The prayer
This I know to be true and often when it happens, it is no longer unexpected nor do I allow it to affect me. Every time you decide to do good, serve others, or support community and church, you can expect the devil to come back at you, not with a catastrophic attack, but via temptation of the flesh or make your temper blow up!
Just remember John 10:10 “The thief only comes to steal, cheat and destroy.” He will try to steal your joy, cheat you out of your accomplishment, destroy your testimony or the example you set for others. The devil has scored more points through petty things. From childhood we have heard excuses such as: “the devil made me do it” or “I don’t know what possessed me.”
Yesterday, I attended the National Prayer Breakfast at Club where I had been asked to say the prayer for the Nation, but I stayed on to listen to Education Secretary Leonor Briones. Toward the end of the event, I began to have that uneasy feeling that something bad would be waiting for me when I got back to my car.
True enough, I found my vehicle tire-clamped in spite of the fact that I had asked a nearby security guard if it was OK to park there. Had I not been expecting an attack from the devil I might have gone ballistic knowing I did everything by the rules. By God’s grace I kept my cool.
Once you become familiar with the patterns and petty attack of the devil and manage to thwart his move, you can get back at him by sharing your experience and lessons you learned. As Joseph, son of Jacob who was sold to slavery but became the #2 man in Egypt said: “What you meant for evil, God has used to do good” and as far as the attacks of the devil against you are concerned, simply memorize this promise of God to those who love him:
“No weapon against you will prosper and every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication is from me” – says the Lord (Isaiah 54:17).
* * * Looks can be deceiving and I was reminded of this lesson yet again as I observed Education Secretary Leonor Briones. Initially she reminded me of my mom, seemingly frail, advanced in years and fragile. As time passed, I began to notice that she was multitasking. But by the time she got on stage, there was no doubt in my mind that Secretary Briones still has so much to contribute. Her mind is as sharp as her cutting humor and her concerns are clearly for the children, the poor and the disadvantaged.
I never knew that Secretary Briones had never met President Rodrigo Duterte before she was appointed Secretary of Education. Neither did she express interest or was pushed or promoted by any person or group. Clearly Secretary Briones was chosen because of her vast experience that covers public administration, social development, finance, treasury, budget – audit and now education. Briones, when I saw her, was wearing an “I Love Dumaguete” button and all I could think of was: who doesn’t? But beyond the buttons, Secretary Briones had in fact studied in Siliman University, UP Diliman University as well as Harvard University.
In her speech, the good secretary shared one of her favorite books of the Bible: Ecclesiastes, particularly chapter 3:1 – 3:
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build.”
After pointing out how much the verses reflect our time and place in history, Secretary Briones succinctly guided the many “Christians” in the crowd to reflect on their role in uplifting society considering the first or only Christian nation in Asia also has the highest number of teenage pregnancy as well as the youngest girl known to have gotten pregnant and given birth! She also shared that just after being appointed Secretary of Education, she received a text message at 3 a.m., telling her to start educating school children on the dangers of drugs from grade four upwards. Annoyed by the early text, she countered with “Who You?” and the text back was “PRRDJ.”
Sec. Briones also shared that the President and all the cabinet members believe in prayers and pray at the start of every cabinet meeting. I asked her for “proof of practice” to share with our readers and this is what she gave me:
“O God, Creator of this awesome universe, God of all nations, God of all faiths, God of all Filipinos, we come to you this afternoon to discern your will as we conduct the responsibilities of government for our people under the leadership of our President.
We thank you for your faithfulness and protection for our beloved country throughout centuries of foreign conquest, wars, pillage of our vast natural resources, and the near annihilation of those who dared to resist. We thank you for leading us to democracy and freedom.
Once more, we are facing multiple threats to our sovereignty, and our very survival as a people and as a nation.
We repeat the beautiful prayer of King Solomon who asked for a discerning heart to govern his people and to distinguish right from wrong. Grant us wisdom, great insight and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore, which you endowed on Solomon.
We also remember the prayer of the great King Asa when his small kingdom was attacked by a much bigger conqueror – “Lord, only you can help weak people against strong people. Help us O Lord our God because we depend on you. We have come to fight against an enormous army in your name.”
We are a small nation, O Lord, continually surrounded with threats and bullying from the rich and the mighty. As you have protected small nations, grant us your protection, as you have aided the weak and the powerless. Be our shield.
All this we ask in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen. “