Blog excerpt: About The National Day of Prayer --1st Thursday in May

Blogger: This truth does not disparage the people who pray and do good things, it disparages prayer for the fact that it does nothing. Can you see that distinction?

I see the distinction. It is lack of faith that says “prayer does nothing.” The Bible says “The fervent, effectual prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

Some say, “Prayer changes YOU.” Or me, as the case may be. That when we pray, WE are reminded of our goals as Christians, we are changed in our hearts.

I believe that prayer is like “going on line” with our Creator’s great, omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent Spirit/Mind. We enter into HIs awesome presence.

Jesus said to petition God in Jesus’ name and we would see answers to our prayers. I believe the resurrected man –He knows much that we do not –and claimed that if we had seen Him, we had seen the Father –that He and the Father were One.

My husband noted that if he would ask God to give him an opportunity to witness for Christ to someone that day, he would get a natural (rather than contrived, awkward) opportunity to share his faith with someone. That has happened for me as well.

By praying for others, we are more mindful of others and meeting their needs.

I also believe there is POWER in prayer for healing and resolving conflict, etc. God can speak to our spirits/to our minds filling us with HIS thinking, and HIS love , and HIS power to forgive and do right. He can give us thoughts and motivations and the emotional aspects for good. The Bible says that wherever 2 or 3 are gathered in Christ’s name, He is in their midst. Sometimes, the Spirit of God is present in such a way that “mountains are moved” as Jesus said. Who knows how often prayer has healed the sick, averted tragedy, protected us on the highway?

Nevertheless, we are mortal in this life –and we shall all experience death, sorrow, tragedy–but Christ did, also! The worst kind of death! So because He suffered for us, and rose from the grave, we have this confidence that His promise is true when the resurrected Jewish Christ says (not in quote order) , “Because I live, you will live also. You believe in God; believe also in me. I go to prepare a place for you –that where I am, you may be also. Let not your heart be troubled.” “Behold I am with you always.”

As for the National Day of Prayer coming up --I don't know if Obama has declared it or not. The court said He could. I believe he has ignored the founder of the day, Shirley Dobson and not had White House observance of the day like former presidents.

If ever a nation needed the intervention of the Almighty to save us, it is the United States who has been raised to great heights --and now the heights refer only to the price of gas, our rates of divorce, shacking up and unwed births, our deficit spending and debt ceiling!

Much to pray about! --America needs to fall on its knees in repentance and petition God for help and mercy.


"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER --DEFEND IT! DO IT!

I listened to one of those "Freedom From Religion Foundation types" (FFRF) on TV saying the day is unconstitutional because the government cannot tell her to pray.

I wish I could tell her that NO ONE IS TELLING YOU TO PRAY! Just as Mother's Day is for mothers, National Day of Prayer is for those who pray --not for those who choose not to. There is no coercion or denial of liberty here.

There is no establishment of religion, but national respect for religion in general which includes prayer. "God, Bless America!" is a prayer --and a song by a Jewish man, Irving Berlin. You don't have to all become mothers on Mother's Day; you don't all have to become prayers on Prayer Day.

Where is the common sense and the respect for religious free expression in the FFRF? and the ACLU and the mis-named People for the American Way? They would take away the freedom of free exercise of religion in public places and by public figures. That's just plainly Un-American, unconstitutional, and counters the reality of the best aspects of our history.

National Day of Prayer Today

Some of us will be at the flag pole at the Springfield Twp Bldg. on Angola road –the sheriff’s station, from 12: 20 to 12: 40, in conjunction with the American Family Association's challenge to "Meet at City Hall," and the Focus on the Family's promotion of a presidential task force for this day --which task force has largely been ignored and messed with by Obama administration behind the banning of evangelicals who were scheduled to speak, like Franklin Graham of Samaritan's Purse and Tony Perkins of Family Research Council. Obama is not having a service at the White House as his predecessors did. He'd be wise to join one at the Capitol.

Join us.

Wherever we are, let us all...

• Pray especially for our nation, our leaders, our elections
• Pray for help with our oil spill and other natural disasters around the globe.
  
• Pray that hearts will turn to God and return to Him in repentance and desire to know Him and serve Him.
• Pray for religious freedom and moral decency to prevail in our nation.
  
• Ask God to help us be part of the solutions and not the problems of our nation.
  
• Pray that the Church and the Christians will be faithful to proclaim CHRIST, crucified, risen and coming again –to the world.
  
• Pray for the needy and sorrowing that they will receive aid and comfort.
  
• Pray for our men and women in armed services.
  
• Pray that the Church will pursue Holiness over hedonism, purity over pleasure and show the world that Christ is alive in His church as we demonstrate His love to each other, to neighbors, relatives and enemies.

2 Chronicles 7:14
If my people, who are called by my name, will 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.

While Jesus recommended private prayer rather than praying for the purpose of being seen by men (with pride), He also says this:

¹⁹Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
²⁰For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Matthew 18: 19-20

"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

WHAT IF WE PRAYED???

What if even the unbelievers --and all the believers --would pray for peace? and for the safety of our soldiers and the civilians --and the ones who were recently kidnapped? What if even the scoffers and skeptics would get on their knees and say something like:

"Father God --if you are OUT there --PLEASE HELP US NOW! Forgive us our sins --show us what they are - that we may truly repent! Show us yourself and your Truth --and help us. Soften the hearts of the tyrants in Iran, in No. Korea, in China and Cuba. Soften the hearts of Osama and the Taliban and the imams and mullahs who are preaching hatred. Bring peace to Jerusalem! And just in case the Christians are right and the Bible is true --I pray all this in the name of Jesus --because you said that what we ask in Jesus' name will be done according to your will. You said the prayers of righteous people avail much. We fall short of your standard and plead for your mercy. We are unworthy but ask you to please protect us from diseases, the hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes, droughts, famine, tsunamis, volcanos, global warming and fires --and could you please return the honey bees that we may have the blessings of the harvest you have so faithfully given us for years? We'll give you all the praise. In the name of Jesus we pray these things. AMEN."




"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible