Syrian Refugee Crisis

Lessons, Parallels, and Living Water: Exodus of Old Testament / Syrian Exodus

HOW TO PRAY WITH POWER FOR THE SYRIAN REFUGEES

About four million Syrians, nearly half of whom are under 18, have fled, and continue to flee from their country after four years of a devastating civil war. This has created the largest refugee population of our time. A parallel from thousands of years ago is most useful in guiding us in effective prayer -- prayer that effectively causes the manifestation of good that meets human needs. The historical Biblical account concerns approximately the same number of innocent people; the Israelites who fled Egypt under Moses' command following 400 years of hard labor in slavery. 

The world is being moved to compassion. More individuals every day feel compelled to do something to help. Some needful steps that provide direct aid are listed in an article entitled: "Quick facts: What you need to know about the Syria crisis" (mercy corps.org). To these right efforts we need to add the power of the prayer that produces the most profound manifestation of good, that operates as a law to meet the many and varied needs of individual refugees. In this blog we will focus on the need for clean water, and how practical spiritual truth realized in prayer can be.

Mercy corps.org reports that "in some areas with the largest refugee populations, water shortages have reached emergency levels." Moses led his people through the desert, and their sojourn lasted over 40 years. Early on, they ran out of food and water. In Exodus 17:3, the people, terrified, demand of Moses, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” Moses prays for God's help, and the outcome can be read and studied in verses 5 and 6 (below). 

God's answer to Moses, to the one praying for a way that water be given to so many thousands in the desert: “Go out in front of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel" (Ex. 17:5-6).

Water came out of the rock, and everyone, including the livestock, had more than enough to drink. Metaphysically, applying the ideas of these verses to consciousness for guidance in prayer and action, we begin with, "Go out in front of the people." So what do YOU do? You are not going to literally go out in front of four million refugees -- but your conscious awareness of God's Presence being there -- send THAT out in the FRONT of this situation. God says, "I will stand there before you." God is Spirit and fills all space. God is Love that manifests in compassion. "I will stand there before you." We are to realize the Presence of the Omnipresent Love. 

Additionally, Moses is told to take in his hand (power of Spirit) the "staff" with which he worked an earlier miracle on the Nile. A staff is something to lean on. Think on other times when you have experienced God's help and the manifestation of things needed, and lean on that proof for certainty of your prayer and God's power to meet the refugees' needs. Further, Moses is told to take action, "Strike the rock." Don't just stand there. Do not neglect to go into some time of quiet meditative prayer to realize God's presence out in front, before all world thought and belief, above and before all doubt and fear. As God provided for the Israelites in the wilderness, so that same law of Love is present to provide for us today.

ACTION STEP: As you go to sleep tonight, think on the story of Moses striking the rock and the water flowing forth for all the people. Realize the presence of God, Love, in front of all world beliefs of lack, and His spoken word to bring forth living waters, clean water, water for the refugee babies, water for the moms and dads, water for all. It comes from the rock, Christ. The law of God, Good, behind this manifestation changes not, and is present now to do this.