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Hugh Donnelly from the Good Shepherd Catholic Renewal Group in Bessbrook, Newry, in Northern Ireland, calls on fellow Christians, to join in praying the Our Father, daily for the situation in Northern Ireland and for triumph over evil
I believe that Christians collectively have been given a Deliverance ministry by Jesus in the Lord’s Prayer. Why would he tell us to ask His Father and Our Father to deliver us from evil, if it could or would not be done? This is a powerful secret weapon that we have not focused enough on. I believe that if enough of us from across the divide, Catholics and Protestants together, focused on this, great changes would take place. Yet we need to be honest and remember that we are asking God to deliver us from evil, including the evil in us who pray. I don’t think God will listen to our prayers if we pray only to deliver them from evil. He will surely not take sides as far as evil is concerned. We must give God the right to decide what is evil in his sight, and take whatever action against it that is necessary. We are asked in Scripture not to judge anyone or any group of people – that is God’s role. Scripture tells us, by their fruits you shall know them, so that we may not be led astray to support any group or party or institution that uses evil, even if it is for what to us is a good cause. It is a choice between good and evil. For Christians there can be no compromise with evil, no attempt to justify it; yet we cannot judge because we do not know the full story of people’s fear, hurt, or sense of despair because of injustice. People can have been indoctrinated into believing that they and only they are right, and can be prepared to die for it. Look at the Islamic suicide bombers. The devil and all his evil associates want to destroy us all, and he convinces many that the only solution is to use his weapons to fight for what we see as God’s justice. His weapons are hate, fear, revenge, incitement, destruction of property, lies, degrading the human person by rejection, maiming and killing people who are made in God’s image and who are the temple of the Holy Spirit. I could add bigotry, religious discrimination, rackets, drugs and much more. What about those of us who have not agreed with the wrongs that have been done and are still going on. If we just keep our heads down, are we not guilty too by what we have failed to do? When we say the Lord’s Prayer and use the words “our” and “us” and really mean it, we are untying God’s hand as He will not act against our free will. We as a people need, in earnest to call for God’s intervention into our situation to bring us to our senses. The vast majority of us were born into this situation. We had no choice in the matter, but we have a choice in what we should do about it. Many of us because of hurt etc have been carried along by the force of evil loose in our country. Others co-operate with evil because it serves their own ends. God wants to bring every one of us, no matter what our past has been to Himself. What about those of us who have not agreed with all the wrongs that have been done and are still going on? If we just keep our heads down, are we not guilty too by what we have failed to do? Can we escape blame anymore than those who have been involved at different levels? We have refused to stand for Jesus and speak out on behalf of His Gospel of love. Many of us were, and are in the self-protection business. Jesus and early Christians were not. We are all guilty to some degree by what we have done and what we have failed to do. Let us all then take stock. How does the behaviour and practice of the groups that we support or institutions we are involved in, stack up with the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Our real enemy, the devil, has been having a field day here, and like the Pied Piper is intent on leading us all into more evil and to eventually destroy ourselves. May God help and deliver any of us who have been deceived by the evil one. Saying the Lord’s Prayer for deliverance is not enough. We have to also ask for the grace of courage to live it out in our lives. This involves praising God, working and praying for his Kingdom to come among us, forgiving and asking for forgiveness from God and from each other. We should claim God’s promise to deliver us from evil, and to intervene and frustrate the plans of evil in every way, and to bring to light those who practice it. God knows all. We don’t want to or need to know who is guilty and to what degree. We simply just need to call on God to deliver us from evil and bring all of us to our senses, to repentance and to Jesus. Will you join me in praying and promoting this?
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