Emptying Hell
I’ve recently taken on additional responsibilities at work, which is great because I’m always looking for a new challenge. I’ve also started traveling for work, which I love but, without the proper night’s sleep, has been draining. I’m learning a new language, I’m taking ballet, I’m trying to do more social activities. Things keep cropping up in my family that have been keeping my mind and heart busy with engaging and problem solving and just being present.
Basically, I’m doing a lot.
This last month has been crazy for me, when at about this time last year things were very quiet, so I’m marveling at how much there is to do both at work and at home. I’m also marveling/grieving at how much of that activity is not focused on God. When I get home, I am so tired, I just want to crash in front of the TV and watch something on Netflix for a little while so I don’t have to think. On the weekends, there’s been so much to do working on my place that I haven’t had a minute to rest, and when I do, I’m tired again and so I do a jigsaw puzzle or watch TV or…anything but conjure up the mental energy to spend time in God’s Word or in dedicated prayer time.
Now, for a little while I convinced myself that I was okay doing this – I’d tell myself that I “work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” (Col. 3:23). I rationalized that crashing every evening without any prayer or Bible study for the day (and week) was okay because God knew my heart, and I would say quick, isolated prayers throughout the day when I remembered someone or something. But I’ve become convinced in my spirit that I’ve been negligent. This isn’t simply an, “Oh, you’re a believer, so you’re supposed to be reading your Bible and praying” kind of negligence. This is the kind of negligence I imagine is on par with getting married and then failing to spend any kind of time with your spouse. That kind of negligence doesn’t breed the intimacy and trust and faith I then crave with God in my high and low times. Having that daily time with God, that prayer and study of the Word, is so valuable to helping me understand Him, understand myself in Him. It builds my relationship when I’m taking time out of my day to go to Him in prayer and seek out what He has for me through the Bible, not just do a drive by, “Hi God, I still believe in you,” kind of prayer throughout the day. And when these days are hectic, I need Him more to help me process my day, keep my mind and heart in check during interactions with people, and to remain focused on others rather than myself, which is so easy to do when I lose sight of my relationship with Jesus.
And this brings up the other area of negligence – I’m neglecting others.
I was chatting with a friend the other day about my hectic schedule and how I kept wanting to put time in for God but kept finding excuses for not making time to be with Him. She mentioned something she heard a pastor say – that as believers, we are called to “empty hell”. That struck me hard. Often I’m so absorbed with my own little immediate needs or the immediate needs of those in my little circle (often other believers) that when I get weary and leave off on my prayer, I just kind of assume (read: hope) that my last prayer will tide them over. But here’s the thing – Satan doesn’t take a break. He’s the world’s best employee and his job is taking as many human souls to hell with him as he can. Souls of friends and family. Souls of coworkers and strangers that I pass all the time. And for those who are already in God’s hands, the enemy is still out to destroy their witness and keep them locked up in chains so that they can’t do any damage for God either. And my prayer could be what helps break a chain off someone, starts the healing process, gives them that boost they need to make it through the day or spurs an encounter with God that changes their life and snatches them from the gates of hell.
I don’t know about you, but that made me cry at realizing how powerful prayer truly is and how casually I had been treating it. Prayer has the power to save lives. Yes, God can do all things on His own – He’s God all by Himself! But Jesus called us to be co-heirs in this mission of salvation. That means being warriors who are willing to use the whole armor of God, including “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests” (Ephesians 6:17-18). Prayer is a weapon, and we have this obligation to use it to help others and “empty hell”. And that means, rain or shine, weary or not, I have a mission that rivals that of the enemy.
Do I think I’m doing this on my own? No – there are a lot of people I join with to pray for what’s going on in our lives and the lives of others, known and unknown. I know what makes believers powerful is the common bond of Christ and the Spirit at work in us to move through our prayers. And I can’t beat myself up all the time if some days are better than others – these things happen. But I know that I should take prayer more seriously and be more intentional about my study time. While crashing on the couch and watching Netflix feels good, I have to remind myself that someone’s life could be at stake. That sounds dramatic, but when you live life knowing that there is a very real enemy who wants to “steal, kill, and destroy” (John 10:10), you have to live dramatically to combat that. That means I can take a piece of my time and give prayer for others my full attention. People’s lives are at stake – they deserve nothing less.
Blog photo by Stijn Swinnen