"What time I am afraid I will trust in the Lord."I had to make a quality decision while listening to Good Morning, America! There was so much "bad" news that I was starting to "fear the future." I had decided to put my hope in God's word which says, "People, trust God all the time. Tell him all your problems, because God is our protection (Ps.62:8)"
As I was settling down to write this, my sister-in-law called. Her voice gave away her unsettled state of mind and I engaged her in conversation about that. She was reluctant to talk about it. Because I know she is called as an intercessor....as am I....I felt what she is experiencing is 'the burden of the Lord.'
I just finished reading Chuck Pierce's book, Interpreting the Times and the words were fresh so I shared them with her as a point of encouragement. He writes: "Travail connotes that we are at a narrow transition. This transitional place is a life-and-death intersection. The transitional place is a place of crossing over. I believe we have entered a season of travail. Travail means that we are in a "distressed" moment. Apostle Barbara Yoder...sent me this definition of travail: 'Travail is a specific type of prayer that both births (Isa. 66:7-9) as well as wars (Ia. 42:12-14). When a person enters a time, period, or season of travail (birthing and/or warring), they will experience it as a heaviness, weight, burden, deep penetrating concern, or unease over a situation or condition that cannot be shaken. Sometimes travail extends to weeks or months, particularly when God burdens a person over a nation.'
Travail is defined as birthing; delivering; or being disgusted, faint, grieved, weary, distressed, or troubled. The old Latin word referred to an instrument of torture composed of three stakes to which a person was tied. To travail is to be troubled; sorrowful; or in agony, intense pain, or distress. In other words, it is not a comfortable experience. Oftentimes a person will initially interpret travail emotionally and become introspective, suspecting something is wrong with himself or herself. However it is not an emotion; it is the burden of the Lord, the voice of the Lord coming to a person as a burden to draw that person into partnering with Him to birth and/or to war.
The only way travail will be released is through prayer. The person will feel weighted down by a situation until it is released through sustained prayer. It is during travail that people often experience a Romans 8:22-26 time. The Holy Spirit within a person knows how to pray under this type of burden. As the person begins to pray, the Holy Spirit takes over and begins to travail within and through that person with groanings that cannot be expressed in English words. Isaiah 42:13 says that 'God Himself shall go forth like a mighty man; He shall cry out, yes, shout aloud; He shall prevail against His enemies.' Verse 14 continues, 'I have held My peace a long time, I have been still and restrained Myself. Now I will cry like a woman in labor [travail].'"
I am encouraging myself in the Lord, but also using scripture as a reminder. Ephesians 6:12-13 says "Our fight is not against people on earth but against the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world's darkness, against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly world. That is why you need to put on God's full armor. Then on the day of evil you will be able to stand strong.....16 Pray in the Spirit at all times with all kinds of prayers, asking for everything you need. To do this you must always be ready and never give up. Always pray for all God's people."
The end of THE BOOK states (Rev. 22:20 - "Jesus, the One who says these things are true, says, 'Yes, I am coming soon.' Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! 21-The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen."
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