September 28 - Prayer and the Growth of the Kingdom
Jerusalem is addressed here as the barren one, representing the unfaithful nation of Israel, to receive the good news of growth. Her disgrace will be erased as children will be given to her. So she is to enlarge the place of her tent, to let the curtains of her habitations be stretched out. She is not supposed to hold back in doubt of God’s blessing but to lengthen her cords and strengthen her stakes. The expansion will include spreading abroad, in all directions. Her offspring will possess the nations.
It is not just going out, many will come into Jerusalem, including the Gentiles. They will be led to the holy mountain of the Lord and found their place of joy in the house of the Lord, the house of prayer for all nations. All the nations will come to live on the holy mountain and inherit it as their inheritance. What a picture of the growth of the Kingdom of God, including all people and all nations. They will all converge at the holy mountain and the house of prayer. Pray has always been the center of the Kingdom as all God’s children can do is to pray to God.
The return of Israel is not just about expansion and prosperity, it is about returning to the Lord, hearing His voice and obey. They are to seek the Lord while He can be found and when they return the Lord will forgive their sin. It is then that the Word of God will be spread far and wide, not returning void but will accomplish what it is intended to do. The Gentiles will then hear the Word and turn to the Lord and His holy mountain to pray. What a great picture of a worldwide revival.
The prophecy concerning this great revival is not brought about by accident. The devil is not going to lie down and see it happen, he will oppose the growth of the Kingdom by every cunning and deceitful way. Paul encourages the believers in Ephesus to stand firm and be strong in the Lord, putting on the whole armor of God that they may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. Believers are not warring against flesh and blood but against spiritual enemies like the rulers, the authorities, the cosmic powers over this present darkness and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
The whole armor of God is to be put on by prayer for prayer is spiritual warfare, warring against the devil who tries to prevent Kingdom growth by deceiving the world. We must hold on to the sword of the Spirit and pray at all times in the Spirit with all prayer and supplication. Christians are to use the Word of God and pray, to keep alert with all perseverance, interceding for all the saints, especially for the servants of God who are proclaiming the mystery of the gospel to the unsaved. Enlist now in the army of God, put on the whole armor of God to defeat the enemy. Only your prayer may bring victory and expansion of God’s Kingdom.
Ps 107:1-9 Isa 54:1-57:13 Eph 6:1-24 Prov 24:8