As We Prepare for Prayer…
Tomorrow is the celebrated National Day of Prayer. It is one time when we as a nation can come together beseeching the God of our salvation as a united people. We have much disagreement. We in the body of Christ, but we also have much to agree upon. We can agree on the crucified Christ which brought about the redemptive price for our salvation. We can agree on the resurrected Christ which freed us from the chains of death and the grave and opened up the way for us to be eternally with Him. We can agree on the power of the Holy Spirit resident in the earth realm in the lives who put their trust in Jesus and His finished work.
We can also agree on some things that transcend denominational lines. If ever there was a time when we need the Lord in our life, it is now. Our country is fraught with divisions and strife. Mental illness and its’ effects has doubled over the past couple of years. Our schools are in chaos over the introduction in the curriculum that should never be part of any public school curriculum. There is a deliberate and strategic move to captivate our children’ minds, their hearts, and even their very souls. Our world is crashing from ideologies that do not revere or respect human life and dignity and the mass killing of innocent people is never considered in power struggles.
Let us frame our minds toward seeking God, beginning today in an even greater way – for our help only comes from Him. Perhaps beginning with a prayer like this:
Father we come before you today even as your servant Solomon came before you so many hundreds of years ago in 2 Chronicles 6: (The Voice)
Eternal God of Israel, You are unparalleled among the gods of heaven and earth. You honor Your covenants with Your servants and give limitless loyal love to those who faithfully follow You.
We have seen throughout Your Word that You are faithful to watch over your word to perform it, and even as You watched over the descendants of David to honor Your Word, so too have we witnessed how You have honored Your Word in our lives. We see Your Hand of mercy and forgiveness continually watch over us. We see that You have given grace- grace so undeserved over and over again. We see that You have provided favor for us in a multitude of ways- in our health, in our families, in our workplace assignments, as we travel to and fro through the streets, even in taking out our old “stony hearts and replacing them with a heart of flesh”.
Father we have seen that when we turn from our sin, when we ask You to forgive us, that You not only forgive us, but You cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We have experienced how Your great love for us looks down upon our faltering and failings and waits with outstretched hands for us to ask you for help in time of need. We have witnessed how in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, our circumstances can change when You intervene.
Father we marvel at the majesty of Your glory, with every rising sun and every gentle breeze; with every rain that comes in season to nourish our land; with every star filled sky that brings light to our night seasons. We thank You for the eternal hope You have placed in our hearts that strengthens us in this life and gives us confidence for the next. We rejoice in the joy of our salvation that delivered us from the weight of sin and shame and has caused us to soar with eagles wings. There is none greater than You, oh Lord, our Father, our Savior, our Comforter, our Friend.
Praises to Your Name, oh God.
Maria