This happened several times last year during our 180 days of #SeekMyFace. I would wake up in the middle of the night – walk down the hall to the prayer room to find Kathy already there, playing before the Lord, or laying quietly at the foot of the stairs – often weeping.

In every case I can recall, we shared the same sense of deep longing love for what was happening in the household of God; in our hearts, our nation and in our region.

This morning, I wish I could say the condition of the Church in America is different. It is not. The pressure has shifted. But we, the people of God have not. When this happens, talking about revival is a feel-good panacea and foolhardy.

From my April 23, 2020 Journal

Up early (even for me). Kathy is in the Prayer room too. Playing before the Lord. The Lord says, “My throne will last forever. What’s happening on the earth isn’t over… Tell Pharaoh and the spirit of Pharaoh that the Lord of the earth says ‘nothing has passed over’. The Church is not bringing forth a lament in her weakness. The plague on the land remains. Rather than humble themselves before Me in prayer, the people cast off restraint and plunge themselves into more hostility – not humility. There is no fear of God before their eyes. I’m the One Who has brought this upon you. I’m the only One you can turn to, with weeping and fasting and repentance unto salvation.”

Lamentations 4 envelopes me in the weeping grief of the Lord. He is extending His wings over the whole earth with longing to gather us together in the shelter of the Most High, and we are not…

Through these weeks of plague, the Lord has been priming the Church, and the inhabitants of the earth to cultivate a fear of the Lord. Instead the Deliverer finds His people at the foot of the mountain fomenting strange fire:

…the fear of government overreach

…the fear of the deceit of nations

…the fear of plague

…the fear of economic collapse

…the fear of media

…the fear of new paradigms

…the fear of political plots

…the fear of foolish leadership

…the fear of kingdom failure

Beloved, in the hour of “tribulation” no one will gain enough information about their world to stave the trouble. The trouble itself is OF THE LORD, and is meant to drive us to the Lord in our weakness and need in humility. The false prophets will give you the information your heart craves – but the Lord detests, even if it should prove true. (Even satan gets prophecy right sometimes) Any word, any dream, vision or concoction in the self-will of man that does not lead the people of God to brokenness and repentance before God is not of God.”

In the time of trouble, He will lead those who give themselves to the fear of the Lord. Those who refuse this wisdom WILL be given to other fears – fears that will not redeem, that will not heal and will not save.

The word of wisdom in this hour, though it seems “off” and “unproductive” is still, “GHEEL WITH TREMBLING!” (Psalm 2:11)

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JSB • April 23, 2021

Why is “Rejoice with trembling” (Psalm 2:11) the Lord’s Word for the Church in America? Get a copy of our book, “Seek My Face: A Guide to Praying Through the Judgments of the Lord“.