A Cure for the Deafening Silence: Prayer
By: Susan Deborah Schiller
There are two kinds of silence; one very good and the other very bad. A good silence renews our minds and refreshes our hearts, because we're withdrawing from the noise of the world to listen to the heartbeat of our Creator. There's another kind of silence that is produced by withdrawing, too, but in our withdrawal we are listening to our fears. Fears from without and within, echoing back and forth to each other.
Fear-based silence is where I've lived for most of my life, mixed with the good kind of silence… but always ready to pollute my mind with fear's toxic taunts. Abuse always intimidates you into silence! That kind of silence enlarges and empowers Darkness. Fear inhabits the dark places of our hearts and minds.
There's a dark shadow over America and many websites like this one will show you that there is a media blackout of what's really happening in the world. In the article linked above, Lisa Wade, PhD says:
Americans are notorious for their ignorance of global issues and international news. This may be because Americans aren’t interested or it may be that our news outlets feed us fluff and focus us only on the U.S. Probably it’s a vicious cycle.
A question: In today's American churches, are we crying out for justice when we hear of our own government sponsoring and funding the slaughter of Christians around the globe? With unlimited access to the court of Heaven, God's Throne Room, can we plead the case for those being persecuted and cry out for justice?
If you haven't yet heard, this year on November 10, 2013 it is the International Day of Prayer for Persecuted Christians. It's a great time to collect stories and share them so that we can be aware, awake, and pray for our brothers and sisters. We can pray for all sides of this, the ones doing the killing, the ones sponsoring and funding the slaughters, the refugees, and the families of the murdered.
Sources: Godfather Politics and The Daily Beast. Luke 18:7 Hebrews 13:3 Proverbs 31:8-9, Isaiah 1:17
It's time to arise, to be fully awakened, to what is happening around the globe, but also in our own homes. The change begins with us – being fully awakened, coming out of our natural tendencies to hear no evil, speak no evil, and see no evil.
The silence is deafening! Every voice matters.
Together we can push back the darkness with the Light of Truth as we share our stories!
Choosing love today,
Sue
PS You may also enjoy reading "May 'The Jackal' Be Our Wake Up Call" and "100 Stories".
Our prayers become the script that defines our future and creates our world!
Susan Schiller knows how it feels to lose everything: marriage and family, church and reputation, finances and businesses, and more. Susan's upcoming, interactive memoir, "On the Way Home," tells the story of how she came to be known as "the most abused woman" her counselors had yet met and how she learned to navigate her way out of hell to a rich and satisfying life. In her lifetime, Susan has served in duties ranging from home school mom – to pastor – to full-time deliverance minister – and to Midwest regional prayer coordinator for a large international ministry. These days you can usually find Susan soaking in her favorite hot springs pool, reading a book (or several), blogging, baking bread, or hanging out with her family and friends. You can get a free copy of Susan's upcoming book, "On the Way Home" by registering here.
Copyright 2012, Susan Schiller, http://TeamFamilyOnline.com. Permission is granted to copy, forward, or distribute this article for non-commercial use only, as long as this copyright byline and bio, in totality, is maintained in all duplications, copies, and link references. For reprint permission for any commercial use, in any form of media, please contact Susan Schiller.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I believe every step we take to the right direction matters. It doesn't drastically change the "big picture" but if we keep an open mind and allow ourselves to learn more about the world and each other, it CAN impact a lot of lives and cause a butterfly effect. But it's the individual's responsibility, because that's all there is: humen. People. We cannot change the world without changing ourselves first.
Thanks for making "the noice" about it, Sue!
Very good words, Evelina… words of wisdom and hope!
Thanks so very much 🙂
This was a wonderful article to read. I'm right there with you… We will find out one day when we meet our maker, to see things crystal clear and we will no longer live in darkness.
Hi Linda,
It’s great to see you…
Yes, darkness cannot exist in the presence of God, who is Light! It is something, indeed, to look forward to and prepare for!