In every culture there is the shame of being an orphan. Communities are divided, families are branded, individuals are rejected, with orphans often abused. This was never the plan or the heart of God.

Since sin entered the world Satan has been whispering lies into our hearts and minds with this shame of being an orphan. This is one of the most deceptive and destructive assignments of the enemy over our lives and communities.

To reject the orphan is to do the work of Satan. Exodus 22:22 
To condemn and cast shame is to be of the world. Romans 12:2

Fact is, when sin entered the world we all became orphans. Each one of us lost our sonship and our daughter-ship and of the most high King as our Father. We became dull in our understanding of a heavenly Father, seemingly cut off and alone in the world. We lost the awareness (and experience, responsibility, accountability, life, joy, peace, et cetera) of living as children of the King.

But in the act of Christ come to earth as a babe, living a sinless life, going to a criminal’s death, descending into Hades to conquer death, and then rising once more, is the work of the heart of the Father for the purpose of restoring our dignity, our worth, our inherent value, and our freedom 98 as sons and daughters of The King.

Jesus the Christ:

• came to earth as a baby Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23; Galatians 4:4
• lived a sinless life 1 John 3:5; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:21-23
• went to a criminal’s death Isaiah 53:5; 1 Corinthians 15:3-5; Romans 4:25
• conquered death and sin Romans 6:9; Isaiah 25:8; Luke 24:46-47
• rose back to life 1 Corinthians 15:21-22; John 11:25-26; Romans 8:11
• ascended to the right hand of the Father Hebrews 1:3; Psalm 110:1; Revelation 3:21

This means:

• the sins of the whole world have been reconciled in the work of Jesus
• the penalty of death (that sin always extracts and demands) was overcome by Jesus
• Jesus died for your sins – you can live free from the confounding of sin
• Jesus died for the sins done against you – you can live free from the impact of other’s sins against you 
• we are established once more as sons and daughters of The King
• our dignity, worth, value, and freedom was upheld and reestablished in the work of Jesus Christ
• we now live this truth in all our dealings with all people in all things
• we bring healing of all kinds and we participate in ushering in the Kingdom of God on earth
• we all, as previously orphans, are now restored back to dignity and worth in God and each other

Human beings are incredibly precious to God. Each one, every single human being on this earth is created in the image of God. This gives inherent value to every single human being. Both you and I and everyone we know is made in the image of God.

It does not matter how that person came to be. It does not matter if the child was borne outside of marriage, was conceived through rape, was brought up in poverty or in riches, has handicaps or is perfectly formed, has come to know themselves as leader or slave, is boy or girl, male or female. Every single person has been created in the image of God and is therefore precious, valuable, worthy, beautiful and stunning in God’s sight.

There is not one person who is outside of the redemptive love of God. The restoration of wholeness and healing, help and virtue and the welcome of belonging is for every single one of us. 1 John 2:2

The orphan always has a home, anytime they want, in the arms of Jesus and in the life of the Spirit and of the people of God; as God’s children we imitate Jesus in welcome to our fellow human beings.

This is pure Biblical theology that must be fully realized in our homes, communities and nations.
In the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15) the younger son essentially makes himself an orphan. Asking for his inheritance early was a way of literally saying to his Father, “I wish you were dead”.

When the younger son comes to the end of himself and decides to return to his father’s home he does so with the intent to come as a servant. He feels that he has cut himself off from sonship.

We read earlier 99 that the only just thing was for the villagers to stone him to death before he reached home. This was the retributive system at the time. Unfortunately this same response too often accurately reflects the hearts of the people in our communities (and perhaps even ourselves and our churches) that would shun, despise, destroy, reject, condemn, shame, run out of town, kill even, the orphans amongst us.

But we read in the story of the prodigal son that The Father runs to intercept all of this. Every evil intended against the orphaned child is received unto the father. And make note, Jesus himself told this story to reveal to us the heart of God.

Jesus came and died on a cross to receive unto himself all the hatred, destruction, rejection, shame, condemnation, despising, shunning, killing that we as sinful human beings intend and inflict upon each other every single day.

Where have you been as an orphan? Have you squandered legacy or inheritance? Have you made big mistakes in your life?

God says, “Repent and turn to Jesus. You are my child and I remove, by my own hand, the assignments of shame and rejection and destruction from you and I restore you as sons and daughters in my Kingdom and by my side — you now bear my name and carry my authority.”

And this authority is first of all for the freedom from sin:

• Freedom to live holy lives
• Freedom to come close to God
• Freedom from law and religion
• Freedom to love in abundance
• Freedom to forgive deeply and always
• Freedom to celebrate others
• Freedom to sacrifice that others might live 
• Freedom to hear the voice of the Lord
• Freedom to obey the Spirit of God
• Freedom unto generosity

Then, it is for the purposes of carrying on this exact work of the Father’s compassion and restoration for others on earth in all its forms. We are called to carry an awareness of belonging to God to every individual. We are called to re-introduce all peoples to Father God.

We are called to act out this love of the Father each and every day to the orphans all around us.

  • For some this may mean caring for orphans and adopting them as your own, giving to one or two or three the full privilege of belonging, of carrying your name and living by your heart
  • For others it will mean accepting and loving fully those children that may be from your wife’s former husband
  • It may be receiving the unwed mother into your church and it may be about establishing her in the care of your congregation

It is important to note the difference between what satan would have and what God would have:

SATAN’s PlanGOD’s Plan
condemn
shame
reject
despise
hate
shun		receive
serve
support
assist
love
accept

We no longer need be afraid of sin. We simply minister to those caught by it.

Imagine families where there are no divisions between natural-born children and those adopted-in children. Imagine children, whether they are natural or adopted with the same rights and responsibilities, eating the same food, sleeping in the same ways, participating in family all the same, carrying the family name the same, and more. This is what God has done for us.

This means that you do not take in an orphan to use them as a house slave. You do not take in an orphan to exploit that child in labor in your field. And you do not take on the care of orphans so that you can appear to be great — check your motives, do not use children in these way.

And he clearly instructs us, “You must not exploit a widow or an orphan.” Exodus 22:22 NLT

The love of God leads to acts of God that restore the dignity and wholeness of orphans and widows. Imagine restorative acts that live out the love and truth of God and us in a practical every day way — not just feeding orphans but making them your own. Imagine the power of God through this for your nation.

For others, living out the authority of God may mean courageous acts of restoration in the care and support of unwed mothers. They require the help of their community to keep their children and to thrive in society — this is God’s heart for them. Would you be part of a solution for them?

Imagine, for instance, what great things might come about in your nation if churches took on the care of young unwed mothers for her first five years as a mom — imagine the healing, the strength, the justice of God played out in your community and it’s living breathing witness of a radical God who lives to save us!!

Imagine a church, a body of people, families, who are refusing to condemn, refusing to shame, refusing to reject, refusing to gossip and refusing to destroy each other, but instead choosing to love, to serve, to care, to accept, to receive, to grow, to nurture, to heal some of the deepest wounds amongst us.

Imagine a body of Christ living the radical truths and heart of God in their communities!

We address our thinking and actions in regards to orphans because our attitudes and assumptions about orphans are key to seeing what we really believe about God and us.

Do we serve a God who hates us, who despises us, who rejects us, or do we serve a God who died a criminals death, a horrible death, so that we might be free, so that we might know belonging, that we might be loved and restored, solid and strong in the core of our beings as sons and daughter of the most high God — treasured, precious, loved.

The orphan is to be received, supported, loved, cared for, adopted, as one of our own.

“Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.” James 1:16 NLT

Godly men and women must lead the way in compassion and tangible help to all those who find themselves as outcasts in our societies.

Every single one of us needs to know that we belong. It is the deepest need within each of us. As sons and daughters of God it is our call to restore this world back to this same deepest longing and then brought into the knowledge that we belong to God — the Father establishes our belonging, Jesus secures our belonging and our Holy Spirit maintains our belonging.

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” John 14:18 NIV

God is our keeper. We enter in, we allow his love to settle us, we allow his spirit to free us, we walk in the grace of Christ to heal us in all ways, and we pass this same exact thing to every single person all around us. Through our lives, our generosity, understanding, forgiveness, bounty to others, extravagant love, and mercy, the Kingdom of God comes to earth.

If we are having trouble accepting and receiving and truly loving the orphans, the widows, the un-wed mothers and their children, ( and those of lower cast) 101 perhaps you need to enter into a sorrow and grief about your own pain around these things. You see, we usually reject others because they remind us of our own unprocessed pain. We cannot help them because we have not yet found help for our own hearts in the same way.

If this is the case for you then take some time to sit with the Holy Spirit and give the Lord your pain. Invite Jesus into your pain. Allow Father God to pour love on you in the areas of your own wounds. As you do this you will be healed by the touch of the Lord. It may not happen all at once, but continue to sit with God in silence every so often and invite God to touch your pain and to heal you and to make you whole.

This will then release you to accept orphans, to care for widows, to minister to unwed mothers, and their children, and to receive those of lower cast. Your heart will have moved from mad to sad and you will be newly whole and able to live out God’s heart for the most vulnerable in your community.

The Kingdom of God come to earth is for the wholeness of creation, including you and I, brought back to the original image as God intended before sin entered the world. We receive the wholeness of God for ourselves and we then act and intercede in wholeness for others. We become people of peace by which the Kingdom of God is brought to earth.

PRAYER

“God we come to you today in the name and the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Father, we have not yet fully known what it is to live as sons and daughters of you, we still miss the message of your extravagant love to our own hearts. So, we declare our dependance on your love and acceptance pressed deep into our own hearts and lives. Restore us as sons and daughters. And then, may we live this same extravagant love to all others around us. May we advocate and help bring life and support to the single moms, the orphans, and the widows, and those of lower cast, all around us. Show us how to live your love for them.

May we no longer be part of the enemies shame and condemnation in this world. Oh God, save us from this. We are sorry. Restore my family to the awareness of your acceptance of us. And may we live this acceptance out to our community. May we be changed by your heart for our lives. Thank you God. We bless your name. We give you the glory and the honor. We love you. Amen.”

APPLICATION

We have the literal reality that many of us are orphans. And we have the spiritual reality that all of us are orphans. How we respond to orphans clearly shows if we love God or not and if we know his love or not.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’

Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’” Matthew 25:34-40 ESV

In order to have the heart and compassion for the orphan, the widow, the single mom, the one imprisoned, we must put down a heart of judgement and condemnation.

It is very easy to condemn others and thereby excuse ourself from service to that person. We can always justify why we should not help another.

• To the single mother we accuse her of sin and shun her
• To the one imprisoned we claim ourselves better than that and stay away
• To the beggar on the street we carry on the rejection that he or she has already endured

It is our hearts that are ugly. It is our excuses and rationalizations that condemn us.

Compassion is the only way to a clear and clean life in these matters. It is only as we follow through on our good thoughts for others that we come to live a life of joy in the Lord. We turn from rejection and condemnation to good intentions followed with action for others. 102

Our application today will be getting our hearts right with God about this. If the following prayer feels true and right to you then I invite you to pray this with me today, out loud, before the Lord:

“God I come to you today in the name and the blood of my Lord Jesus Christ. God I confess that I have had a despising and judgemental spirit. When I see others in need my first thoughts are often about blame and fault — I wonder what they did wrong to get into such a situation. And I turn my back.

I see that this is not how you would have me be. So, today I say no more to a despising and judgemental spirit. I bring this kind of thinking and this ugly part of my heart to the cross of my living Lord Jesus Christ. I put down my ugly heart, I put down my despising and judgemental spirit.

With the strong arm of my Lord Jesus Christ I reach back into my past where a despising and judgemental spirit first began and I uproot it. I leave nothing behind. Carefully but completely I remove despising judgement from my being in the name of my Lord Jesus Christ.

I unwind the chains of despising and judging from my being, heart, mind, spirit, and body. I sever every link in the name and the blood of my Lord Jesus Christ. I stand against and cancel all assignments, authority, and curses of the enemy that have been in and over and through my life because of my sin of despising and judging.

Today I say no more and I declare that all things attached to a spirit of despising judgement must be sent to the place where the true Lord Jesus Christ chooses to send it. And I receive in its place a spirit of generosity, of compassion, of mercy, and of peace to all people. I put on the garments of God’s peace and mercy and grace. Thank you Lord. May I be changed from this day forward.

I seal this work in the name of my Lord Jesus Christ. I declare myself covered with the name and the blood of my Lord Jesus Christ. I reserve this work for your glory God, 100% of the honour goes to you. Thank you Lord. Amen and amen.”

Praying this Corporately for our Nations:

Everything we pray for ourselves we can pray for our communities and nations. This prayer of freedom from an orphan spirit is a good example, (we will use this stronghold in example of praying nations free from strongholds). There are nations that carry such strongholds over the entire land, woven thick through the psyche of a people and land.

Christ died on a cross to free nations from the strongholds of the enemy. As people, as individuals, and then together in the body of Christ we can declare the freedom of God over our nations too. One way of being a person of peace to our communities and nations is to intercede and advocate our nations to the Lord for healing and wholeness.

This requires a few things:

  1. That we have personally experienced freedom and new life in the spirit in regards to what we are praying and declaring for our land, (we have first renounced and repented of these same strongholds for ourself).
  2. That a few together come in agreement at the right time, declaring together a new freedom for their country and people, (each one already having renounced and repented of these strongholds for each self).
  3. This presupposes that you are praying from hearts of sulha and a willingness to run toward the world 103 to take on the stones that are holding people bound — we advocate as a prophet freedom and healing for our nation. we do not come in condemnation but in love and a deep longing for their wholeness.

If we want to see our nations freed from an orphan spirit then pray this together. Enter into this prayer with others who have already prayed through an orphan spirit personally.

Pay attention to the spirit and wait on the Lord for direction and timing to pray a prayer like this.

NOTE: It is very important that we submit everything to the oversight of the Holy Spirit, even our zeal for healing and freedom. When the time is right, enter into a prayer like this together for your nation and people.

“God we come before you in the name and the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.We lift our nation (name the country) to you in the name and the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. We cry out for our nation to become whole in the knowledge of you God.

Therefore, today, we bring to you an orphan spirit that has been over our land and people. This has caused much rejection and division, hurt and harm over all of our lives. We are sorry for participating in this orphan spirit which is nothing more than a great harm of the enemy over us.

Today we say ‘No more!’ to an orphan spirit and its destruction over our lives. Today we declare that we belong to God and that this nation belongs to God. We bring (name of the country) under the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ and we declare a spirit of restoration and of healing and wholeness over the land.

We reach back into our past and where an orphan spirit first took hold we uproot it carefully but completely in the name and the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We unwind the chains of an orphan spirit from around our land and people and we declare every link of this chain severed in the name and the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We cancel the authority, assignments, and the curses of the enemy that have been working in and over and through this nation because of this orphan spirit. Today we say ‘No More!’

All of this, everything connected to an orphan spirit, must go to the place where the true Lord Jesus Christ chooses to send it. We declare (name your nation) free this day from an orphan spirit and we enter (name your nation) into a bounty of the Lord, an awareness of God the Father, and a restoration of the Kingdom of God over this land and people.

We welcome you here, God. We say ‘Yes’ to your salvation over us. We agree to compassion, to service, to ministry, and to help unto the most vulnerable among us. May we live your great heart for all people. Thank you God, we bless your name today, in the name and the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen and amen.”

SUMMARY – ORPHANS

God’s heart is always FOR orphans James 1:16; Isaiah 58:10

The work of Jesus has restored us as sons and daughters of The King John 14:18

We can live as sons and daughters Psalm 68:5; Galatians 4:3-7

We are called to carry out the justice of God for orphans Isaiah 1:17; Deuteronomy 10:17-18

98 freedom to live holy sinless lives – Galatians 5:13-14

99 Module Two, Month #5, Chapter 46, Page 37

100 In some countries there has been a loss of confidence and capacity (the attitude in the heart) to care for the children. In some places children are too easily shunted off to orphanages and schools, believing that they are better off there. And while they may have a few more material possessions these are not the foundation of a good life. The things that children need to grow healthy and with great capacity for their futures is love and acceptance.

God has created human beings to grow and mature and develop capacity for their own lives. The thing that interrupts this natural growth process is rejection, abandonment, chaos in the home, and harm at the hands of those who are supposed to love them most.

Your child does not need shoes more than your love and affection. Your child does not need a new dress or school uniform more than your care and concern and generous welcome of who they are in your home. Your love, care, support, service, welcome, acceptance, kindness, and strength for them is the stuff of life by which they will thrive. Give children this gift. Give all children the gift of your kindness. Your community will become a better place.

101 Wherever there has been disdain and contempt the work of the enemy is being accomplished. In different nations and cultures this shows up differently. Learn to recognize the work of Satan as people refuse to touch those of lower cast, as people refuse to feed children born with deformities, as young women are rejected after rape, et cetera. How does rejection work in your culture? What are the marks of the enemy over your lives? And most important of all, How are you participating in rejection of different peoples around you? We must all put down our hatreds and bias and prejudice and rejection. Do not allow a disparity between your love for God and your love for people.

102 As learned in Module One, Month #3, Chapter 21, Compassion, application on page 108

103 Note Revival Process as we studied in Module Two, Month #8, Chapter 60, We Run Toward the World and it’s Application, Revival Process, found on pages 142-144

=> Let us carry on with a lesson on Ecclesia – A People Called Out by God.

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