Spare Your People

solemn assembly

I didn’t want to have to do this again. Certainly, not just over a month after writing a response to the mass shooting in Las Vegas. But, here we are again. My heart is very grieved within me. This past Sunday morning, November 5, a 26-year-old man walked into a Baptist church in Sutherland, TX. He opened fire on the worshippers, killing 26 people and wounding 20. Among the dead are children as young as five years old, a pregnant woman and the Senior Pastor’s 14-year-old daughter. One family lost nine members (this number includes the unborn baby and mother mentioned above).

Great Shaking

Beloved, our nation is being shaken. Whole regions have been severely impacted by catastrophic weather. Whole regions have been burned to the ground by wildfires. The deep darkness in Hollywood is being exposed. The curtain is being pulled back on our government as well. Immense corruption and illegal activity are being revealed. And, in the past two months, we have seen two of the worst mass shootings in our nation’s history. Yes, we are being shaken.

God’s Strategy

In the midst of the shaking, God’s strategy is clear:

12 “Now, therefore,” says the Lord, “Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” 13 So rend your heart, and not your garments; return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm. 14 Who knows if He will turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind Him—a grain offering and a drink offering for the Lord your God? 15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, consecrate a fast, call a sacred assembly; 16 Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children and nursing babes; let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, and the bride from her dressing room. 17 Let the priests, who minister to the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar; Let them say, “Spare Your people, O Lord, And do not give Your heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’” –Joel 2:12-17 (emphasis mine)

Great Awakening

Demonic activity is clearly increasing in our nation. God’s solution to the increasing darkness is the Church—the light of the world. We must get brighter. Now is the time for personal repentance, fasting, weeping and mourning. Now is the time for the Solemn Assembly. Prayer is our great weapon in this hour.

Special Solemn Assembly

In light of this, I want to invite you to TCJHOP’s Prayer Room Tuesday, November 7,  for a very special Solemn Assembly. We will focus on praying for the many impacted by the mass shooting in Sutherland and for revival in our city, state and nation. We will begin praying at 6am and conclude at 7:30 PM. I will be personally leading a prayer set from 4 PM to 6 PM, focusing on these prayer points and praying from Joel 2. Hope to see many of you there! We simply cannot go on business as usual. NOW IS THE TIME TO PRAY!

Subscribe to our Outpost newsletter!

Subscribe to the TCJHOP Prayer Room newsletter!

About Nate O.

Nate O. was formerly Outpost's Director and Senior Pastor of the Twin Cities Justice House of Prayer.