November 2020 Fasting and Prayer Message — Friday AM
This is a write up of the message from the November 2020 fasting and prayer weekend led by Pastor Praveen and held at our church. We had four sessions, Friday morning (posted here) and evening and Saturday morning and evening. During our fasting and prayer sessions, it is usual for the Holy Spirit to speak to us through Pastor Praveen. Sometimes, he shares insights into the scripture that the Holy Spirit provides to him through revelation.
Pastor Praveen’s Message – Mary Went Out While It Was Still Dark
Mary Didn’t Care about the Darkness
Pastor Praveen spoke on John 20:1-18 with emphasis on Mary Magdalene’s great yearning to be with Jesus. God revealed insights to Pastor Praveen about the motives, feelings, and thoughts of Mary, Peter, and John.
The account starts the day after Jesus was crucified and laid in the tomb. The disciples had been with Jesus for three and a half years and seen many signs and wonders. But now He was in a tomb. It was human nature for the disciples to be fearful and hide from the authorities. But Mary was different. She knew Jesus very well. He had delivered her from seven evil spirits. Nobody had to tell her about Jesus. She had experienced His love and compassion.
Mary couldn’t sleep. She got up when it was still dark to go to the tomb. She wanted to see her Rabbi, her Master, her Jesus. She didn’t care about the darkness. We can learn from Mary. As children of God, we will have times of spiritual brightness, like the noonday sun. But we will also have times of darkness in our lives. We face problems and hopeless situations. We become distressed and fearful. We don’t know how to go forward, what to do, what to say. We all go through this. Pastor Praveen himself has had such experiences. The enemy brings this darkness. Indeed, he is the darkness – the oppressor, the accuser, the liar. But our God is the Light of the World. He is the Way and Truth and Life. We can seek Him out.
Mary and the other disciples were going through this type of fearful darkness. It was not safe to come out of hiding. But Mary didn’t care. She was even ready to die. The One who gave her life, protected her from the evil, and rescued her from the enemy’s plan – she wanted to see Him. She didn’t care about the darkness. She trusted her God, the Light of the World. He was able to protect her from the enemy, the darkness.
How many of you have this kind of belief? Maybe you are facing some spiritually dark situation in your own family, among friends, or at the workplace. Can you say, “The One who took me from the darkness to the wonderful light, who died for me on the cross – He is mighty to protect me, rescue me, and deliver me?” It doesn’t matter what you are going through. The One who called us is able to protect you. He will lift up your head and the heads of your children before the enemy. He is the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. He is the Father for the fatherless.
Are you in a fearful situation? God is speaking to you. Are you ready to come out of your fearfulness and seek the Lord like Mary? The word of God says, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13). When we seek Him with all our heart, mind, and strength, we will see our God. We will experience victory, hope, and joy in God.
Mary came looking for her Lord with a grateful heart. She had a great testimony in Christ. She had been possessed by demons. No one had respected or cared for her and the evil one was ruling in her life. Then Jesus set her free from the darkness. Now she wanted to see her God, Jesus. She came with her faith.
The Stone Was Rolled Away
When she arrived, Mary saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance to the tomb. Pastor Praveen said that there are many kinds of “stones” in our lives. Some stones the enemy will fix against us but some stones we fix against ourselves. The stone in front of the tomb had been fixed by the enemy. So God took away the stone.
The situation was different when Jesus raised Lazarus (John 11:17-44). In that case, the people had to remove the stone from the tomb. “‘Take away the stone,’ he said.” (v. 39.) Yet, the people hesitated. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” (John 11:39-40). In other words, “You want to see a miracle? You want to see God’s glory? You want to see your brother come out of the tomb? Take away the stone and I will show you God’s power.” (John 11:40; paraphrase).
God is speaking to you. You fixed a stone against yourself because of your little faith. You say, “I can’t do it. I cannot go forward. No one is with me. I am alone. I am failing.” No! Take away the stone. God will take you out of your situation, heal you, and use you. Maybe your own family or friends will say, “Oh, there is a bad odor, Jesus. It’s been four days.” They may say, “You cannot make it.” They may name all the problems and obstacles before you. If you listen, you will be more fearful and discouraged. Don’t look at them. Look at the One who can fix it. God is speaking, “Take away the stone that you have fixed against your blessing, healing, happiness, and joy. Then I will show you my power. But first, you must take away the stone. I will bring you out of your situation and make you usable for my plan.”
Remember, Mary was seeking her Lord, even in the dark. She was a hero in the faith. When she found the stone rolled away, she ran to tell Peter and John. Then they ran to the tomb. John was the younger man, and he outran Peter. At the tomb, he found nothing. He just bent over and looked into the tomb. He only saw strips of linen. When Peter arrived, he ran straight into the tomb. He also saw strips of linen. Finally, the younger man, John, went in. He saw and believed (John 20:2-8).
What is your calling? God has called us to seek, not emptiness, but Jesus. If you seek him with all your heart, you will see Him. At this time, Peter and John did not find him. So they left. But Mary Magdalene stayed. The one who had a grateful heart and great testimony in Christ, she bent to look into the tomb. She was crying. She could not carry her burden, distress, and heaviness. She remembered how Jesus saved her out of her hopeless situation. God revealed her mindset to Pastor Praveen. She cried and thought, “I will not move from here. I will not go from here.” Whenever she felt a wave of heaviness, she would bend and look into the tomb and cry.
Why Are You Crying?
Many people leave Jesus. Even when He healed ten lepers, nine left. Only one came back (Luke 17:11-19). Mary could not leave.
Then she saw something else – not only strips of linen. She saw two angels in white where they had laid Jesus’ body – one at the head and one at the foot. Maybe you have many problems and dark situations. Like our country’s present situation. What do you believe in Christ? Do you believe the country will be in darkness more and more? God told Pastor Praveen before the election that if the people do not listen, He will remove the wall of protection from around our country. What do you see this morning? Many stones are fixed against this country’s blessing. Is there any hope? After the election, God spoke to Pastor Praveen. He said, “I know what is happening in the darkness, but I will reveal it to all nations because I am the light of the world.” Only God knows what it means.
At the tomb, the angels asked Mary, “Why are you crying?” She said, “They have taken my Lord away and I don’t know where they have put him.” She was distressed – she did not know what was happening. But the Lord had seen her heart – her grateful heart. Before the angels could answer, Jesus spoke to her, “Woman, why are you crying.” She didn’t know it was Him. She thought it was the gardener. She told Him, “If you have taken away my Lord, tell me. I will go and get Him.” (John 20:13-15).
Then Jesus called her, “Mary.” She cried out, “Rabboni!” (v. 16). Maybe you came this morning with a sad, hopeless situation. When friends and relatives see you drowning in your situation, they will teach you how to swim. You are dying in the water, but they don’t want to jump in to pull you out. They will say things like, “Because of you, you are in this situation. Because you spoke like that. Because you did that. You didn’t listen to us. Now you have this problem.” That is the world’s way. But God is not like that. He did not come to judge us, but to save us. He will come and grab you out of your problem and set you free from your distress. He will restore your life, family, children, ministry, etc.
Pastor Praveen said, “God is asking, how many of you came like Mary, with a grateful heart? How many of you remember what God has done in your life? How many times has the enemy claimed something against you or even tried to put you in the grave, and God delivered you? Then, whatever you are facing, God is going to honor you.”
Pastor Praveen said he had no qualification for coming to this country. He faced many discouragements and accusations in his life. But God gave him something in his hand when he called him – a special grace to continually seek His face. Since Pastor Praveen and his family came to this country, God has been blessing them. Now he has U.S. citizenship, which is an honor in this world. Still, Pastor Praveen is human and goes through many difficult situations.
In this world, we will face many difficulties each day. We are all on the battlefield. We cannot escape the battlefield of Jesus until we reach the heavenly land. But if you have a grateful heart to earnestly seek the Lord, then you will make it – even when you think, “I cannot make it.” He will do miracles in your life, in your family, and children’s lives. He knows we are weak. Before He called us, our names were in His book. He knows our capacity and limitations. Don’t say, “I can’t make it.” You can make it.
Concluding Remarks
God has spoken to Pastor Praveen about things to come. And those things are happening. In 2017, God gave Pastor Praveen a prophecy about various trials coming upon the world after 2019. In 2020, the coronavirus came. Now Christians all over the world are praying Psalm 91 – because they are afraid. God also told him that a wind of revival is coming, but it will come first to Africa. After God told him this, a member of our congregation from Ghana told him about a dream he had that provided confirmation of this word.
Things are beginning to happen. Pastor Praveen is receiving reports that many people in many nations are converting to Christianity. He also saw a video clip of Prime Minister Modi of India washing the feet of poor people and quoting the gospel of Mark. Pastor Praveen was amazed but does not know what it means.
God is saying that the fire of revival is coming. But first, the spiritual leaders all over the world must repent. They must remove their agenda and come to church with God’s agenda. Then God will pour out His Spirit all over the church. Pray for the spiritual leaders of all denominations.