How should we pray during the Coronavirus?

In the midst of the Coronavirus, there are so many different points of view that it can make us wonder how we are supposed to pray. The Bible holds an answer for every scenario.

If this virus is a judgment from God, then we can rest assured that he has sent it so that the inhabitants of the world will repent and turn to him and learn righteousness:

Isaiah 26v8-11 – In the path of your judgments, O Lord, we wait for you; your name and remembrance are the desire of our soul. My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks you. For when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness. If favour is shown to the wicked, he does not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness he deals corruptly and does not see the majesty of the Lord. O Lord, your hand is lifted up, but they do not see it.

If this virus was made in a lab and released by men, then we can rest assured God has set its boundaries and it will not achieve anything outside the limits he has set:

Isaiah 10v12-16 - …The Lord…will punish the speech of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the boastful look in his eyes. For he (the King of Assyria) says: ‘By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom…I remove the boundaries of peoples, and plunder all their treasures; like a bull I bring down those who sit on thrones. My hand has found like a nest the wealth of the peoples; and as one gathers eggs that have been forsaken, so I have gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved a wing or opened the mouth or chirped.’ (God’s reply) – Shall the axe boast over him who hews with it, or the saw magnify itself against him who wields it? As if a rod should wield him who lifts it, or as if a staff should lift him who is not wood! Therefore the Lord God of hosts will send wasting sickness among his stout warriors, and under his glory a burning will be kindled, like the burning of a fire.

Yes, this was written to the king of Assyria - but it's a standard set by God for all who plan evil. He will use even his adversaries for his purpose, which is always to bring people into repentance and righteousness.

God also tells us how to pray, by giving us the words, or by giving us instruction in dreams. It's important to wait on Him, and to be honest, to say, "Lord, I don't know how you want me to pray about this, show me!"

A year before it started, God gave me instruction - he did not show me sickness, but he showed me in dreams to prepare by stocking up. He showed me also in that dream to hide in the dark, or during the darkness. He indicated in the beginning of that dream that this was a sure thing, it was going ahead and would not be changed.

The Lord has shown me in other dreams since then that times could be perilous, that there could be three waves that could leave the strongest of Christians feeling stranded, if we do not maintain Him as the focus of our minds. One of those dreams was three literal waves, but he didn’t show me what they symbolised. In another of those dreams, in early March 2020, I was told, “this is only the first part, separating people from one another - wait till you see phase two!” And I saw people like zombies everywhere. Strangely, in the dream, it was only the people who had had the virus and who had recovered who then became zombies. Were the zombies symbolic of people behaving aggressively, violently, without regard for one another, devouring each other? Or were they symbolic of a side effect or after-effect of the virus? I don't know. In the first few dreams, I felt distinctly that I was being given instruction of what to do. But in these more recent dreams I felt distinctly that I was being told to change it by praying against it. Whereas the average worldly medium will tell you your future – God shows us how it could be and invites us to change it through prayer.

By reading his word, we receive instruction on how to pray - wickedness will be judged. Pray for repentance. God's love is steadfast - pray for mercy. Jesus invites us to take his yoke and give him our burdens and says that he will teach us - pray that he will show us how to abide in him, because it is a condition of Psalm 91. Lastly, 'precious in the Lord's sight is the death of his saints' - against anyone who touches them, he will bring judgment, or use his adversaries to bring judgment. Is it any wonder that this virus originated in China, where Christians are persecuted on a massive scale? Is it any wonder that the locust plagues are devouring nations in north Africa and the Middle East who persecute Christians? We must praise Him in the midst of the adversity. He says through Isaiah - although I give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teacher will not hide himself forever, and your eyes will see the face of your teacher. That is one of the most beautiful promises of scripture - yes, it was already fulfilled when Jesus came the first time - but it will be fulfilled again, whether in death or when he comes to get us. Pray for the endurance of the saints, for his supernatural peace upon them, for their provision and their spiritual growth at this time. Let us all use the lockdowns to spend more time with him, not only pouring out our hearts, but listening to his encouragements and instructions.

The Lord had prepared me for this lockdown, and not only me, but I think all who were listening, and by the time it came, I welcomed it. See the older posts - He had told me something was coming that would not be pleasant, but it was our "Exodus", our "wilderness", and we were to embrace it without grumbling because he was in control of it. Let that give us tremendous peace as we sit in our homes, and use our time to slow down to his pace and connect with Him on a deep and personal level.

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord is an everlasting rock.” (Isaiah 26v3-4).