The National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday of May, inviting people of all faiths to pray for our nation. It was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the United States Congress and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman. Since its inception, this day has continually united Americans from all socio-economic, political, and ethnic backgrounds in prayer while also encouraging personal repentance and righteousness in the culture. The National Day of Prayer belongs to all Americans and is a day that transcends differences, bringing together citizens to celebrate our most beloved freedom; the freedom to humbly come before God and seek His guidance in prayer.For the past few weeks I've been doing double in my daily Bible reading - I'm still following the plan I started in January, but I've added the recommended reading for our Forty Days of Fire. (I know I need to blog about Forty Days of Fire, maybe tomorrow!) In the past few weeks I have read about several rulers:
Pharaoh - "Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph." (Exodus 1:8)
Ahab - "And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord above all that were before him." (I Kings 16:30)
Herod Antipas - "For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife." (Matthew 14:3) "And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison." (Matthew 14:10)
I am personally so tired of the presidential campaign. I have many concerns about our nation, but as I read about these rulers, I also read about people who remained faithful and a God who delivered or chose not to deliver:
Exodus 3:7-8, "And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows. And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites."
I Kings 19:18, " Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him."
Matthew 11:11, "Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist:"
The situations are all very different, God brought great deliverance to the children of Israel, but He allowed John the Baptist to lose his life. I don't know what lies ahead in our country and in our world. I do know that God allows men to rise to power. Romans 13:1 says, "For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God."
Matthew 24:3 says, "And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" The response that Jesus gave isn't a pretty picture of peace on earth and one day He returns. I don't know when that day is going to come, but I don't think the days ahead are going to be easy.
So what should we as Christians do?
- Make sure our hearts are right with our Savior. There is nothing more important. If our hearts are right, then whatever comes we can hold on to Jesus. As the three Hebrew children said in Daniel 3:17-18, "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up."
- Keep reaching out to others. "And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire." Jude 3
- Pray for our nation. 2 Chronicles 7:14, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
- Pray for His soon return. "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come." (Revelation 22:17)
