November 2004 E-Newsletter

Preah Vihear Temple - Strategic Intercessory Prayer Point

I could hardly catch my breath as we climbed to just the first of four stages at the lofty Preah Vihear Temple complex on the Thai-Cambodian border - the oldest and highest Hindu/Buddhist temple ruins in Cambodia.  As our team of intercessors continued the upward march, I imagined the intimidation that must have been felt by the earliest sojourners to this place.  Massive lingas, Hindu phallic symbols of virility, lined the path to the top, accenting the sheer size of each temple colonnade.

The tropical sun unleashed its fury causing every pore on my skin to open wide, soaking my shirt in sweat.  Those early travelers . . . surely, they were gripped with fear believing that such a great feat of engineering could not have been realized by mere manpower alone.  No, strong, unseen forces must have aided the builders in their quest to give honor to Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction.

Exhaustion and dehydration aside, I felt no such fear.  True, my heart pounded as we ascended to the summit; but it was a bodily sensation based solely on a lack of physical fitness!  As we climbed ever closer to the top I reflected on the fact that I knew something that those early visitors to this evil place did not.  I possessed a calming truth which insulates me from fear of the evil one, demonic forces and all spiritual wickedness:  The Truth, Jesus Christ, resides within me!  Early pilgrims made their way to this religious monument with hopes of appeasing Shiva and averting tragedy in their lives.  Of course, our purpose was much different - we intended to intercede on behalf of the nation of Cambodia and by prayer, begin the process of reversing the destruction that Shiva (i.e. Satan) has wrought in this land.

The final steps to the top were absolutely breath-taking, and well worth the work!  As we climbed over heaps of rubble in the final temple colonnade and cornered around to the backside of the ruins we approached the edge of a steep escarpment.  As I peered through the haze I could see straight down thousands of feet; I quickly felt the need to grab on to something! 

Then, looking out beyond the cliff we envisaged the seemingly endless range of mountains and jungles of Cambodia - an impressive scene of pristine forest - having feelings of awe and wonder which were quickly hampered by the realization that much of that jungle is still infested with landmines.  My thoughts were immediately drawn to Psalms 24 where the Psalmist declares, "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof!" I thought, "What have the children of Adam done to God's possession?"! The expanse and the fullness of Cambodia, its jungles, mountains, rivers and lakes, and most importantly its inhabitants - all the property of God Almighty - were in bondage to another, an evil taskmaster, one who is bent on destruction, perversion and terror.  Freedom from him has eluded Cambodian peoples from the earliest times, a fact that I desire to see changed!

Taking in the immense panorama of a land for which we'd left the comfort of friends and family was intensely moving. With a sense that the time for God's kingdom had come, our band of intercessors gathered on the edge of the escarpment and began to cry out to the Lord . . .

× Prayers for God's forgiveness, peace, restoration and deliverance were aired with faith. × With resolution we spoke the Word of God to the powers that be to loosen their grip on this land.  × We prayed for the light of God's truth to shine brightly, dispelling the darkness of sin, destruction and immorality.  × Entreating God, we asked for reconciliation to begin between the Cambodian people and other peoples with whom there is strong animosity.  × Finally, we asked for a spirit of unity to engulf the body of Christ in Cambodia.

As we made our way back down the mountain I felt a sense of certainty that we had initiated a process that would eventually lead to Cambodian peoples experiencing freedom in Christ for the first time.  Freedom from fear, guilt, sin, death, evil forces and 'dead works' could soon be available to those who desire it.  I am sobered, though, by the fact that without ongoing intercession, for many, this freedom in Jesus will continue to stay outside of arm's reach!

Will you make it a point to offer prayers for Cambodian peoples on a weekly basis? You may want to follow the prayer list above as a guide.  Just a few minutes a week will most assuredly be instrumental in continuing the work of intercession that was started!

Working until what belongs to the Lord is back in His hands,

Dale and Cathleen

Additional info about Preah Vihear Temple and significant historical events: