Today, the President has declared a National day of prayer and fasting against the COVID-19 outbreak. My dear friends, this is wisdom. As a leader of this nation, he has taken precautions. He has taken action. He shut down our borders, he sent our children home, he quarantined travellers and the scientists are testing suspected cases.

These are physical actions our nation is taking in a physical war against an identified enemy. But this is also a spiritual war, and the enemy has many weapons: fear, ignorance, doubt, pain and uncertainty are just a few. And you can only battle a spiritual enemy with the weapon of prayer.

Let’s not forget, we are not in this alone. The world’s superpowers have come up against this supervirus, and the casualties have been overwhelming. From China to Italy to Spain to the United States, nations with infinitely better healthcare systems, have been subdued by the sheer force of the fast-spreading virus.

Every physical weapon that can be thrown at this disease has been thrown at it, and it keeps coming. But you and I are not done yet. In fact, you and I are just getting started. Today, in addition to all the great stuff we have got coming your way, we are also going to pray like we have never prayed before… We will hear from you as you offer your prayers on behalf of the children, the sick, the elderly, the confused, the weak, the confused, and the leaders of this world, committing them into God’s hands.

In fact, why don’t I start? Instead of the Message from the Morning Man, let us pray.

Our Father,

We thank you. Of all your creations, we thank you for choosing us to be alive at this specific time in human history. It is by Your mercy that we have lived to see this day. You, who have always known the end from the start – yo,u who saw this day from the beginning of time, and chose us to face it. We thank you for believing in us.

Timeless, ageless, peerless God, we are standing in the gap this morning to intercede on behalf of all mankind.

Father, the Deceiver has us in his sights. The whole world is gripped with fear. This fear has paralyzed us, this fear has knocked us to our knees and Lord, we don’t know how to get up.

But Proverbs 18:10 says “The name of the Lord is our strong tower; the righteous run to it and are saved”. God of miracles, this is why we are running to you this Wednesday Morning.

Thousands of your children are falling every day. We are in the battle of our lives, and the enemy has set upon us with a weapon so deadly, yet so small that we can’t even see it. It moves like a roaring lion, seeking for someone to devour. It transfers unseen amidst us and snatches the life out of the weakest among us. And Yes, Lord, we are afraid.

Father, this battle is physical, so we have done the physical things. Our president has shut down our borders, we have educated our people, we have stayed at home, we have washed our hands, we have used sanitizers, and we have tried oh so hard not to touch our faces. But this war is also a spiritual one against a force that cannot be seen. Lord, we remember that you are our protection against the unseen. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places”.

And so in the midst of our fear, we are comforted by Paul’s words to the people of Corinth: “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it”. Father, give us a way out. Lord, before we are overtaken, give us a way out. Before the enemy swarms over our gate and into our sanctuaries, give us a way out.

We have come this far by Your grace, and the Devil shall not divert us from our path – not with sickness, not with pain, not with doubt, not with weakness, not with ignorance, not with fear - especially not with fear.

Father, every time you send your angels to us, they start their message with three words: “be not afraid”. Send us your Angels O Lord, to guard the borders of our nation, to guide the thoughts of our leaders, to shield the souls of our children, and to wipe the brows of our sick.

Just as The Devil wields fear as a weapon, Father send us your own weapon that vanquishes fear every single time: send us Love. Paul said in 1st John 4:18, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear…” Father drive out the fear with Your love, in Jesus’ name. Give us the peace that surpasses all understanding, and above all, give us the wisdom to act swiftly and decisively to save lives.

We know You make all things beautiful in Your time, and so we know this too shall pass. The night shall pass. The weeping shall pass. And as sure as water is wet, Joy comes in the morning. We thank you for your grace. Even in our darkest hour, it is sufficient. Please accept our prayer as an offering, it is made in the name of your only begotten son, Jesus Christ, our Lord…

Amen