Praying for our Nation

First it was Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama--among other southern states. This week it was Joplin, Mo and towns in Oklahoma. The heartache is extensive. The death toll continues upward. One woman dropped dead when she learned her father had died in the Joplin storm.

Undoubtedly, many are crying out, "Why us?! What did we do?" The first answer that must be given is that both good things and bad things come to the good and the evil (the righteous and the unrighteous) alike. Many good Christian families were ravaged by these storms. Many morally decent people lost everything. What God will do is show himself through their godly response to the horrible storms and disasters that have now tatooed their lives.

Yes, what is inside of us comes out in the worst of times. If a professing Christ-follower gets squeezed by disaster, like a large-fisted weight lifter may squeeze the juice out of an orange, whatever is in that professing Christ-follower is going to squirt out. If he or she is full of Jesus, then Jesus gets mixed in with the tears and anguish. People around that person see it and marvel at God's peace in that person's life.

But if we profess to follow Christ, but are in fact filled with deception, anger, bitterness, explosive wrath--and the like, then that is what squirts out with our response to disaster and devastation. I would add carefully that some are either thin-skinned or so full of these negative, sinful traits that it flows out rather quickly. Like the recent volcanoes in Iceland, they spew out ash and lava, disrupting things for anyone within miles of them.

While our compatriots suffer these disasters we who are untouched are held responsible to hold them up in prayer. We must pray for the God of peace to unleash His peace in their lives. And we may need to put feet to our prayers when we say, "God bless them!"

 

 

But start with praying...

Pray for Israel

This is Israel's anniversary. While some in the world may rejoice over this news, there are others who are angry, dismayed, and even hostile to their existence. Some protest that Israel "stole" the land on which they now live. Others claim they displaced millions when the new nation of Israel was formed. Those are they ignore the convenient fact that the land was mostly unoccupied until word got out that Jewish people were moving in. Too many are praying for their demise.

Biblically, this was their land, given to them more than 3,000 years ago. Politically, the Jewish people were reinstated into their land in 1948. So whether you look politically or biblically, Israel is a legitimate nation living within their granted territorial borders.

Our position as Christ-followers cannot be clearer than God tells us in Scripture: ours is to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. This is the place to which Christ will one day return. God blesses those who bless Israel. He curses those who will curse it. Pray for Israel. Pray for peace. Pray for their repentance and faith in the Messiah, whose name is Jesus of Nazareth.

Pray for Congress

There is little more important to ask of anyone who reads this, who calls this nation home, than to pray for our Congress. I hope many of you paid close attention to the recent debates over the current fiscal year's budget. You probably recall that, after a few continuing resolutions to avoid a governmental shutdown, we reached a point where they pulled off a "last-minute" deal to "save" the government. Our military were held hostage to the threat of withholding their salary if Dems and Repubs did not reach a deal. Finally, our president appeared with the great announcement that a deal had been reached. All was once more safe. We could breathe easy once more.

As the ink has dried and the dust has settled, one can see the truth of the whole matter. We were played. This was not a Democrat trick; this was not a Republic con. This now appears to be a carefully orchestrated move by both parties to create a win-win situation. Dems won and so did Repubs. Why does that matter? They won, but I believe at our expense. It made both sides look good to their constituents. Repubs could say, "We tried; this was the best deal we could eke out." Dems could say, "We tried to hold ground, but we had to give up a little."

The truth is, no one gave up anything. It was an accounting trick. We were duped. They see you, the voting taxpayer, as gullible.

We must pray for these men and women who now appear to be far more concerned with keeping their jobs than with corralling their lust for a big-dollar government. Pray for a change of heart for each one. God can do what looks impossible. He can turn their hearts as easily as he turns a river this way and that. I believe we can see it happen; but I believe it must begin with those who are Christ-followers. We must lead out in prayer.

Pray for Japan

News reports now place death tolls above 10,000. Some scientists fear catastrophic aftershocks. We must pray for this crushed nation.

Baptist Global Response will help you channel your donations for relief in Japan. See IMB.org for more information.

Pray for Japan

Re: Japanese earthquake/tsunami - Drudge reports the death toll in one area alone will top 1,000.

We must pray and we must put into practice our Christianity and seek to minister to these suffering people. For my brothers who would be tempted to point their fingers and proclaim that this is what happens to a non-Christian society, remember this: Jesus said the rain falls on the just and the unjust alike. Don't cry judgment yet; I still see a log in some eyes....

Newt Gingrich Is Right

This week our president made a serious error. He chose to ignore his constitutional responsibilities because he does not like a law that was duly passed by our United States Congress. The legislature makes laws. The Judicial branch tests those laws' validity, and the executive branch administers those laws. When Mr. Obama chose to declare the Defense of Marriage Act an undefensable law, he chose to usurp both the legislative and judicial branches of our government. Newt Gingrich is correct: this is a clear violation of the presidential powers and responsibilities.

What should Christians do about this? They should do the same that all conscientious citizens should do: they should register their profound disagreement with these actions, which are possibly impeachable offenses. They should take one step beyond the common citizen; they should pray passionately for our legislature and judiciary to reprimand the president for the violation of his role. They should pray for the president to repent of his unconstitutional actions.

If Congress and the judiciary ignore this, they will run the risk of setting a very dangerous precedent. If the president can pick and choose which parts of the law and which laws he will enforce, it will be a short walk across the face of the Constitution to the Bill of Rights.

We already have one Hugo Chavez in our hemisphere. We don't need another.

Do you believe in the power of prayer?

Do you believe in praying? Do you believe in the power of prayer? Better said, do you believe in the power of God who answers prayer? Consider the following humorous story, related as true. It may or may not be. But it points out a fundamental weakness that grips all of us from time to time.

[begin quoted story] TEXAS BEER JOINT SUES CHURCH over LIGHTNING STRIKE !


ONLY IN TEXAS ...

Texas Beer Joint Sues Church In Mt. Vernon, Texas. Drummond's Bar began construction on expansion of their building to increase their business.

In response, the local Baptist Church started a campaign to block the bar from expanding with petitions and prayers. Work progressed right up until the week before the grand reopening when lightning struck the bar and it burned to the ground!

After the bar burning to the ground by a lightning strike, the church folks were rather smug in their outlook, bragging about ??? the power of prayer???, until the bar owner sued the church on the grounds that the church . . ."was ultimately responsible for the demise of his building, either through direct or indirect actions or means."

In its reply to the court, the church vehemently denied all responsibility or any connection to the building's demise.

The judge read through the plaintiff's complaint and the defendant's reply, and at the opening hearing he commented………

"I don't know how I'm going to decide this, but it appears from the paperwork that we have a bar owner who believes in the power of prayer, and an entire church congregation that now does not."

True Story. [end quoted story]

What a story! What about you? Where would stand in this story?

The World, or Something Like It

I am stateside now. I have not seen an international airport for over 9 months. I will travel again, but not to live in another nation.

Still, for me, the world is my parrish, much as it was for John Wesley. I find myself tormented at times over what goes on in the world. I read world newspapers (online, of course) to see what I can see about places that the Lord places on my heart. At other times I find myself rejoicing; God is still at work.

One place that has caught my mind of late, as it should have, is Egypt. I know people there. I can't and won't say who it is I know. But I find myself concerned for them. It's not a safe place these days. In spite of that insecurity, I think the Lord is up to something that will shape the final days before his great appearing.

But for the sake of those who bear the good news, often with great peril to their lives, I would ask you to pray for peace in Egypt. Pray for the safety of those believers who live there. And most of all, pray for the gospel to advance in the face of the current friction.

A Thought for Ministers of the Gospel

A friend sent me the following from Charles Spurgeon's historic and holy works. Nothing more needs to be said than is said below:

Excerpted from INCENSE AND LIGHT, March 11, 1883


I desire, in the third place, to show SOME SPECIAL PRACTICAL CONNECTION BETWEEN THE INCENSE AND THE LAMP. Let us read the text again: "And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it." So, then, there should be prayer especially at the dressing of the lamps: that is to say, when preparing our minds for that ministry by which we enlighten the people among whom we dwell we should be specially earnest in prayer.

Preparation for preaching and teaching is most important: God's work is not to be done carelessly as boys shoot arrows at random in their play. We must prepare both by reading and pleading: we must, like the apostles, give ourselves to the word of God and prayer. We are told by ancient Rabbis that when the priest who was appointed for that office went into the holy place he took with him the golden snuffers and the golden snuff dishes, and a vessel full of pure olive oil and by the help of these be attended to the trimming of the golden lamp. There were seven lamps on the candelabra:

some of these might have gone quite out during the night; he would have to take away whatever of snuff remained, wipe out the lamp, place a new wick, fill up with fresh oil, and then kindle the flame anew. In another lamp it may be the light was still burning but feebly: he might have simply to snuff it, take away the "the superfluity of naughtiness" in the golden snuff dish and make all things clean and right. Sometimes the light might be burning well and nothing was needed but to replenish it with oil. Thus all was set in order for another day. The like was done in the evening. In the process of trimming lamps there is a measure of offense: snuffs do not give forth a very dainty perfume, and the smear and smelt of oil are not altogether of sweet savor; therefore, before he trimmed the lamps, the priest kindled the incense. No snuff would then be offensive, for the overpowering fragrance of the incense killed it all and prevented the prevalence of any odour unfit for the house of God. When we go into our studies to try and trim our lamps let us remember that our first business is to pray. Alas, we have much of smoking wick about us; much negligence, much ignorance, many mistakes and errors; and thereby we shall grieve the Lord if Jesus is not called in to cover all. When we are preparing in secret to serve the Lord in public we shall make poor work of it if we do not beforehand draw near to God in prayer. We need that our garments should be made to smell of myrrh and aloes and cassia by being covered with the merit of Jesus, or else we shall offend even while engaged in the holy act of preparing to spread abroad the light of divine truth. You have to trim your lamps, brethren, and sisters, when you go into the Sunday-school - at least, I hope you do. I hope you do not run into your class with anything which first comes to hand: if you do not snuff your candles and fill your lamps with fresh oil your children will sit in darkness before a lamp which does not shine. No, there ought to be careful preparation, according as your time and ability will allow, and above all the pouring in of the holy oil of the Holy Spirit, by fresh fellowship with Jesus. In that process one of the chief elements is prayer. Dr. Adam Clarke used to say to young ministers, "Study yourselves dead, and then pray yourselves alive again"; and that is an excellent rule. Work in your study as if it all depended upon you, and then go forth and speak, trusting in God because all depends upon him.

Remember that the chief part of all study of God's word must be prayer.

This is the boring-rod and the powder by which we burst open the great rocks of truth. "To have prayed well is to have studied well," said Martin Luther, and so most certainly it is; therefore let none of us when we dress the lamp forget the incense.

Pray for Turkey

We who follow Jesus must pray for Turkey. You can read the latest atrocities here, or also here.

We who have traveled to Turkey find the acts mentioned in the two related articles above to be reprehensible, but also surprising. Supposedly, Turkey has been more secular, meaning they ignored to some extent the existence of Christians in that country. Not so any more.

Please join me in praying for those persecuted believers. Do not be surprised when Turkey allies itself with Iran and other anti-Christian countries. The time for the Messiah's return is close. Those final pieces seem to be falling into place.

Jesus is Lord, even over Turkey!

Pray for the Persecuted Church

So many of our brothers and sisters around the world pay a high price for following Jesus. Many so-called "faiths" not only reject Christ, but persecute those who follow him. Most recently, I came across the following:

AFGHANISTAN: Urgent Call for Prayer


Source: Open Doors, June 10, 2010

Devastating reports have been released from various news agencies that a member of the Afghan government has called for the public execution of Christian converts from Islam. This is in response to a video broadcast by the Afghan television network Noorin TV, which showed footage of Christian men being baptized and praying. The deputy secretary of the Afghani parliament said, "Those Afghans that appeared in [the footage] should be executed in public." The video clip, along with inflammatory statements against the Christian faith, has repeatedly been broadcast on different television stations.

According to Afghan law, proselytizing is illegal and conversion from Islam is punishable by death. Many Afghan followers of Jesus have been frightened by these events and have gone into hiding while others have fled. Afghan Christians want the world to know about their situation, that in a country where they have few rights and no voice, they want their voice to be heard. They are asking for our prayers. [end quoted story]

This is one of many examples. Iran, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, and a host of other countries have those within them that persecute followers of the Lord Jesus Christ.
 
Pray for the persecuted church. Pray for those believers to stand fast in their suffering. Pray for many to come to Christ as a result of their faithful witness.

What Are They Thinking?

The House of Representatives has passed an historic tax and destroy bill, one known by many names: Obamacare, Pelosicare, and by the oxymoronic Healthcare Bill. Congressmen and women, like the proverbial lemmings, hurled themselves off the cliff. They got their votes by bribing so-called conservatives with the abortion-exclusion clause. So they got their majority and crammed it down our collective throats.

Now it is the Senate's turn. This week--tomorrow, in fact--they will begin debate on their version. Madame Pelosi's bill was 2,034 pages. Mr. Reid's bill is over 2,075 pages. We have not heard the same ruckus over his additional pages; nor have we heard a lot about the built-in bribes within the bill, those which will satisfy the senators who have chosen to prostitute themselves in order to ride the party wave. Nauseating does not begin to describe the idea...

The Repubs and few Independents in the Senate are strangely silent. Have they also prostituted themselves over this destructive piece of legislation? What are they thinking? Why so silent?

My greatest fear is that they are going to allow this bill to pass, then make all kinds of political noise about it after the fact, all so that they can make political hay in 2010. So many are so corrupted by power that I would not put it past them. This tactic has been tried in the past; sometimes it works, sometimes not. It is not a good strategy. Country must come first.

Make no mistake about it, this bill will damage America in so many ways. It will be a nail in its coffin. It will strap your children with great debt. It will sap your wallet within 2 or 3 years of its implementation. Your healthcare costs will not go down, they will go up. Way up. Fox News has reported it to be as high as 2.5 trillion dollars, not just the totally insane 1 trillion that they promised to stick you for. You will be forced to pay an abortion tax. It's there. The president wants it and will not settle for anything less. Listen, please: YOUR TAXES ARE ABOUT TO GO WAY UP AND YOUR FREEDOMS WAY DOWN!

So what are they thinking? It's time for action, ladies and gents. It's time to spend time on your knees and seek the Lord. Perhaps he will be pleased to show us some mercy...

To Whom Do You Pray?

As far back as I can remember, I was taught to pray. I remember (vaguely) being in Diamond Springs, VA, sitting at our kitchen table as a little boy of not even 5 yet, praying that prayer all children were taught to pray before a meal. Remember it? "God is great, God is good, let us thank him for our food." I remember it still after all these years. We prayed in church, we prayed in school. We even prayed that little prayer before we left our classroom for the cafeteria for lunch. Please do not gasp too loudly if you are among those who now find praying in school to be abhorrent; there were a lot less social ills then than there are now.

We have come a long ways since then. That is why I chose to publish this link; you need to see where we are going.

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, but by me." No one else is the way; no one else gives life. When you pray, it should be to the Father, in the name of Jesus Christ. Anything else falls short at best, and is idolatry in most cases. We are now resorting to idolatry of the worst kind. God have mercy on America.

God at Work in Muslim Nations

PRAYER REQUEST
PLEASE DISTRIBUTE AND REPRODUCE

The conversation reported below took place during June, 2009, in a Muslim nation.

A pastor here was visited by a Muslim asking prayer for sleeplessness. He reported being awakened every day for ten months by voices saying, “Wake up, wake up!”

When asked what had happened, he related a dream he had ten months ago. Two angels picked him up from his bed and took him to the foot of the cross. There he saw the women who were watching Jesus’ crucifixion, the Roman soldiers in their armor, a spear that was used to pierce Jesus’ side, and the crucifixion itself. He saw nails driven into His hands and that His blood was used to write the sign over His head. When asked if he had ever read the Gospels, the reply was “No, I am a Muslim.” He affirmed repeatedly that Jesus was indeed crucified.

The angels picked him up and took him to a beautiful place in Heaven, so beautiful that all the architects on earth could not have designed even a small part of it. There he was visited by a man dressed in white with light shining all around him whose face he could not see. The man offered him a bowl of beautiful fruit and told him that he should go and share the fruit with everyone.

He was then picked up again and taken below the bottom of a very deep hole at a Muslim holy site in Iran where he could hear the voice of the ruler of Hell shouting that he would still rule the earth. And he was finally taken back to his bed.

Two pastors heard the telling of the dream, then told him that God was telling him he had to make a choice. His reply was, “I’m a Muslim. I’m a Muslim.” Each day since, he has been awakened to reconsider the dream. He has been given a Bible and told to read for himself.

If God is beginning to shake those whom He wants to have as Muslim evangelists, we are truly in a new day. Pray for more such dreams and visions. Pray for more evangelists from within the church and from outside, in numbers like we've never seen. And pray for the church to be made ready to receive men and women like Cengiz (not his real name) when he and they come to Christ.

Pray for Puno, Peru

There is an emergency in Puno, Peru. Puno is located high in the Andes Mountains. It is most famous for Lake Titicaca, the highest navegable lake in the world.

That department (state) has suffered extreme cold for many days now. 153 CHILDREN HAVE DIED TO DATE. Relief organizations of all types are working overtime to get blankets and coats to the 1.3 million habitants of that department.

Pray for Puno, especially for the children and the elderly.

Ode to a Dog

Like many of you, we have a dog. He's nothing extraordinary; just a 5 year old Miniature Schnauzer. His name is Rufus. He does no tricks. He barks more than we would like. But his loyalty is without compare.

This morning, Rufus taught me a lesson.

A lesson about God.

When I got up this morning Rufus was there at the bedroom door, waiting as he does most mornings. He was standing against the door, but quickly moved to raise up and stand against my legs as I came out. All the way down the hall Rufus bumped and pawed at me. He stood, tail wagging, head moving from side to side, doing that thing that dogs to to let their masters know they are excited to see them. Rufus stood by my side, moving along with me, looking up expectantly. He wanted his morning attention.

The desire for attention was when I learned my lesson this morning. Rufus' tenacity reminded me how we should be when we pray. Jacob told the angel, as they wrestled, "I will not let you go until you bless me." Rufus would not leave my side until we engaged in his favorite game of tug-of-war with his blanket. I was reminded from that insistence that I must be so tenacious with my Lord. I must cling to him, remain by his side, and otherwise call out to him until he answers me. He promised Jeremiah, "Call unto me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things which you do not know."

God used a dog to remind me of this. God took a simple created animal and taught a great spiritual lesson.

Learn from the dog. Cling to our God, through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Pray for Persecution in Gambia

Pray for David and Fiona Fulton. These British Missionaries are being held in Gambia for sedition. Pray for each of them to be able to be a witness for the glory of God, even in the midst of suffering. But pray for them to be set free, if at all possible.

While the charges against them may be sedition, their crime is proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Muslims despise the truth as much as secular humanists in the west do. Some Muslims just happen to be more decisive in their opposition to the word of God.

Mr. Obama Is President-elect; Now What?

America cast its vote. Congress did not change all that much; it did move to the left. But the presidency took historic steps. So now what do we do? We pray. We do the same thing we would do, no matter the winner. We pray for our leaders. We depend upon the hand of the living God to mercifully move this country to a third great awakening.

Above all, we obey what God teaches in Psalm 37:3 - "Trust in the Lord and do good."

God save America. God save the congress and the president.

An Election Day Prayer

This was placed as a comment on another post. I chose to post it here to be sure it is seen by more people.

A Prayer for the ElectionNovember 3, 2008 By: John Piper
Category: Commentary

Father in heaven, as we approach this election on Tuesday, I pray

1) that your people will vote,

2) and that they will vote with a sense of thankfulness for a democratic system that at least partially holds in check the folly and evil in all our hearts so that power which corrupts so readily is not given to one group or person too easily;

3) that we would know and live the meaning of being in the world, but not of it, doing politics as though not doing them, being on the earth, yet having our lives hidden with Christ in God, rendering to Caesar the things that are Caesars, and to God the things that are God’s;

4) that we would discern what truths and values should advance by being made law and which should advance only by the leavening of honest influence;

5) that your people would see what love and justice and far-seeing wisdom demand in regard to the issues of education, business and industry, health care, marriage and family, abortion, welfare, energy, government and taxes, military, terrorism, international relations, and every challenge that we will face in the years to come;

6) and above all, that we will treasure Jesus Christ, and tell everyone of his sovereignty and supremacy over all nations, and that long after America is a footnote to the future world, he will reign with his people from every tribe and tongue and nation. Keep us faithful to Christ’s all important Word, and may we turn to it every day for light in these dark times.

In Jesus’ name, Amen

When We Pray for the Harvest

If the name were not a trademark, I would call myself an International Harvester. That is the calling upon my life. I am involved in soul-harvesting. It's a life-changing thing, both for me and the ones that respond to God's call.

Jesus told us the fields were white--ready to be harvested (John 4). He also said that there were few laborers to be found. I live in South America, where the harvest is big enough. But I try to think globally, not just about South America. So one thing I do is pray for the harvest. As Jesus told us to do, I pray for laborers.

Now when we pray for the harvest, we need to be ready. Two weeks ago a man approached me with a claim on his life. God answered our prayers for the harvest for a closed country. This man and his wife feel called to go. So, knowing I try to find ways for men and women to fulfill that call, the man asked me how I could help him get to his harvest field.

Not long before the man I just mentioned, I received other calls and e mails from other people who have answered God's call. They have the same question: how do they get from South America to the place where God has told them to go?

We are delighted to actually see God answering our prayers for laborers for the world. I want to encourage you to continue to pray for laborers. God is answering. God is sending his laborers. When we pray, the Lord of the Harvest answers...