TEACHING

Prayer

God Almighty answers prayer. I know what it's like.

When I was assigned to a combat division in Korea and went up to the front, my mother, who was a praying, godly woman, was on her knees crying out to God that I would be spared. And lo and behold, I was. It was a miracle I won't go into right now, but it was an absolute miracle in an assignment tent at the headquarters of the 1st Marine Division. And my mother's prayers were answered.

God Almighty answers prayers. Now here's what is said in the 91st Psalm, and we're going to be speaking on that for a few days, because our men are going -- and women -- are going into combat. In the 91st Psalm we read:

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

The protection comes from living in the shelter. It isn't a question of just getting in there real fast. You live in the shelter of the Most High. It is God Almighty who is able to keep us safe.

We want to be praying for our men and women in service. We're going to call this Operation Prayer Shield, and I want you to know, and all of us to know here in America, that if we pray -- I'll be talking more about this -- that we can dwell in the shadow of the Most High. And if He's giving us protection, then we have the covering.

You know in Russia, in the current situation with the Mafia being rather strong, they say to a businessman, "You need a roof. You need a roof." And the roof is either protection from one of the mobs, or it is some governmental agency that looks after you, and under that roof you are safe. And if you don't have the roof, then you're dependent on your own wits to keep you alive.

But God says, "I will provide a covering over you." He will give a covering over our nation. He will give a covering over our troops. And that's what it is we want to be talking about as we're praying for what we call Operation Prayer Shield.

These next 40 days, the days of Lent, we're asking you to begin a Lenten season and to show you're sincere to the Lord not only to pray, but also to give up something. Maybe it's sweets. Maybe it's desserts. Maybe it's watching television. Maybe it's going to the movies. Maybe you want to do a true fast. Maybe a fruit juice fast. Maybe you want to fast one meal a day. But whatever it is, do something to say to God, "I am sincere. I mean business."

We're focusing in on 40 days. We want to see a prayer shield go up around these men and women. And not only these men and women, but the United States, because the chances of somebody with a nuclear device using them against one of our cities or one of our installations is very high.

We don't know when these terrorists might strike, but it's so easy. The thousands and thousands of vulnerable targets -- to pick one and blow it up and hurt people. Israel lives under this threat every day.

But we've been talking about the 91st Psalm, and it says, "Those who live in the shelter of the Most High shall abide in the shadow of the Almighty." And you need to live in His shelter. It isn't enough to say, "Well, I'm going to run in there at the last minute when there's a problem." What He says is, "You've got to live in it. You have to live in the shelter."

And then He says, "I will declare of the Lord, He is my refuge, my place of safety, my God and I'm trusting in Him." So He is a refuge and He is a place of safety, and it's interesting that we regard God, who's a person, as being a place of safety. And you live in His shelter. Now He becomes your refuge and place of safety. You're living in Him.

And then it goes on to say in the third verse, "He will rescue you from every trap and protect you from the fatal plague." So He's going to rescue you from traps and He is going to deliver you from plagues. So whatever's coming -- I think this gas is a plague. But there it is. He's going to do that for you.

If you live in His shelter, you will find refuge in Him as a place of safety, and then He will rescue you from traps. Saddam Hussein has traps out there.

And He's going to also take care of you -- deliver you from plagues. That's what the Bible says is going to happen to those who live in the Lord.

So take this 91st Psalm; read it; memorize it; let it be part of you. I've heard of one company where they went into battle every single day reciting the 91st Psalm, and they had no casualties. God did what He said. They trusted Him. They dwelt in the shadow of the Most High. They lived -- they abided in His presence and He delivered them.

We'll talk more about His deliverance and the things that He will do, but this can be our shield for this nation and for this world. We call this Operation Prayer Shield.