I am convinced of two things about prayer: that God acts powerfully in response to prayer, and also that He often speaks and gives us things to do, say, change, repent of, or be bolder in.

We see this in 2 Chronicles 20, when Jehoshaphat is faced by an invading army. Their prayer is “we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” God’s response, delivered through the prophet Jahaziel, is that God will defend them – but He also gives them instructions on what they must do. The victory comes about through God’s power and their weakness – singing not slinging!

As we pray, let’s continue to entrust to God situations that are beyond us – not only the spread of the virus, but the lost and rebellious state of our nation – and then let us stand up and be what we are called to be – God’s people, called by His Name, filled with His Spirit, and proclaiming His Gospel.

There’s a great prayer in Ephesians 3 about God’s people standing up to their full stature – I’ve recorded a prayerful walk through it, which I hope will be a help to us in praying it for ourselves.