CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 738

“Give Courage”

2 Sam 19:7 (NIV) Now go out and encourage your men. I swear by the LORD that if you don’t go out, not a man will be left with you by nightfall. This will be worse for you than all the calamities that have come upon you from your youth till now.”

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There was a bright flash followed almost immediately by a thunderous boom as we conversed over a SKYPE video call with my son and his family.  We watched the terror stricken faces of our grandchildren immediately look off screen and then run in that direction.  The video camera panned to reveal our grandchildren huddled tight to their mother seeking encouragement, safety and security in her arms.

To ‘encourage’ means to give courage to others; to strengthen them.  As little children, we found courage and strength during a severe thunderstorm when we were close to our Mom or Dad.  Their calmness and assurance encouraged us.  In later years, we were able to overcome the butterflies in our stomach and perform on stage or compete in sports because of the strength we derived from the encouragement of our parents or coach.

In our reference Scripture King David had suffered personal family problems and he let it show.  His men had just won a great victory yet they were depressed because their king was depressed.  These men would not fight so valiantly and tirelessly again if all they had to look forward to was more depression.  This is why David, as leader, had to buck up and pull himself together.

As adults, we have not outgrown our need for encouragement.   We all key off of our leaders.  In the military, panic would set in among the troops should the commanding officers panic.  Supervisors or managers in the workplace who are always negative, down in the dumps and worrisome soon have an organization that is depressed and downtrodden.

Whether your position is Pastor or Parent, Executive or Supervisor, you have an obligation to give courage to those who are under your leadership.  We all suffer from negative situations, but we do not have to spread negativism to others, especially to those who look to us for leadership.

The problem is that we cannot give what we do not have.  In our human frailty we cannot be the source of courage on our own.  All of us need the strength that comes from a close relationship with Jesus Christ.  He is the endless, eternal source of encouragement and hope.  No matter what comes our way, no matter what we are faced with, we need to respond as the Psalmist wrote:

But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more. – Psa 71:14

Pray that your daily walk will be so close to Jesus that you can be a source of His strength to continually encourage those around you.

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. – 2 Th 2:16

Close in prayer, thanksgiving & dedication of your work to the glory of God