During the war in the Persian Gulf, when
Iraq’s Saddam Hussein was aggressively defying
the whole world and turning a deaf ear to
any voice of reason, many people were
confused and dismayed.

Even facing the mightiest air force and
army in the world, this madman refused to
back down. Instead, he provoked even further
outrage by launching Scud missiles toward the
peaceful neighborhoods of Israel and into
Saudi Arabia.

“This is getting totally out of control,” I
heard one man say, shaking his head in frustration.

And a news commentator noted that after
40 years of East-West confrontation, just when
the danger of the “cold war” finally seemed to
be going away, the Persian Gulf exploded.

I think most of us often feel that we have
very little control over what is happening in
our world today.

Scientists warn that the ozone layer high in
our atmosphere is being destroyed and the
earth may soon become uninhabitable. In the
meantime, our waste disposal systems can’t
handle all the trash and garbage our huge
cities are piling up. Is our world out of control?

Economists tell us that most Americans
work almost five months of the year just to
pay their taxes, yet our federal deficit
continues to soar…totally out of control.

Medical experts report that disease and
suffering is still uncontrollable. New kinds of
cancer are being found almost every year, and
there is still no cure. AIDS, the modern
plague, continues to take its deadly toll among
increasing millions. In some parts of the
world, entire populations are at risk.

Police officials admit they are losing the
battle against crime in this country and the
world. Murder, rape, robbery, and senseless
violence make a mockery of our systems of
so-called law and order. People don’t feel safe
going out on the streets — or even inside their
own houses. Crime is out of control.

World political leaders have to acknowledge
that after two major wars, hundreds of
regional conflicts, and decades of work by an
international organization dedicated to
maintaining world harmony, we have not changed
human nature or materially improved relationships
between nations. The world’s political
turmoil seems more out of control than ever.

Is our world out of control?

At the very beginning of the war in the
Persian Gulf, Jack and I were on national
television with Paul and Jan Crouch. Much of the
program was spent in prayer for our country,
especially for the men and women on duty
with our military forces. As Jan was praying,
she said, “Oh, God, send a legion of angels to
protect our troops!”

Instantly it went through my mind —
“They’re already gone, Jan, because God says
He knows what things we have need of before
we ask Him, and that when we call on Him,
He will answer” (see Matthew 6:8; Psalm 91:15).

When it was my turn to lead in prayer, I
asked the Lord to send His angels to protect
the families our troops had left behind. I
called on the Holy Spirit to comfort the little
girls who had to go to bed each night without
their mommies or daddies, and to strengthen
the little boys who had to be the man of the
house with dad away. And I had the comfort
of knowing that even before I called out to
Him, God was ready to answer.

“I am in control!”

Later, on the airplane flying home, I spent
the travel time in prayer. And the Holy Spirit
dealt with me in such a wonderful way. Again
and again I sensed the voice of the Lord
saying to me, “Rexella, I am in control! I have
not left you ignorant — I’ve told you what’s
going to happen. Don’t worry — I’m in control.”

I began to realize that because of God’s
foreknowledge of what is going to happen, we
must be ever vigilant in our prayer life to be in
His perfect will. God provides answers for
our prayers beforehand, according to His
foreknowledge. When you pray, He already has
the answer for your prayers — it’s been ready
since the dawn of creation, waiting for you to ask!

God’s plan is working out

When circumstances seem totally
unreasonable and unmanageable, the hand of God is
at work behind the scenes. When everything
in the whole world appears to be chaos from
man’s point of view, God can see the pieces of
the puzzle falling into place according to His
plan. He is in control. The Word of God is
very plain about what will happen in this
world. No matter what man does, God will
still have His way.

Has He not spoken it? Shall He not bring
it to pass?

How exciting to realize that you and I can
be used of God to help bring about the fulfillment
of His plan on the earth. When we see
the world seemingly out of control, we have a
powerful weapon at our disposal to bring
about change and order! It’s the weapon of
loving, compassionate prayer!

God knows what is needed before we pray,
and He’s already prepared the answer. So if
He can depend on you and me to ask, He’s
already prepared to take control of the situation.

Why we must pray

I believe if we fail to pray and ask God to
send the answer for a particular situation, it
may not be dispatched. There is great truth in
the old song that says:

When you cry out to Him, God will give
you peace — a peace that is greater than just
a temporary lull in the fighting, or a shaky,
uncertain cessation of hostilities. He’ll give
you a peace that will surround you even in the
midst of trouble.

Jesus said, My peace I give unto you: not
as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not
your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid
(John 14:27).

Is the world out of control? As far as man
is concerned — yes! But not for God. He’s in control!

I pray that God will open our spiritual eyes
today and let us see the “long” view. And as
the fog of doubt and confusion rolls away,
we’ll be able to see the glorious truth
expressed so well in the simple eloquence of the
old Negro spiritual that says:

HE’S GOT THE WHOLE WORLD IN
HIS HANDS!