Author: John Page 164 of 167

Psalm 33:12 “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD”

In 2013, who is the god of the United States?

Our god should not be wealth.  Our god should not be prosperity.  Our god should not be a misdirected praise of the immoral.  Our god should not be open-mindedness to everything but Biblical truth.  Our god should not be an appreciation of those who mock faithfulness.  Our god should not be power. Our god should not be religion.  Our god should not be electronic connectedness.  Our god should not be the media.  Our god should not be a political affiliation.  Our god should not be our daily planner.  Our god should not be popularity.  Our god should not be government.

Our gods should not be academics.  Our gods should not be purveyors of political correctness. Our gods should not be politicians. Our gods should not be promotion opportunities.  Our gods should not be our careers.  Our gods should not be legal ‘experts’ who errantly believe that the US Constitution provides for ‘freedom from religion.’

Instead, we need to return to the one and only true God.  PLEASE PRAY THAT AMERICA’S GOD WOULD ONCE AGAIN BE THE LORD.  If we are to be blessed as a nation, then we need to redirect our worship back to the proper deity.

The term ‘free rider’ has important applications in economics and social science.  It refers to someone who benefits from a resource without paying their fare share because others bear the burden.  In many ways, American Christians have become free riders.

The Lord has blessed America throughout our history well more than we deserve.  This disparity has become even more acute in recent days as the nation has invited cursings, not blessings, upon itself.  The nation has been free-riding on God’s grace, with a willful lack of appreciation for the Lord’s unmerited favor.

At the same time, those of us who have failed to regularly and fervently pray for our nation have been free-riding on the faithfulness of those more dedicated to proper Christian citizenship.  The prayers of faithful citizens may have delayed the judgment of a longsuffering God on a nation that has invited His wrath.  Their prayers may be all that separate America from a harsh and deserved fate.  At the same time, their prayers may also be staving off an even more severe devolution of our society than that which currently brings sorrow to the faithful.  Those who pray are paying the cost for the rest.

PLEASE PAY THE SMALL COST OF REGULAR AND FERVENT PRAYER FOR OUR NATION.  Free riders will always exist, but America Christians should not be numbered among them.

Proverbs 27:17 “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.”

Challenging other like-minded believers to reach towards greater heights is a fundamental part of God’s plan for success in the Christian life.  Those who do not receive motivation from others in this way will rarely succeed.  In amazing brevity, this verse offers two challenges of its own.  First, the Lord encourages us to be strong Christians ourselves so that we can be used effectively to strengthen others.  Second, the Lord encourages us to be humble Christians, recognizing that no matter the magnitude of our current strength, there is still strengthening to be done.  This mixture of strength and humility is the key to mutual success.

The fundamental concept of PLUS, as described under the “Personal Motivation,” “Strategy,” and “Vision & Mission” tabs, is for this burden to be shared with others and spread through word of mouth.  This website is meant to challenge Christian citizens to pray regularly and fervently for the United States.  It was born out of a humble recognition that I had failed to be the prayer warrior that my nation needed me to be, and out of a strong determination that I would never again fall short in this way.

At the same time, PLUS is also meant to encourage you to humbly but determinedly challenge others in a similar fashion.  Encourage others to pray for our nation, on their own or by your side.  Prayer that permeates our nation will promote Christ to His proper position of preeminence.  PLEASE PRAYERFULLY CHALLENGE AND ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO PUT THEIR BURDEN FOR AMERICA INTO ACTION THROUGH THEIR OWN PRAYERS.  Sharpening others in this way will magnifying our mutual impact, on our nation and on each other.

I Thessalonians 5:17 “Pray without ceasing.”

Tomorrow is the 62^nd National Day of Prayer.  It is a day with great festivities and a nationwide call to prayer for our nation.  It has the bold theme of “Investing in Hope … Transforming our Nation Through Prayer!”  Its leaders are absolutely correct in the desperate need for divine intervention in America.

Unfortunately, praying for our nation one day a year is not nearly enough.  It is akin to attending church only on Easter and Christmas.  It is better than nothing, but is far from optimal.  In fact, it is likely that the National Day of Prayer organizers see it the same way.  Their hope, much like the Pastor who invites a prospect to a Christmas service, should be for a greater burden to grow in hearts.  Just possibly, a small taste of sporadic obedience will promote a greater hunger for regular faithfulness and fervency.

PLEASE PRAY THAT GOD WILL CONVICT THOSE WHO PARTICIPATE IN THE NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER TO MAKE IT A DAILY BURDEN RATHER THAN AN ANNUAL EVENT.  After all, the transformation that our nation needs requires us to cease not.

James 4:16b “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

We all want to be productive.  We want the time we spend to be worth the investment.  We want the output of our lives to exceed the value of the inputs.  We want our actions to have an impact.

Prayer provides great leverage in the physical sense of the word.  Relatively small inputs of prayer on our part, multiplied by the long lever arm of the Lord’s reach and power, results in a magnified outcome.  It avails much.  Yet, all prayer is not created equal.

Powerful prayer requires fervency and righteousness.  A fervent prayer displays passionate intensity in which the prayer warrior truly yearns for the petition to come to fruition.  Fervency manifests itself in regularity, because it is based on an issue that grips in such a way that it constantly burdens the heart.  This fervency is best communicated through a righteous heart of one who is cognizant of his/her responsibility towards Christ-like service and is dedicated to such service.  This individual understands that they are best postured for productive prayer through a Godly disposition.

Our nation needs prayer warriors who fervently seek an America that returns to Christ centeredness.  We need Christians who beg the Lord for change at the national level and who dedicate themselves to righteousness at the personal level.  FROM A RIGHTEOUS AND FERVENT HEART, PLEASE REGULARLY PRAY FOR NATIONAL CHANGE.  If we yearn to avail, then we must!