The Prayer Firewall

One of the most encouraging things in this health crisis is knowing just how many people are praying for me - people in places like the USA, Uruguay, the UK, Hong Kong and, of course, here in Australia. Having a support structure like this (called "the Church") is priceless, and I'm extremely grateful for the loving concern of so many.

Some of the members of my church, Evangelical Community Church, joined me this morning at my home for a time of worship and prayer. Others have formed what they called "The Prayer Firewall."

The concept of a firewall is, of course, quite common now. With increased internet connectivity, we need computer firewalls in order to keep unwanted parties out of our computers. As NetLingo explains:

"The term comes from firefighting; a firewall is a barrier established to prevent the spread of fire. Experts agree that a firewall is considered a first line of defense in protecting private information..."

But a little known fact is that the first "firewall" was described in the Bible 2,400 years ago. Zechariah 2:4-5 says:

"...'Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of men and livestock in it. And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,' declares the LORD, 'and I will be its glory within.'"

The Lord Himself promises to be a "firewall" around those who trust Him. This also reminds me of a verse someone shared with me when he prayed for me last Saturday. He quoted Psalm 125:1-2, which says:

"Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore."

Every morning, between 6 am and 7 am (here in Melbourne, Australia), the Prayer Firewall Team pray, each where they are, for me (you can click here to find out what the time is right now in Melbourne).

What kind of crisis are you facing right now? Whatever your situation, it is a wonderful thing to have people supporting you in prayer - creating a spiritual firewall around your life. The same God who lead His people out of Egypt as a "pillar of fire" (see Exodus 13:21) can also be a "pillar of fire" in this midst of your present difficulties.

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P.S. December 22, 2005: Today I received an email from Phyllis Chan, who has organised the Prayer Firewall, and one of the firewall members had told her a story, which I'll quote below...

Without trying to sound too holy, the 2nd morning I prayed, I saw something encircling around Pastor David's body and the word "wall of fire" came to me (I believed it's the Holy Spirit who spoke to me). Of course, not knowing my Bible very well and I had not come across the words "wall of fire" in the bible, I actually asked myself "is there a wall of fire mentioned in the Bible?" Sure enough, Pastor Nelson Koh talked about the "wall of fire" in Zechariah 2 on Sunday and in your email when I read it yesterday, you mentioned "prayer firewall". So, God is in control of this situation and He is speaking to us. Victory is His.