The world is deteriorating every day as things get worse every moment, and it takes ‘a miracle’ for an average man to survive each day. In this situation, there’s no gainsaying that we live in the end times when we must pass through a final trial that will shake many, even the faith of believers. Many will lose faith in God, and seek solace in demons! Many will abandon the truth and pursue falsehood and worldly pleasures.
With the present conditions, it would be a double tragedy leading to a fatal collapse for the man or woman who lacks the ability to develop or adapt to these perilious times.
And so, on this 1st Sunday of Advent Jesus teaches us how to pass through, and survive these evil days. If you wish to know, read slowly…
Luke 21:25-28,34-36
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars; on earth nations in agony, bewildered by the clamour of the ocean and its waves; men dying of fear as they await what menaces the world, for the powers of heaven will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand erect, hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand. Watch yourselves, or your hearts will be coarsened with debauchery and drunkenness and the cares of life, and that day will be sprung on you suddenly, like a trap. For it will come down on every living man on the face of the earth. Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to survive all that is going to happen, and to stand with confidence before the Son of Man.’
POINTS FOR REFLECTION
1. Child of God to survive these evil days, Christ gives us two tips: to WATCH and to PRAY. He says ‘Watch yourselves’: by this he calls us to be attentive, to be alert and be sober. To be attentive in order to know the devices and new tricks of the evil one, so that we don’t fall into sin thinking we are enjoying ourselves or pursuing the cares of this world.
2. He says again, ‘Stay awake Praying’: that we may be given strength to overcome challenges and problems that must come. The strength to overcome will not come from the physical world and our environment. It will not come from our job or money in the bank, power we weld or security systems around us. The strength to overcome will also not come from the many friends we have or our connections, family or relatives. But it will come through PRAYER- a Spiritual activity and our moment of encounter with God. This explains why the Spiritual controls the physical.
3. This strength that comes through prayer, must be sought not once, or twice but at ALL TIMES! Why you ask me? Because the evil one- the devil, does not rest at all. The bible says the devil goes around like a wounded lion seeking whom to devour (1Pet 5:8) and so we must resist him always. In the book of Job, the devil tells God that he roams all over the earth (Job 1:7)
Even though God’s mantle of protection rests on His beloved ones, however God instructs us never to be tired of praying when he speaks through the prophet Isaiah:
I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth (Isa 62:6-7).
TASK: In her wisdom, the church has given us 7 set-time prayers (called Liturgy of the Hours) to sanctify every hour of the day, as scripture says ‘seven times a day I praise you because of your righteous judgement’ (Ps 119:164). These prayers are never to be neglected because each of these hours have been pre-sanctified and made holy by Christ as moments of victory over satan when according to Divine providence, moments of Christ’s death and resurrection corresponds to these hours.
To know more about the Set-time Liberation and Deliverance Prayers, CLICK HERE
Great article thanks a lot!