What will cause us to pray?

"Behold, the LORD's hand is not so short That it cannot save; Neither is His ear so dull That it cannot hear."  Isaiah 59:1

I was talking to a Christian brother today and it hit us that we are getting far more videos about conspiracy theories than calls to prayer or seeking to discern what God is doing through the “Virus Crisis”.

Now this is not to say that evil men have evil plots. I am sure that there have been people in North Korea, China, Microsoft, Washington, Wall Street, Big Pharm, the Democrats, the Republicans, and whoever else you want to add to the list who are attempting to use this all for evil, however, God uses evil people like the Assyrians empire, the Babylonian empire, and the Romans to accomplish his purposes in history, bring chastisement on his people, and create a “day of the LORD” which is HIS judgment on us for the multitude of transgressions we have committed.

I really do think that Isaiah 8:11-13 is the key. "For thus the LORD spoke to me with mighty power and instructed me not to walk in the way of this people, saying, "You are not to say, 'It is a conspiracy!' In regard to all that this people call a conspiracy, And you are not to fear what they fear or be in dread of it. "It is the LORD of hosts whom you should regard as holy. And He shall be your fear, And He shall be your dread." Isaiah 8:11-13.

I am not seeing our prayer meetings even with zoom filled up. Perhaps less people are gathering for prayer now than before the plague.

Why is that?

Do we not think we need prayer?

Do we not think that God answers prayer?

I don’t think I have prayed as I should have prayed during this crisis.

Perhaps only in South Florida is there so few people gathering but what I see is very little focus on prayer and much more focus on encouraging panic and anger.

I think we may be missing God’s real message. ""If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:13-14.

So I can understand the concern that some group of evil people are planning evil things, yet perhaps we should really be concerned about what is God’s purpose behind allowing and directing all this to happen?

Joseph’s brothers did evil, but it is God who was really behind Joseph’s struggles and it was for a redemptive purpose. I think that we need to remember that the LORD is king of the universe and has all authority and power in heaven and earth.

I hope we can become a house of prayer for all nations. That would seem to be God’s greatest concern.