Standing in the Gap

Ezekiel 22:30 "And I searched for a man among them who should build up a wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one." We'll tune him in this Sunday; Nik Wallenda, acrobat Extraordinaire. He's undertaking once again a feat of bravery, of faith, of well-prepared and practiced steps over the greatest chasm in North America, the Grand Canyon.  I watched as many others did, his last act, literally walking over the cascading immensness of the powerful Niagra Falls, June 15, 2012 http://www.niagarafallstourism.com/events/nik-wallenda-2012/  A lot of preparation, a lot of history goes before him.  With the name Wallenda, he is not the first. His legacy goes back several generations. His great grandfather, Karl Wellenda, founder of the Great Wallenda four-person-pyramid cycling team, created the family business. He died doing what he loved, leaving a legacy. We'll watch and like before I am sure, Wallenda prays out loud while walking across the wire, to his heavenly Father. Well of course, you say, who wouldn't in that situation! In a conversation with my spiritual sister last night, we talked about prayer. She'll text me often and it will be simple, like: "Pray,  talk soon."  We know what to pray for, for each other. We know the history, and we know the evil that blows from all directions, seeking a push, even a slight tap over the edge.  Prayer focuses us on the Super Natural power of God. In the book of Ezekiel, God looked around at His people and sadly, their lives had fallen away from the Lord.  They worshipped idols, committed lewd acts, disrespected family members, did not honor the Sabbath, cheated, lied...the list goes on.  God looked for someone, someone who would "build up a wall", "stand in the gap"...walk the high wire in faith; someone to pray for the heart of Israel. God asks us to do the same for those whose lives lie on the  canyon floor, who live beyond the boundaries of eternity, walking unbalanced in a windy world of uncertainty.  God calls us to stand and walk in the gap,  prayer acrobats for the faith, for the gawking crowd of almost believers and for the faithful, in the process of transformation. It's a legacy I want to live on. ...and what if he falls? I know the answer to this one.  WE KEEP WALKING, ONE STEP AT A TIME AND GRACE GETS US TO OTHER SIDE, where we'll see things differently. Hope awaits us, pulls us in and never stops holding on. Stand in the gap for someone, pray a hedge of protection, build a wall of prayer around someone. And when that someone stands before the Lord one day,  God can say, "I FOUND someone to pray, their steadfast focus turned your heart towards me. Welcome Home." Obedience pleases God. And God forgets what happened in the depths of the canyons.  He sets us free to do the Amazing, the Accomplished, the Acrobatic, the Annointed, the Appointed. Lord, Prayer is such a privilege, such a gift of connectivness to you Father through the Holy Spirit. It is so easy to lose our balance, fall away to sin and despair. We need to practice our knee-bending, perfect our head-bowing, work-it out in the quiet space of our prayer closets, by praying for the saints. Someone stood in the gap for me, and I am grateful.  Continue to spur me on, praying for those whose lives hang in the balance, with no direction Home.  Thank you for your protection and angel armies. I trust in the training it takes,  I trust in You.  Amen.