“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust’” - (Psalm 91:1-2).
Dear intercessors,
Recently we had tornado sirens go off on two different occasions. We live near the International House of Prayer in Kansas City. Kansas is known for tornado alley, the place where tornadoes are most frequent. We are familiar with storms and when the alarm sounds, everyone runs down their basement to escape from the possible destruction. Tornadoes often lay bare everything in its path, leaving a trail of chaos and debris.
The nature of an alarm is rude. It doesn’t care about your ambitions or desires. It’s inconvenient and interrupts your most cherished plans. Think about the rude interruption early in the morning from your alarm clock when you are deep in restful sleep. Your alarm has one unwavering aim – to wake you up!
God has alarms as well. He wants to wake us up to eternal life and all that goes with it. His alarms are disrupting our plans, causing us to feel quite unsettled. When there is a lot of flying debris from the end-time storm, He wants us to find our escape in the shelter of His wings.
Whether we realize it or not, we are entering a storm in the nations. America is encountering a very uncertain future. Rumors everywhere say we are facing a soon collapse in our economy. Along with that are the breakdown of the family, the rising crime rates, unusual stormy weather patterns, and the rise of ISIS. Uncertainty and fear is all around us. Walls are breaking down, perversion is increasing, and a sex storm has been released worldwide on a wide scale. Luke 21:26 warns that before the coming of the Lord, men’s hearts will faint from fear. We feel the tremors. The devil divides and conquers, and is out to destroy families. Matthew 24:6-8 tells us that there will be earthquakes, wars, and famines at the end of the age.
What is a person to do in light of all of these things? Is there a way we can find shelter in the upcoming storm?
The Power of Psalm 91
“‘Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation’” - (Psalm 91:14-16).
Most of us have read Psalm 91 many times. It’s a chapter we should memorize because there is an expressed blessing if we dwell, abide, and set our hearts on God in the secret place. We must shut the door to all the distractions and pray to the Father. He will reward us openly when we do. When we set our love on Him, we will be fruitful. We are in a season where it is of paramount importance that we seek shelter in dwelling in that place. We must learn to take refuge in Jesus and sever all other alliances that distract us from clinging to Him.
In order to receive the promises of Psalm 91, we must find God in the eye of the storm. God will hide us in the secret place of His presence. Luke 21 speaks of the storms on earth. There is protection and we can prosper in the midst of the storm, but we must find our confidence in God. He does seven things for us when we abide in the secret place. He delivers, sets us on high, answers when we call, is with us in trouble, and honors, satisfies, and shows us His salvation.
We lived for years on a missionary ship. Our ship built in 1914 would face gale force winds, and I would hear the ship creak and groan as it chopped through those high waves. I often felt seasick, and I couldn’t swim. Our cabin was right in the middle of the ship and I could imagine it breaking right in two. My natural tendency was to fear and I would think, “What if this happens or that?”
Often I would find peace and consolation in the eye of the storm by changing my focus. I would put on my earphones, go out on deck, and play worship music. I would face those stormy seas head-on by looking at the horizon and worshipping God. Before long, the clouds in my own mind and heart would clear, I would see light on the horizon, and my perspective would change. I saw the greatness of God and realized He was in control of it all. We were on God’s mission and He would carry it out through us. There was no reason to fear. A great transaction occurred. I exchanged the fear of the devil for the peace of God.
God wants our faith and hope in Him to abound at this time. He is going to bring a great revival in the midst of the storm. As darkness increases, the light of His truth will flourish. When you begin to fear, go into your closet, and set your eyes on the Father. Put on God’s earphones instead of Satan’s, and with eyes steadfast on the horizon of His truth, worship Him with all your heart. Move past luke-warm living into full dedication without compromise. This will be the joyful place to live.
Psalm 91 is a call to the church to dwell in the secret place. In trouble He hides us. Psalm 46 says, “Be still and know that I am God.” We must get connected and into the place of intimacy. There is a holy elevator up into the heavenly place. Learn to sing and praise God in the midst of the storm.
God has a job for you to do. You are on an end-time mission with the King of all Kings. Memorize, read, and dwell on Psalm 91 over and over again. Abide, sing, slow down, and connect with Him. This is the only way forward. God has so much for us. Don’t forget that He has already won the battle at the Cross. He is your dwelling place.
What kept me living on that ship in the midst of storms and seasickness? We lived in tight quarters with 300 people from 40 nations where there was no escape. The pressures were relentless as we travelled from nation to nation. Where could we find shelter in the midst of the storm? It was through abiding in God’s love in the center of His will and experiencing the joy of being in the harvest. The inconveniences didn’t take away the joy of souls being saved and lives being changed. God was moving in an incredible way. Even to this day, many look back at that time as one of their greatest highlights.
You and I have the opportunity to draw close to God, move pass our own discomfort, and enter into His end-time mission at the end of the age. The harvest will surpass anything we have seen in days past. Let’s hold tightly to God, draw into the secret place, and rejoice in what He does in these days. We can live victoriously and find shelter during this upcoming storm when we make the Lord our refuge. He is our perpetual dwelling place in the crisis and we can live under the shadow of His wings.
“He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler” - (Psalm 91:4).
Together in the Harvest,
Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
International House of Prayer Kansas City (IHOP-KC)
deb@intercessorsarise.org
www.intercessorsarise.org