Several minutes from now the country will begin to celebrate the National Day of Prayer 2013. It is a time when pastors and leaders across the nation encourage the people to prayer for a common element as determined by the committee. The theme for this year is “Pray for America.” Lord knows that we need prayer for the country. The divisiveness of our elected leaders, the monetary crisis, the ebbs and flows of the stock market, the rate of unemployment and the negative impact to families across our great land are all causes for concern.
On top of that, we have violence in schools, liberal thoughts on marriage and the sanctity of the family, divorce rates are off the charts and our children are suffering autism and other disorders at an alarming rate. Let’s face it – our nation is screwed up and we can’t fix it without God leading the way.
It’s high time that we repent and return to a God centered existence. That’s all there is to it. I could go on and on about this, but I hope that you already agree with what I am saying. So rather than write 1000 words on the topic, I am going to share with you the verse that the National Day of Prayer Committee has chosen for this year. It is from Matthew 12:21, “In his name the nations will put their hope.” That’s the essence of the message that all of us must share, and cling to. God is the answer – not one of the answers – THE answer. And we are foolish if we don’t see that God is the one in control.
My encouragement for this evening is that the nation is being called to prayer at noon eastern time. Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, I urge you to join the millions of Americans who will petition God to fix what is wrong and to bring us together as a nation. My prayer is that you will do your part to heal the country and in case you are interested in the official prayer that was written for this special day, I have copied it below:
Father, we come to You to pray for our nation, the United States of America.
How You have blessed us through the years, Lord! We rightly sing, “America, America, God shed His grace on thee.” Yet we see trouble in our culture today. We see the breakdown of the family, crippling addictions, and random acts of horrific violence.
Lord, we need Your help in America. In recent days, we have done our best to remove Your Word and Your counsel from our courtrooms, classrooms and culture. It seems, as President Lincoln once said, that we have “forgotten God.” But Lord, You have not forgotten us! You can bless and help and revive our country again.
Scripture tells us that “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs14:34). Lord, in Your mercy, we ask that You would exalt our country again. We have had a number of great awakenings in America. We have experienced times of refreshing, and revivals that changed not only the spiritual but also the moral landscape. As the psalmist said, “Will You not revive us again, so that Your people may rejoice in You?” (Psalm 85:6)
That is our prayer for America today, Lord. Send a mighty spiritual awakening that will turn the hearts of men and women, boys and girls back to you. You have told us if we will humble ourselves and pray, and seek Your face and turn from our wicked ways, that You will forgive our sins and heal our land. (2 Chronicles7:14)
Forgive us today, Lord, and heal this troubled land that we love so much.
We ask all of this in the name of Jesus Christ.
Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace… Amen!