Friends:
I love to see movies and I would like to recommend “War Room” to you! I saw it over the weekend and it is part of Hollywood’s renewed interest in putting together specifically Christian movies. There have been several out over the last couple years and I always enjoy seeing them. I couldn’t help but be moved by this beautiful story and movie while also hearing the “explosions and gun fire” from the next door movie theater! That seemed to be very symbolic of life itself.
The upshot of the movie, without giving anything away, is about prayer. The main characters in the movie have cleaned out a closet in their home and turned it over into a prayer closet! They go into this closet to pray, thus the title “war room” to write down prayers and post them on the wall. It is a wonderful reminder of the power of prayer in our lives and how prayer can change lives.
There is a lovely verse about prayer from the Old Testament 2 Chronicles 7:14: “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” We are called by the name of Christ (Christians, meaning “little Christ”), we do humble ourselves thinking of others before ourselves, and we pray. God does not care about the words you use to pray or when or how you do it. Turning from our wicked ways is to stop what we know needs stopped in our thoughts, words, and deeds. We have now the forgiveness we need which comes from Jesus. It is ours always and forever as a free gift of grace. The “land” that is healed today I would say is our hearts! Our hearts are healed when we pray.
You do not necessarily have to have a prayer closet or a specific place you pray although many do that. Some like the constancy of a certain space, but God hears our prayers always no matter where we are, how we pray, or the words we use. And that’s a beautiful thing for us today in the midst of the challenges of life and the press and stress of daily living. Either develop a “war room” in your home or take your “war room” with you as you go! And take some time this week to see a movie that will really touch your heart….as only God can do!
Peace,
Join me in prayer for pilgrims to come and make weekends, for all of us to have boldness to ask people to come make a weekend, because it was so good for us! We just can’t keep it to ourselves….
Peace,
Pastor Doug Givan
Staff Chaplain
Clay, Brazil
Seton, Indy
Eric is our current Webmaster and works on the NLS Communications Team. Raised in Judaism, he found Christ and the New Testament at age 16 in a Southern Baptist Church. He searched many denominations for the real church, only to find the Holy Spirit is present in all of them. He's worked for One for Israel, a group of native Israeli believers who are sharing the gospel in the holy land in Hebrew and is part of the only Hebrew speaking seminary in Israel.
