

Whom God has raised up, having loosed the pangs of death, since it was not possible for Him to be held by it. (Acts 2:24, RecVer)

For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of our affliction which befell us in Asia, that we were excessively burdened, beyond our power, so that we despaired even of living. Indeed we ourselves had the response of death in ourselves, that we should not base our confidence on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 2 Cor. 1:8-9

In this battle, the enemy targets the soul of the believers, especially the mind and the emotion. The mind immediately runs wild if not renewed and if not under control. The mind likes to opine and speculate under the deception of the enemy to lead the believers astray in the wilderness of darkness. Then, the emotion follows to cause anxiety, worry, and a sense of insecurity. This is how the enemy makes the vulnerable believers his prey and makes them his defeated foes. Therefore, with our mind renewed we should simply believe in the word of God, the fact God has accomplished at the cross where He already defeated Satan, and also be delivered from the emotional influences but stand with the fact that Christ in His resurrection loosed the pangs of death. We must also know that Christ is the living One.

And the living One; and I became dead, and behold, I am living forever and ever; and I have the keys of death and of Hades. (Revelation of John 1:18, RecVer)

The Lord’s presence is with us forever and ever in the midst of all these trials and temptations. 

For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of our affliction which befell us in Asia, that we were excessively burdened, beyond our power, so that we despaired even of living. (2 Corinthians 1:8, RecVer)

Even the apostle had already experienced affliction to a greater degree. Including, despair which is even lower than depression, a state of losing all hope. Nonetheless, we should base our confidence not on ourselves but on God alone.

Indeed we ourselves had the response of death in ourselves, that we should not base our confidence on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead; (2 Corinthians 1:9, RecVer)

Prayer

In the midst of hardship, when people are suffering calamities, God is using all these to fulfill His heart's desire. For this, we must pray. Pray the age-turning prayer, like Daniel. Pray the victory prayers in ascension. Positionally, we must be in ascension in the spirit, to pray from victory to victory.

And raised us up together with Him and seated us together with Him in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus, (Ephesians 2:6, RecVer)

And I saw, and behold, a white horse, and he who sits on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went forth conquering and to conquer. (Revelation of John 6:2, RecVer)

Hand Ourselves Over, Consecrate Ourselves to God

Finally, there is a need for absolute consecration to God. As we see all these calamities, we must no longer live to the earth but live to the Lord. We must pray that God may have His way to come in and turn this age. We are not afraid of persecution and opposition. We are afraid that there may not be many who are consecrated fully to the Lord.

Despite all that has been transpiring these days, the word of the Lord must be remembered. The gospel of the kingdom must be continued to preach. The way and timing of preaching may change, but the gospel must be preached and preached until the end of the age.

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole inhabited earth for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:14, RecVer)

This special fellowship on prayers accomplished two important things for the church in Gurugram. First, the strengthening of the saints in times like this for prayers. Second, the house where we met, we met after a couple of years. Thus a family has been recovered for the church life meeting in their home. After much struggles spiritually for this family, the Lord marvelously worked out things in His favor for the sake of His testimony in this family in Gurugram. I personally can see the hands of God in all these. This is the work of the Lord and He will gain His heart's desire in North India.

Lord, I praise and worship You for this special fellowship and prayers. May Your will be done and may Your kingdom come. Amen!