Judges 16

¹⁷ Finally, Samson told her the truth. “I have belonged to God^[h] ever since I was born, so my hair has never been cut. If it were ever cut off, my strength would leave me, and I would be as weak as anyone else.”

Richard:  Understand your indentity.  Don’t let the devil steal your strength and identity.

Psalm 96

When We Should Stay Awake with Heaven

Sun Myung Moon
April 19, 1959

Matthew 25:1-13

Prayer

Father, we miss the time when You used to teach us about all that was of You and the time when we beheld Your glory in ecstasy and did not want to remain on earth. We also miss the time when heaven and earth rejoiced as we were immersed in Your love and experienced Your Shim Jung.

You liked appearing in quietude, and did not mind coming in the middle of hardship. You have been working in history, fighting with us on the battlefield and in the place of despair. As we reflect that You have always stayed with us, fought with us, and always longed to live with us, please let us repent for our past course of faith in which we enjoyed rejecting and denying the earth, even though we lived there.

We have seen that although You are in glory when we joyfully serve You in the position of transcendence, You were pitiful, haggard and saddened when You appeared on the earth. We also have learned that You have been relating to us in this form throughout history.

We eagerly hope and desire that You will guide us so that we stand in the glorious position where we can rejoice with the Father who has been wounded on the earth and who has struggled to find a true son under hardship. We hope for this, rather than rejoicing with the Father who appears in glory.

We know that if we want to serve You in such a position, we have to go through the path of tears, thorns and the cross. Only in this way can we know that You exist. We cannot help thinking that such a sad path of faith remains for us.

Beloved Father! Beloved Father! Are we lamenting now for ourselves? Are we grieving for our sake? Are we grieving for the sake of the nation? Are we grieving for the sake of the world and Heaven?

Now we must become sons and daughters who can realize for ourselves where You are headed by clearly understanding our identity. We must bow our heads while worrying about Your hope. If we have no confidence to stand before You, let us repent in our hearts. If we are unworthy to go to You, let us purify ourselves.

Father! Earthly people are not aware that You must hasten them to proclaim the way to the heavenly kingdom. You have to face untenable circumstances. Although earthly circumstances cannot be brought close to Your Shim Jung, You have the responsibility to bring them around by installing the one true human being.

We have inherited the sinful lineage of those who chased away, drove out, persecuted and killed at will the numerous prophets who came with a mission. Please lead us to repent for ourselves, asking what kind of heavenly responsibility we are willing to bear and what kind of determination we have.

Heaven told us in advance that now is the time to wake up. You have told us that it is time to hoist a bright lamp in the dark night. Are our minds still immersed in darkness? Are our bodies wrapped up in the barbed wire of death? Please guide us so that we can break away from this and be able to run toward Heaven, to fight for Heaven, and to take responsibility for Heaven. In this way, we should become sons and daughters who can call You “Father” and long for You to come. Father, if there is anyone who is unworthy to stand before the will, please encourage him at this time.

Please help us understand the urgency of the time. Please do not let us receive the judgment, swept up in the shadow of death. Rather, make us sons and daughters who can be led by the call of life and run toward Your embrace and the garden of freedom, although our bodies may be torn apart and we may die.

We on earth cannot help being saddened as we behold the Kingdom of Heaven and see that there are too many sad affairs. Father, as we see that the path which lies before us is a continuum of blood and tears, we cannot help hesitating and being afraid. Let us realize, however, that the heart of He who calls us is more grieved and troubled than ours. Today is the first day after Easter week. Allow us to light the lamp of the heart. Since we must receive Your eternal sap of life in our bodies and minds, Father, bring forth the works of life and re-creation at this time.

Are there people who are moaning in the realm of death? Please guide them to repent at Your trumpeting voice and succumb to You of their own volition. If there are people who have an inclination to betray You because the bitter roots of death still remain in their bodies and minds, please remove these and intervene with the authority of resurrection and life. Father, we eagerly hope and desire this. The people gathered here are of many types. Please have them form one mind, harmonizing into one Shim Jung. We sincerely hope and desire that You allow this to be a time when we can engage in our activities with renewed hearts.

The myriad of satans is looking for a chance to attack us even at this time. Please completely block their invasion. Make this a service that can mobilize the millions of saints in heaven and move the believers on earth who are pleading with Heaven with true hearts. Let this be a time when we can introduce the relationship between heaven and earth. Father, we eagerly hope and desire this.

We do not want many words now. Now that we have understood Your Shim Jung that is slow to give permission, Your heart that hesitates, please have pity on us. Please understand the heart that wants to convey the truth and the hearts that want to receive it. Allow us to serve You with glory at this time by achieving a unity of heart between the giver and receivers based on You. We pray all this in the name of the Lord. Amen.