Author: John Page 164 of 166

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!

Esther 4:14b “who knoweth whether thou are come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

Well before the Lord placed the PLUS concept in my heart, He gave me this as my annual verse for 2013.  At the time, I didn’t know why.  As the New Year turned into late January, I started to sense God’s purpose behind it all.

Esther had found favor with the king, her husband.  As the decree went out to destroy the Jews, Mordecai called upon Esther to act for the betterment of her people.  Mordecai’s challenge to Esther was simple – it is possible that the entire reason she had been placed in the palace at that time was to act with courage and creativity.  If she did not, then she would miss God’s purpose in her life and the blessings of God’s plan would pass her by.  Her inaction would be the worst course of action.

This challenge became an overwhelming burden to me that was a call to action.  It is possible that I had been placed in this position at this time to pray and encourage others to pray.  The entirety of my background and experiences may have been preparation for this calling.  If I failed to act, then I would risk missing God’s purpose for my life and the blessings of God’s plan would pass me by.  My inaction would be the worst course of action.

Yet, this challenge goes far beyond the individual level, and it should be a broader call to action for all American Christians.  It is possible that we have been placed in our positions in this nation to wrestle America back to godliness through our faithful prayers and actions.  If we fail to act, we may miss God’s purpose for our lives and the blessings of God’s plan may pass us by.  PLEASE PRAY THAT AMERICAN CHRISTIANS WOULD PRAY FAITHFULLY AND ACT DECISIVELY AT SUCH A TIME AS THIS.  Our inaction would be the worst course of action.

James 4:14 “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow.  For what is your life?  It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”

‘Meeting situations with prompt action and resourcefulness’ is the military definition of the term ‘initiative.’  Military strategists, from Carl von Clausewitz to Napoleon Bonaparte, have uplifted this principle as one necessary for strategic success.  Bold action is necessary to meet one’s objectives, especially when time is a critical component.

Yet, American Christians have watched the nation drift away from its founding ideals and principles at an accelerating rate with little sense of urgency about the deteriorating situation.  We are content to lament our state of affairs, while ceding the initiative instead of seizing the initiative.

Frankly, the intent of PLUS is to reverse this trend by seizing the initiative through the powerful weapon of prayer.  PLEASE FEEL A SENSE OF URGENCY ABOUT THE NEED TO PRAY FOR OUR NATION, AND ENCORUAGE OTHERS TO JOIN YOU.  Waiting for the morrow may be too late.

Romans 16:19b “but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.”

Sadly, in current day America it is far too easy to be exposed to evil beyond simplicity.  My oldest daughter, a fourth grade public school student, recently wrote the following essay as a part of a timed assignment in order to answer the question ‘What would make the world a better place?’

“Have you ever thought about how the world could become a better place?  If you think it is faster speed limits, or less homework, that’s totally your opinion.  I think that people should be more Godly or have stronger morals.  That would help let there be way fewer crimes, less war or no war, and stronger families.  All those things would be great for our economy.  But those are just a few of the reasons that would make our world a better place.

“Fewer crimes would prevent a lot of things in our world.  Especially nightmares as bad as when things have happened to them in real life.  Like those poor children at the school that had the tragedy, I just can’t imagine what they went through.  When I think of crimes I think of all jet black clothes covered from head to toe, but in the back of my mind, I think of the sound of guns and screams.  So if people were more moral, thinks like the school tragedy wouldn’t happen.  Life without crimes would just be so, so much better.  No more crimes, yeah!

 “Less war would also be an excellent thing that stronger morals would promote.  If we didn’t have wars, we could get to be good friends with other countries that are our absolute enemies.  For example, there could be a war with Iran and North Korea.  War also sounds like a scary and miserable place to be.  I also can hear gunshots, but from miles away.  Over the summer, we went to a place where we learned all about the Revolutionary War.  A lot of people were yelling like they were really mad at each other.  We watched that in a movie.  Life would again be so much better without many wars.

 “Fewer crimes and less war would be good, but perhaps the most important one of them all is stronger families.  Kids should have a mom and dad instead of just one adult.  Adults shouldn’t divorce because kids need both parents.  The dads to work and get money and the moms to take care of the children.  If adults would not get divorced then the family would love and play games with each other.  If they have just one child then both parents can read stories to the child.  When I think of divorce its like sadness and sorrow.  Taking most of the money all for himself, that’s sometimes what the dads do.  I just think of the kids begging their parents not to divorce, and sometimes the children get no say.  I know my parents love each other so much and will never get divorced.

“The world might even be a fantastic place if the world had stronger morals.  Things like fewer crimes, less war, and stronger families are really important.  All three of them the world doesn’t do a good job of.  We have many crimes, a decent amount of war, and a ton of families get divorced.  Truly the world would be a better place without these things, and if people had stronger morals.”

Though we have sheltered her as much as possible, she understands the evil in the world around her far more than we would prefer her to. As one who has not been outside America’s borders, her world is our country.  And this country needs to be more Godly.  Her description of its lack of godliness should break our hearts.  PLEASE PRAY THAT WE WOULD BE WISER ABOUT THOSE THINGS THAT ARE GODLY AND SIMPLER ABOUT THOSE THINGS THAT ARE NOT.