From My Prayer Closet – What happened at Fort Hood?

Somebody asked; “So where was God when the shooting was going on at Fort Hood? Does He really care?”

I listened to my sisters and brothers respond to the question methodically or rather how we have learnt to respond to such things as Christians. Do not misunderstand me, there was nothing wrong with a wise answer like; “We live in a fallen world and horrible things are going to happen to all of us as long as we are here. God has given us a free will and he does not dictate to our will. We can do what we want. People go out and shoot others because their hearts are gravitating towards such things. There is not much that we can do to stop the free will.”

I believe as Christians too, we have gotten into the bad habit of directing questions about God towards other humans and expecting them to come up with standard convincing answers that will help us understand some of the difficult situations of life like why a reasonable 39 year old man who has been a helper to other people and is capable of loving them should one day turn around and begin to kill them.

Not only do we direct such weighty questions about God to other fallible human beings, we also seem to answer those questions on behalf of God. May be, before we direct questions to human beings, we should learn to ask God first and expect answers from Him. I believe that, if He is God, He is capable of handling those questions himself. We do have answers that we have learnt, but sometimes what those who ask may be needing are just a prayer of assurance from the God of the universe Himself that He is in control even when things seem to be out of control and He is capable of showing them what He is up to.

Where was God?

This is where I believe God was on the day of the shooting and even long before that day. He was in the hearts of those who worship Him in truth. He had been working with people toward that day and to some it must be a wake up call. I say this because He was in my heart too, but how could I know what His heart was for His people?

On Wednesday November 4th, I spent precious time enjoying Beth Moore’s book on the study of the tabernacle. I read about Abraham, his calling, the message God preached to Him when He was willing to sacrifice his one and only son, Isaac. Later in the day when I knelt to pray and intercede for those the Holy Spirit leads me to intercede for, my spirit began to be troubled about the people of God. God the Holy Spirit seemed to be accelerating His word to me about talking to His people, about responding timely to the call to pray for His people, take the gospel to His people, teach His people. My heart was so burdened I began to cry. I cried for the land where I live, my state this whole nation.

I sat down to continue with the study I have been doing during one of my prayer times which was that day Joel Chapter 2 in its entirety. Because of my burdened heart, I could barely fathom what I was reading, except that there was this graphic detail about imminent disaster and destruction. I could hardly finish reading a verse before I would break down. Now I was praying from a Prayer Chapel where there is not a voice raised nor uttered, not even in a whisper. I was beside myself with all this sorrow so great and all the crying which was threatening the peace and content of the others. I however could not stop the Holy Spirit mourning in me, because I believe He it was who was in mourning. I went to the altar to pray from there but all I did was cry even more. I could not stop the sniffing which I was worried was disturbing the other intercessors. I went back to my seat and read more of Joel chapter 2 before I broke down again. The front of my top was wet from tears that would not stop falling and I did not know what it was that continued to grieve the Holy Spirit so much for His people and this urgency to reach out to them.

I turned to Joel again and noticed that the main heading of Chapter 2 of Joel was “Mourning for the Land”. That sent me into spasms of heavy sobbing. God was mourning for the land and talking about what was about to happen. If you understand the Bible well, you will know that God does a lot of times take a leaf right out of His word to warn people even about present circumstances, He can speak very expressly even in what some may think is shrouded mystery.

After a while, all the intercessors left except one woman who sat praying in the pew behind mine. Later she walked to the altar to pray from there. Then all of a sudden there was a voice speaking in my spirit telling me to go and kneel beside her and ask her if she could pray with me for there was something about to happen in the nation. I did not know this woman, I had never seen her before, I was in a church that I did not worship from, I was a total and complete stranger to most of these people and I was even acting stranger with my heavy sobs and apparent mourning. I would not stand up to go to her. I did not want her to think I was crazy by predicting some imminent disaster or catastrophe. I stayed where I was.

Later after her prayers, the woman walked over to me to utter some instruction about what I was to do when I finished praying if I was the last one in the room. She looked at me compassionately and walked away, out of the chapel. I was left alone to travail in prayer and I did not realize that not only had God told me to go and pray with her (she was a very prayerful woman), He had also brought her real close to me, giving me a second chance to ask her to pray with me for the nation. I had not taken both. I was disobedient like so many children of God are nowadays. Heavenly Father, forgive us.

This reminds me of the lesson I was teaching kids at our Good News Club just the day after. It was about Cain and Abel. I recall how I taught the kids about the opportunities for repentance God had given Cain. The first one is in Genesis 4:6-7;

GE 4:6 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."

And the second opportunity is found in Genesis 4:9-10

GE 4:9 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?"

"I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?"

GE 4:10 The LORD said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground.

I realized later that I had disobeyed God just like Cain. I did not think much about it even when I read a little about Fort Hood on Yahoo News last Thursday evening. It was not until later that evening when I sat listening to BBC World News when I realized what had truly taken place only a few hours earlier in Fort Hood, Texas. And it was not much later when it hit me that it must have been what the Holy Spirit had been grieving about so much in that Prayer Chapel the day before. It was what God the Holy Spirit had been telling me to hold hands with that woman and pray for the nation about.

So, where was God when Fort Hood happened? He was right there in the hearts of His people and I believe that I was not the only one He spoke to. He definitely, and I am sure of that, spoke to many, many, many of His children. What do we know? It could have definitely been worse than it was, even if it is still very catastrophic and we all are pained about it.

We thank God for the much talked about hero of the day, Sergeant Kimberly Denise Munley. While we give her accolades, we give glory too to the God who in response to His children’s prayers orchestrates circumstances to overcome the enemy and He will use anyone of us who is available and ready to go for Him. In human terms Sergeant Munley was more obedient and responsive to her calling and ready to act than many of us children of God are. We always doubt the call and think more about our programs and them not being disturbed, she could have ignored and gone to take care of her business instead or feared being killed, but she was bold. The Bible says, the righteous are as bold as a lion, when we are not, we doubt the very Savior who has given us this righteousness.

Please take time and read Joel Chapter 2 (the whole of it) just to have a taste of what it says and how it all ends. I will be writing more about Joel Chapter 2 in the future.