Archive for the ‘Prayer’ Category

If My People. . .

In the book of Nehemiah, he evaluates the status of the city and gives a report to the people.  “Then I said to them, “You see the bad situation we are in, that Jerusalem is desolate and its gates burned by fire.  Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that we will no longer be a reproach.”  I told them how the hand of my God had been favorable to me and also about the king’s words which he had spoken to me.  Then they said, “let us arise and build.”  So they put their hands to the good work.”

We are in the middle of a war and we have an economic crisis.  Our country is moving towards becoming a moral wasteland.  It is time for our people to put aside their selfish desires and put our hands to the good work of praying for our country to return to God.  Christians must be the model.  We can no longer wait for someone else to take the lead.

It is in the hands of those that will fully trust Him.  Pray that our people will do what is right despite the hundreds of millions that have been spent to shape our opinion.  Pray that we will look past opinion polls and the opinions of media pundits.  Pray that in our lives today that we will do what is right rather than what we want or desire.  Ask the Lord to help us do the same as a country.

If My People. . .

“For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.  Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” – Jeremiah 29:11-13

In so many areas of life we have tried to do things our way.  We have done that as individuals and we have done that as a country.  The result is that we end up in rebellion against God.

Our task must be to seek Him.  Everyone has an opinion of what should be done but our real task should be to seek Him with all our heart.  The Lord is looking for prayer warriors.  He is looking for a people that will be serious about finding the will of God for their lives.

Our country is in great need of those that will pray without ceasing.  We need to pray that God will give us leaders that will be more than those that have won an election.

Whether you agree with them or not, you have the responsibility to pray for our leaders.  In some cases we need to pray that God will either change their heart or limit their influence.  As we look toward a new election, pray for our present leaders that they will use every moment effectively.

If My People. . .

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.  Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.” – Proverbs 3:5-7

We are less than one week away from the election.  We hear about voter fraud.  The spots are becoming more and more ugly.  The overriding issue is the economy.  They appeal to our greed and try to stack that on top of our fear.  It seems that we have now gone into the business of selling out our principles.

We are a society that is focused on immediate gratification.  That is why the news cycles can literally be only hours long.  We have lost a sense of the eternal.  In light of scripture, it is obvious that the American people have their priorities out of line.

Before we can call others to account, we must examine the priorities of our personal lives.  We must acknowledge Him in all our ways.  Our purpose is to give glory to Him.  Ask the Lord today to help you to see these issues with His eyes rather than your own.  Ask Him to give to you a sense of boldness in declaring the fact that there are some things more important than our own personal wishes.

If My People. . .

“But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women.  On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.  It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance.  For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.”  – I Timothy 4:7-10

We spend most of our time reacting to what we hear rather than being proactive on the basis of the truth.  That is the reason that we are on a rollercoaster in so many areas of life.  We are reacting to the latest rumor or report.  Much of this information is like the worldly fables that Paul talks about in this passage.
No matter what circumstance we face, we must fix our attention and hope on the living God.  As you pray today for the future of our nation, pray with a confidence that is rooted in an all-powerful God rather than praying out of an attitude of alarm.  Today, come boldly before the throne of God and plead for our nation.

If My People. . .

“First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.  This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”  – I Timothy 2:1-4

We are eight days away from the election.  This scripture is clear that we are to pray for our leaders.  We are told to do likewise in Romans 13.  Right now the American people are spending all of their time evaluating the candidates for every office.  We should be praying that we will select leadership that will lead us in a direction that God would have us to go.  It is not about who promises me the most or who lines up with my ideas and philosophy.  That is not a Christian way of looking at voting.  We should be praying that our leaders will reflect Biblical principles.

None of these candidates are perfect.  They are a reflection of the American public.  In many cases that is very troubling.  It is easy for us to follow our own desires and then try to get God to justify our selection.  God will never fit into our mold!

Let us pray for our personal lives, our families, our church, and our nation that we might seek to fit into his plan for our lives.  Our country is in turmoil because we have done the opposite.  Ask the Lord to help us in turning that around beginning today.