A Letter from Beth Coppedge
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God-this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2
Since mid-December, our family has been reeling from the shock of a life-changing trauma. My younger sister, Katy, underwent surgery and had a massive stroke that paralyzed her left side. Our grief and the constant care have redefined the reality of all of us in the extended circle.
After this occurred, one of my dearest friends, a missionary in Medellin, Colombia, who herself has suffered a stroke, said, "Beth this is a battle in the heavenlies. We have to call for fasting and prayer." I heard her, but was overwhelmed and I didn't do anything. Every day for a week she texted or called saying, "Beth, have you called for prayer yet?"
Yesterday I finally texted the prayer coordinator for Titus Women, and as we talked and prayed, she said, "Beth, I think Jesus wants us to pray for three days, not just for Katy, but for our lost nation and God's brokenhearted world."
Just as our family is grieving the pain, the paralysis, the suffering, the wounds and the scars of my sister, so Jesus grieves over us, and also over the paralysis of our backslidden country and the nations of the world-His world-His children-His family. He grieves over us as we grieve over Katy, only much, much more.
I remember reading in the book, The Awakening by Friedrich Zuendel about a revival that occurred in the Black Forest region of Germany. A young woman in the community was possessed by the evil one. Her pastor and two faithful prayers interceded for her spiritual release. It was a long struggle that finally resulted in spiritual victory and total freedom for the girl through Jesus. This was amazing enough, but even more awesome was that all of the prayer released in the heavenlies on her behalf resulted in a real work of the Holy Spirit. God broke through in the lives of townspeople and parishioners who came under such deep conviction for their sin that the pastors and the prayers were kept busy day and night praying with people who wanted to get right with God. God used the protracted prayers for the girl to bring revival to that part of Germany.
The thought came to me that maybe God longs to use what began as a call to prayer for the healing touch of a very sick sister, to unify our hearts to pray not only for my sister but also for all of our loved ones who don't know Jesus and all of the sin-sick in our family, our nation, and in the world.
We need Jesus. Let me say it again. We need Jesus. We invite you to join us for three days of seeking Jesus together for God's paralyzed and dying world. The three days we are joining together for prayer and some form of fasting and self-denial are this next week, February 16-18, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
