I have been thinking a lot about the turmoil going on in the world and this country, as well as the power of prayer. Psalm 33:12 says "Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he has taken for his heritage." But “We have "forgotten our first love," as Revelation 2:4 says. Revelation 21:23-23 shows that God is the light of the world, which Jesus also declares Himself to be in 1 John 1:7-9 and John 8:12. And according to Revelation 2:5, we should "consider how far [we] have fallen! Repent and do the things [we] did at first. If [we] do not repent, [God] will come to [us]and remove [our] lampstand from its place."
To be quite honest, we have lost our values in this country. And most importantly, and this is what I believe is causing this, we no longer seek God and take them as seriously as we ought. Divorce and abortion rates among Christians are higher than ever. So many are complacent about current events because they believe we're doomed as a country, anyway. Or that it doesn't matter because this is not our permanent home.
But I believe we are stewards of the gifts God has given us, and this nation of liberty is among the sweetest of those gifts. Not just for us, but also because of how we have helped the world
My point is this: We need to take a stand for God. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says that "if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." We need this so desperately. We are parched land thirsting for the everlasting water Jesus offered the woman at the well. See, this is not mere politics. Ephesians 6:12 says, "We are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places." But God says in Luke 10:19 that "I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them." In essence, we have the authority to come against anything not of God in this world. In Luke 11:1-11 (I'll spare the entire passage), Christ likens prayer to someone pounding on his friend's door at midnight to beg for food. If the food is not given out of friendship, it will be given due to the audacity of the person asking. And Matthew 17:20 says "... if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it would move. Nothing would be impossible." God gives our prayers much weight. And I believe we have mountains to move.
We are a parched land thirsting for the living water Christ offered the woman at the well. We are in desperate need for revival, and adamant prayer could be the spark. And if God promises that when we pray and repent, He will forgive us and heal our land, I have this proposal: That we open our sanctuaries regularly to pray for the individuals, families, communities, states, countries, and world. And not just to the congregation, but to the public. My Mom and I have been hearing from God a lot lately that we are headed for turmoil. We must take a bold stand for God in this country for it to survive. There are a lot of people who would say we should not be concerned, that we are not permanent residents of this world, and that God will just take care of it, but I believe we are to be responsible stewards of the gifts He gave us -- among the sweetest of which being this country. Both for her citizens, and the rest of the world. And too many have sacrificed their lives for her preservation to not seek God's will for her.
I believe the church has surrendered many of her responsibilities. Civil tribulations were once handled by her, not the courts. Same with marriages and the issue of divorce. Instead of our problems being brought to the church leaders, we take each other to court and leave God out of the discussion. When we push Him out, He is willing to step out – but, as He is the source of all good, where does that leave us? Dry as a desert.
In Matthew 6:10 of the example prayer Jesus said, He prays "May your Kingdom come. May your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven"
Yes, our focus is on Heaven. But we must pursue His will here as well.
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