PLUS

Matthew 27:24 “When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.”

Based on the demands of the people, Pilate pardoned Barabbas instead of Jesus. He then washed his hands and declared his own innocence, though the only innocent one was given a death sentence. Pilate willingly abdicated his responsibility, neglecting to use his power to release Christ. His conscience was soothed by his half-hearted attempt to save the Saviour, but make no mistake, Pilate was guilty of Jesus’ death. It happened on his watch.

As America diverges from the principles of Christ, Christians are washing our hands and declaring our own innocence. We are satisfied that our nation’s death sentence has been declared by others, while willingly abdicating our responsibility to do something about it. Our consciences are soothed by our half-hearted attempts to save our nation, but make no mistake, we are guilty of what happens to America. It is happening on our watch.

PLEASE PRAY FOR A RENEWED SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY AMONG CHRISTIAN AMERICANS. We can’t sit back and wash our hands. Instead, we must engage with all our strength and the power of God through prayer. We can’t be satisfied with cleansing our hands and then throwing them up into the air. Doing so doesn’t make us innocent. It actually insures our guilt.

Daniel 6:14-17 “Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he labored till the going down of the sun to deliver him. Then these men assembled unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, That no decree nor statute which the king established may be changed. Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom though servest continually, he will deliver thee. And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealest it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be chanced concerning Daniel.”

The king didn’t want Daniel to be cast into the lion’s den. It sore displeased him to do so. Yet, he was pressured to give in. Though he didn’t want to do it, his passive consent sealed Daniel’s fate. Fortunately, God intervened. The king, though he lost sleep over the matter, had a chance to save Daniel himself and failed to do so. Had Daniel died, the king would have been culpable of Daniel’s death based on his inaction.

Our inaction is sealing our nation’s fate. We may be sore displeased with the direction of our nation. We may even lose sleep over the matter. Yet, our passive consent makes us culpable of our nation’s downward spiral. God may intervene, but we have a chance to save our nation and are failing to do so. We fail to vote. We fail to speak up. We fail to take a stand. We fail to answer the call to public service. We fail to demand accountability. We fail to pray. We have been pressured into being silently docile. Our inaction makes up culpable of the results.

PLEASE PRAY THAT CHRISTIANS WOULD HALT OUR CULPABILITY IN SEALING OUR NATION’S FATE. If we are sore displeased, then we should act. Act now!

Mark 11:24 “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”

DL Moody was once asked whether he had heard Charles Spurgeon preach. His response: “Yes, but better still I heard him pray.” Spurgeon took his prayer life seriously. He argued that “all good is born in prayer and all good springs from it.” Indeed!

We need good in this land. We need good in our ministries. We need good in our workplaces. We need good in our families. We need good in our schools. We need good in our communities. We need good in every aspect of our lives.

Spurgeon’s formula for bringing about good is simple and biblical. Pray! Good is birthed in prayer, nurtured by prayer, and matured through prayer. Good should be desired by faithful hearts and promoted by faithful prayers. We could work for it, but better still we should pray for it.

PLEASE PRAY FOR GOOD IN OUR LIVES AND GOOD IN OUR LAND. All good comes from God, and we must turn to Him to see it spring forth.

Acts 6:4 “But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.”

Charles Surgeon said the following about prayer:

“I would rather teach one man to pray than ten men to preach.”
“He who ploughs not in his closet will never reap in his pulpit.”

Prayer is a necessary prerequisite for power in the Christian life. Absent a hefty investment in prayer, our returns will be miniscule. Our time in prayer is more important than our time in preparation; in fact, it is a fundamental part of preparation. Absent time in prayer, our preparation will be inadequate and incomplete. Without time in prayer, even something as divine as preaching the gospel will fall flat.

Without time in prayer, we won’t see revival and repentance in our nation. Without time in prayer, we have no hope in returning America to its biblical foundation. Without time in prayer, we won’t see favorable rulings from our courts, favorable laws from our legislatures, or favorable actions from our executives. Without time in prayer, we won’t see meaningful results in any of our ministries.

PLEASE INSURE THAT PRAYER IS PART OF OUR PREPARATION FOR ALL THINGS. As we preach to our nation and its leaders through our words, our actions, and our votes, do we have divine power? We won’t if we don’t give ourselves continually to prayer.

Matthew 11:29-30 “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Charles Spurgeon finished his last message (see the prior post) with the following:

“There never was his like among the choicest of princes. He is always to be found in the thickest part of the battle. When the wind blows cold he always takes the bleak side of the hill. The heaviest end of the cross lies ever on his shoulders. If he bids us carry a burden, he carries it also. If there is anything that is gracious, generous, kind, and tender, yea lavish and superabundant in love, you always find it in him. These 40 years and more have I served him, blessed be his name! and I have had nothing but love from him. I would be glad to continue yet another 40 years in the same dear service here below if so it pleased him. His service is life, peace, joy. Oh, that you would enter on it at once! God help you to enlist under the banner of Jesus even this day! Amen.”

We are given the opportunity to serve the choicest of princes, one who volunteers to carry the heaviest of loads. His yoke is easy, and His burden is light.

American Christians are in a thick battle for our nation. Christ offers to serve in the thickest part of the battle. American Christians are facing the stiff wind of resistance. Christ offers to serve on the windward side of the hill. American Christians are carrying a weighty burden. Christ offers to carry the heaviest part of our load. Why would we not take His yoke upon us?

PLEASE PRAY FOR AMERICAN CHRISTIANS TO TURN TO CHRIST TO CARRY THE HEAVIEST BURDENS OF OUR STRUGGLES. Christ stands ready to serve in the thickest part of the battle. We are foolish to fight on without Him.