Beside the Ahava River, I asked the people to go without eating and to pray. We humbled ourselves and asked God to bring us and our children safely to Jerusalem with all of our possessions. I was ashamed to ask the king to send soldiers and cavalry to protect us against enemies along the way. After all, we had told the king that our God takes care of everyone who truly worships him, but that he gets very angry and punishes anyone who refuses to obey.
So we went without food and asked God himself to protect us, and he answered our prayers.
Ezra 8:21-23
When I was a child in elementary school I always liked the "fire drills." A loud alarm would go off, without warning, and we would all, quietly march out of the building and gather on the playground. Once there the teacher would count us all to confirm that no one had been left behind. There never was a real fire in our school, but the fire drills helped us be ready for one if it ever happened. And you can be sure that tragedies do happen in this life.
How do you prepare for a fire, the death of a loved one, someone breaking in your house to do you harm, or any one of many kinds of evil that can come your way? If you are not a follower of Jesus Christ and you must fight your battles all alone I really don't know what to tell you. Without Jesus the smallest storm in life can sink your boat.
But if you are a follower of Jesus, when the alarm goes off and you don't know if it is a "fire drill" or a real emergency, drop to your knees and call out to God. If you are practiced in prayer and can quickly come before His throne, God and His powerful arm of help will arrive long before the emergency squad can find your house.
Here is a good idea. Have a "Prayer Drill" every day. Call on the Name of the Lord as if you were in the middle of a life threatening emergency and then listen for His answer. Let your time in prayer prepare your heart and mind for the days of difficulty lie ahead for so many people on this earth.
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