PRAY WITH ME AGAINST THE WILDFIRES

“Thoughts and prayers” don’t stop wildfires. Or do they? When Jesus’ friends thought he didn’t care that they were in danger because of a storm, he rebuked the wind, calmed the sea, and corrected them for their lack of faith. Apparently, he expected them to deal with the problem while he got some rest. (Mark 4:40) I believe God still wants us to act and use whatever measure of authority and power we have in the physical and spiritual realms to do something about our problems. If it seems like God is asleep, maybe he is just waiting for his kids to step up to the challenge and come into their maturity.

Do you want to pray more effectively than just throwing up a “God help” when you don’t know what to do? This simple trinitarian outline helps me focus my prayers according to God’s will, in light of Christ’s victory and in the Spirit’s power.  I share it with you so you can use it to pray more clearly and effectively. Most importantly, you can pray against the wildfires with me today.

Declare the Father’s Intention.  Proclaim Christ’s Victory. Invoke the Spirit’s Presence.

Before I start praying for any particular issue, I ask myself, “What is God’s intention here?”  We know that if we pray according to God’s will, he wants to act.  So I start with what he wants and, as Jesus said, “only do what I see the Father doing.”  Declaring his intention for a person or situation builds faith and becomes prophetic as a way of “bringing the kingdom” on earth as it is in heaven.

Proclaiming Christ’s victory has a way of reminding me, the person I’m praying for and the whole spiritual world around me just what Jesus accomplished in his life, death, resurrection and ascension. I am acting under the authority of the one who lived as the perfect human, suffered the futility of a death he didn’t deserve, rose to defeat death, and ascended to a position of all authority and power which he then poured out for you and me to defeat all the power of the enemy.  This too builds faith and establishes God’s kingdom agenda in this place and situation.  It applies the work of Christ to this particular situation and enforces it on the earth.

Then in invoking the Spirit’s presence and activity, we recognize the God who is not only with us but “IN US”.  The Spirit wants what the Father intends and the Son has accomplished to be fully realized in and through us.  He is in us “to will and to work according to his good pleasure” and he can do “immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine”.  His power is available to us.  So we invite him to do what he wants and apply what has been accomplished. Of course that means we cooperate with the Spirit as we are led to act. Prayer is the beginning but it is not the end of our responsibility.

This is a prayer more effective than, “God please help”.  Try it.  I think you’ll like it.

Declare the Father’s intention.  Proclaim Christ’s victory.  Invoke the Spirit’s presence.  Then thank him for his answer.  Here is a prayer I wrote for you to pray with me against the wildfires and the wind. There is something powerful about many of us agreeing together in prayer about something and bringing our combined wills into alignment with God’s will.

We declare the Father intends good.

Father, you love your creation. You made it and said it was good. Most of all, you love the human beings you created to rule over it. You gave them authority and dominion to rule and care for the earth and all the other creatures you put under their rule. Your good creation of wind and fire is burning out of control and threatening those you love. You love your children and you are proud of those fighting the wildfires. Your intention for them is life to the full. It is the thief who comes to steal, kill and destroy. You work all things together for our good. Even this fire and loss you can work together for good. Father, your intention is for your children to learn to use our authority and technology to put out the fires and bring peace and safety to the people.

We proclaim Jesus’ authority over wind and wildfires.

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Jesus, the Son. He is the true heir of all things. The One who created the heavens and the earth came in person to redeem them. He commanded the wind and waves when he was here, and after submitting to the futility of the death we brought on earth, he rose victorious. Having defeated death, he ascended to the heavens where he sits at the right hand of the Father. In his delegated authority, together with my brothers and sisters, I command the wind to die down. I command the fires to cool down. Together, in the name of this Jesus we command all the power of the destroyer to back off and step down. We also call on the angels of God to surround and protect the firefighters and the people working to stop the fire.

We invoke the presence of God’s Spirit to work in and through us.

Holy Spirit come. Let your healing presence surround those who have lost so much. Bring the protection of your presence and the calm of your peace to those still in the midst of danger. Give them supernatural courage and wisdom and insight and protection. Raise up others to stand with me in prayer against the wind and wildfires and for the people fighting them. Unite us through the adversity and draw everyone to Jesus that his name would be glorified in all the earth. We love you God and we thank you in advance for your answers, your healing and your restoration. In Jesus’ name. Amen.