Archive for the ‘Prayer’ Category

If My People. . .

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.” – Titus 2:11-14

If we are to once again be one nation under God with a heart of Him, then revival must first of all begin in our hearts and lives.  This means that we begin with personal repentance.  Our desire must be much more than just the blessing of God.  There are many that are encouraging us to pray because we need what God has to offer.
We do need what God has to offer but first of all, we need Him.  Our first desire should not be for national peace and security, economic  growth, or just happiness.  Our first desire must be to know Him in a very real way.  Our desire should be to know God in a more meaningful and powerful way.

As we study the Bible together today, and worship the Lord, let us pray that we will know Him better.  We do not gather together so that God will give us what we want.  We gather together in order that we might give glory to Him.  If that is the case, then and only then will be know the blessing of God as we come to Him in prayer.

If My People. . .

“Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.  Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.  For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever.”  – Romans 1:22-25

Here is a very clear picture of where we are as a country.  We have become so arrogant we believe that we can solve any problem.  In Romans we see a very clear definition of secular humanism.

It is easy for us to make a list of all the things that are wrong with our culture.  The bottom line is that we are exchanging the truth of God for a lie.  We have decided to put our trust in ourselves.  Our country is facing a very important election.  We have spent so much time thinking about what is “best” for us that we have neglected to think about what is right.  The answer is not to be found in a person, a party or an election.  It is found in trusting Him.

As we pray today let us claim the truth found in Psalm 118:8-9.  “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.  It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.

If My People. . .

“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.  For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations and their foolish heart was darkened.”  Romans 1:20-21

Because we have heard so many times that we are one nation under God, we make the assumption that we know what to do.  We think that it comes naturally to us as a country.  When we pay attention to God’s word, He has made it clear to us.  That is what it says here in Romans 1.  We are without excuse.

Let us pray today that we will see His word and His principles as more than just suggestions or good advice.  Let us pray that it will begin with us.  Ask the Lord to help you take seriously His direction in every area of our lives, not just the ones that are convenient.

Pray for our church that we will be clear as we try to communicate His truth to a lost world.

Pray for our nation that we might know true revival which must begin with God’s people.  Ask the Lord to help us turn to Him as a people.

If My People. . .

“Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples. “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said. “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah: but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” - Matthew 16:13-16

We are living in a time of great stress and pressure. In recent days our people have been overwhelmed with bad news on so many fronts. In so many cases they are looking for answers and they do not know where to find them. Until someone can share the truth with them, they will continue to look for some type of relief.

There will be many here tonight that are doing just that. This can be a time of relaxation away from the challenges and stress of everyday life. It is also a chance for them to be exposed to the truth that Jesus is really the only answer.

Jesus died for every single person so every person is important to the Lord. As we think about the future of our country and our culture, we must understand that things will be renewed and transformed one person at the time.

As you pray today remember our leaders and all the decisions that will affect our political future, our national security, our moral character and our economy. We face major challenges but we serve a great God who expects us to keep in mind the big picture.

Pray that God will give you the chance this evening to in some way make a difference in the life of one of those that attend the festival. Pray that the Lord will use our family of faith as a tool to connect people in our community and beyond to the Lord.

Pray that people all across this country will be drawn to a greater dedication to serving the Lord. Remember, it is all connected!

If My People. . .

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again?  It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.  You are the light of the world.  A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. ” – Matthew 5:13-15

Tomorrow night thousands of people will be on our campus as they participate in our fall festival.  These people will be from every walk o f life.  Please join us in praying that the Lord will use this to give us the chance to share the gospel with many of these people tomorrow as well as in the future.

Our people will be working in every possible way to make it go smoothly.  You might ask, “What does this have to do with praying for our country?”  The answer is that we start with the opportunities that God gives to us.  He is in the business of using every detail and every task in order to accomplish His purposes.

The Lord loves all of those that will be here and by serving in Jesus’ name we make an impact on our world that can have ongoing results for His glory.  Our expectation and desire should be that a great movement of God will begin as we seek to make a difference for Him.