Praying With the Eyes of Faith

One of the greatest gifts that has come to me from reading the Bible is the ability to "see" -- and thus, to pray -- with different eyes.  Yesterday, I wrote about Prison Camp #14 in North Korea.  Since the evil in that geographical region of the world (we were shown a map with a specific location) is so profound, so deep, and so graphic, it is natural for me to "see" it as the original abyss, the "wild and waste" condition of the earth "when God began creating the heavens and the earth."  This is the original chaos over which the Spirit of God "brooded," as the Hebrew tells -- like an eagle hovering over its nest.

I am haunted by the cruelty I see there, the lack of love and of light, the hopeless despair of human beings without hope, without light, without love.  Shut off from the rest of the world, there is no hope of escape, or of redemption from the outside world.  But as I pray, I "see" the Spirit of God "hovering" over the abyss, "brooding" over the formless deep.  I "see" the Word of God leaping forth: Light! Be!  And I see the Light of the World descending into the depths of despair, into the destruction of the earth:  The reason the Son of Man came was to destroy the work of the devil (I John 3:18).  That which is impossible for me to touch or help through my own resources is possible through the work of God.  From reading Scripture, I know in the depths of my soul that what God "did" in the beginning, He "does" always.  He is not bound by time or circumstance; He is the same now as He was then.  With faith, I can look up and "see" the Word of God descending into Camp #14 as the Light of the World.  I can see that camp dissolve and its prisoners set free because of the mighty breath of God, the "Ruah" hovering over the abyss, and the wind arriving with tongues of fire. 

Ephesians 6 tells us that when we have done all we can do, to put on the armor of God and to "stand....for our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (6:10-18).

As I have written every year at the start of Advent, as a child, I could never understand why we were pretending to wait for the Savior of the world when He had already come.  As an adult, I well understand that we are not pretending -- the world lies in darkness, overcome by evil and despair.  He has not yet come to North Korea, or to the woman who cannot leave her abusive husband because she has nowhere to go, or to the child whose life is a living hell because of an alcholic father who beats him/her.  In the book of Revelation, John writes: The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come!" [Lord Jesus].
Those who can see the evil that still exists on earth, the unredeemed places, the darkness that envelops mankind cry out, "Come, Lord Jesus!  Light of the World! Spirit of Truth! Come!" 

That is Advent!  A dark world awaiting redemption!  "See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you!" (Is.60: 2).
That is my prayer for Prison Camp # 14!  I can "see" it with the eyes of faith---knowing what God has done in the past, He will certainly do again!  Come, Lord Jesus!