Even in this age of unprecedented prosperity, America needs your prayers more than ever. Here’s some alarming facts about the U.S. taken from a CBN article[1]:
- Homicide and incarceration highest of any industrialized nation. Ten times that of Japan, Sweden, Ireland, and the Netherlands.
- Crime increased by 371% since 1960, with Juvenile Crime up 920% since 1985, the highest in the world.
- Divorce quadrupled in the last 30 years, making the U.S. the world leader.
- Teenage pregnancies also quadrupled in the last 30 years (more than a million a year) making the US the Western World leader.
- Voluntary abortion leader in the world.
- Illegal drug use leader of the world.
- Illiteracy world leader, with National Educational Standards among the lowest in the world.
- Teen suicides more than doubled in the last 30 years.
In response, the National Day of Prayer Task Force seeks to communicate with every individual the need for personal repentance and prayer, mobilizing the Christian community to Intercede for America and its leadership in the seven centers of power: Church, Education, Family, Government, Military, Business and Media. The National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday of May, inviting people of all faiths to pray for the nation. It was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the U.S. Congress, and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman. Our Task Force is a privately funded organization designed to encourage participation on the National Day of Prayer. We represent a Judeo Christian expression of the national observance, based on our understanding that this country was birthed in prayer and in reverence for the God of the Bible. We are not the National Prayer Breakfast; an inter-faith prayer observance.
This year our theme is Prayer! America’s strength and shield. Our thousands of volunteer coordinators around the country are busy setting up May 1st National Day of Prayer events in their local communities. Some 2008 Events include:
• Eureka Springs, AR – a resort town is hosting a week long NDP celebration this April to help reverse the effects that the alternate lifestyle artist community has brought.
• PrayerFlight, the group of private pilots who flew in formation in prayer over Ohio during Good Friday & the National Day of Prayer in 2007, is organizing “50 Capitals” – private pilots flying over and covering all 50 state capitals in prayer on May 1st.
• 300 mile train ride praying from Anchorage to Fairbanks, AK on May 1st.
In addition, during this important election year we are encouraging American to pray and vote. We’re not taking sides; merely asking Americans to seek God’s will and then get out and vote. We’re calling this initiative: Pray for Election Day. We feel that there has never been a more important time to pray for our nation's leaders. With the current threat to our religious liberties and critical concerns in intense debate, the results of the upcoming elections will play a crucial role in shaping the future of our nation. God often uses his people to work his will. We need to pray for God’s guidance, that his will be done and that our leaders would honor and model righteousness in their words and actions. Prayer can change hearts and prayer can change minds! As we pray for good leadership, we must then be willing to get out to the polls and follow through by voting. As Christians living in a democracy, it is not only our civic duty to vote, but also our Christian duty, as the citizen leaders of our country. It is our responsibility to ensure that our country founded on Christian principles continues to uphold those principles. We at National Day of Prayer encourage all Americans to pray for Godly wisdom for leaders and vote in all primaries, state and local elections as well as the November 4th Presidential election.
Have you seen the Pray for Election Day “Red” video? Have you seen our new 7x7 Prayer page on our website with specific prayer needs for the 7 centers of power? Check out http://www.nationaldayofprayer.com/.
[1] Statistics taken from Scott Ross, The 700 Club, as printed on CBN.com February 2007
17 comments:
Brian, I heard you speak at the Iron Sharpens Iron event and I appreciate your leadership and devotion to prayer. You challenged me to get involved and that is why I visited the website. I plan to have a prayer event in my home and will invite all my neighbors to join with me. Prayer in Action. Blessings to you.
GREAT! I appreciate you taking up the call for action!
What is the theme for 2009 and what is your vision for the National Day of Prayer?
Our theme is "Prayer! America's Strength and Shield" with the supporting scripture Psalm 28:7 "The Lord is my strength and shield; my heart trust in Him, and I am helped." It is a very positive message of God's great promise of protection over our lives as believers. The theme artwork is decididly masculine this year to draw more men into intercessory prayer for our nation and it's leaders. Not just Government leaders and their families but teachers, pastors, military, media, family and business leaders and their families as well. Women have been great prayer warriors for our nation but more men need to step up to the challenge as well.
My long term vision for the National Day of Prayer is that more men and youth become involved, that people glorify God and praise Him throughout their day in regular conversation with Him, not just bombarding Him with a shopping list of requests but in thanking Him for the parking spot He just gave you, the ability to use your body/mind in ways that others may not and for the opportunity to live in America - a country that despite our problems is filled with God's blessings.
We have a long way to get that word out to many more millions aren't familar with the National Day of Prayer or think that all we are about is praying on just one day in May for our nation. We pray for our nation - for those who we agree with and for those who we don't. We ask that they see God's great gifts are for all who come to Him and seek to do His will. Together with our thousands of coordinators in every state, our financial supporters and fellow mininstries in alliance with us, we will grow National Day of Prayer to be as common in everyone's thoughts as Coke or Pepsi have become.
I’m working to have the faith of the centurion in Matthew 8 who came to Jesus asking Him to heal his paralyzed servant. You might recall that the centurion was a man under authority, with soldiers under him. He said “I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." Do you remember how Jesus replied to him. The Bible says he was astonished. Jesus was astonished! Where else does it say that? Jesus then said to his disciples: "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.” And then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! It will be done just as you believed it would." And his servant was healed at that very hour.
This post compares other countries of the world, such as the Netherlands and Japan, favorably to the United States. These countries have very little if any people praying for them, given they are very secular nations. They certainly have no national day of prayer. Why try to bring America up to their standards by praying more?
It seems a more apt title for this post would be "Prayer doesn't work"!
Oh contraire, imagine what our nation would be if we didn't pray. Having traveled to 26 countries around the globe I would still rather live here, despite our faults, than anywhere else in the world. What would our nation look like if we didn't pray and God didn't answer those prayers? God answers our prayers for transformation of our communities and for their protection. Many ask where was God during the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center towers on September 11, 2001? Although God obviously did not prevent this atrocity, who’s to say that He has not prevented others. Believe it or not, there are worse things that terrorists could have done, including exploding a nuclear device in Manhattan. In addition, many have not considered all the things God might have done to prevent an even greater loss of life than what occurred during the attack on the World Trade Center.
Some 2,752 people lost their lives in the attack on the World Trade Center. While this is a large number of people, it represents only a small percentage of the people who could have died in those towers. A total of 50,000 people worked in the World Trade Center towers at the time of the attack. This means that at least 90% of everybody in the towers at the time of the attack escaped alive! In addition, it was reported that 100,000 people visited the towers every day that weren’t because of the hour of the attack. This sounds like God’s protection at work to me. There are some other remarkable facts to consider. The first tower that was hit stood standing 45 minutes longer than the second tower, allowing more time for those who had no warning to escape. After the attack on the first tower, people in the second tower immediately began to leave, despite the announcement by management that everything was safe and under control. People interviewed later reported that they "felt" that they should leave. Did God communicate to tens of thousands of people to warn them to escape? In watching the crash of the second airliner into the second tower, it seems remarkable that the tower did not collapse immediately. There was a huge explosion that engulfed several floors of the tower at once. Did God sustain the tower for an additional 30 minutes to allow people to escape? Given these circumstances, it seems likely that God intervened to limit the death toll in the attack on the World Trade Center towers.
The third airliner crashed into the Pentagon. However, the side of the building hit was under renovation, limiting the loss of life. If the terrorists had crashed directly into the Pentagon from the original direction of flight (the plane had passed the Pentagon and made a 270 degree turn prior to impact), the loss of life would have been much greater. Was God involved in this?
The fourth airliner did not even reach its intended destination (which might have been the Capitol Building in Washington D.C.). Although God did not bring down this airliner directly, His people were involved in thwarting the attempt at mass destruction. Todd Beamer, a graduate of Wheaton College, a dedicated Christian who taught Sunday School, led a charge against the hijackers who had commandeered flight 93, resulting in the plane crashing into an unpopulated field outside of Pittsburgh.
There are several examples of godly kings who had nations attack them in war, and it wasn’t because of some lack on their part. Bad things happen to good people and good nations. Every problem cannot be prayed away. The Lord doesn’t promise that we won’t have any trouble. In fact, he promised us that we would have tribulations, but He told us to be of good cheer even then because he has overcome the world (John 16:33). We are guaranteed to come out winners.
When nations take deliberate steps away from God, as America has, they walk away from God’s umbrella of protection. God doesn’t punish them directly, but there will be punishment. Satan will exact his own wrath on those who yield to him. As Jonah said: “They that observe lying vanities forsake their won mercy.” If we, as Americans, would turn to the Lord with all our hearts, then we would see more supernatural protection and intervention on our behalf. No nation has, or ever will, trust God perfectly. If we did imagine the blessing that would be poured out upon us.
Lord,
Thank you Lord for your shield of protection over our nation protecting us from terrorism and threats from without and from decaying morals from within. Let no rock be big enough for a terrorist to hide from justice and may the eyes of the deceived who would bring harm to our nation and it’s people be opened and the scales of Satan’s deceit lifted from their eyes. May knowledge of terrorist acts become known to those who provide our national and international security. May our security forces act swiftly to avert all danger. Give our protectors the strength, courage and urgency to act in order to prevent terrorist acts against our nation, and let our enemies’ plans become transparent before their wicked acts can become manifested. Amen
I see. Thank you for your clarification, which, as I understand it, goes like this:
Anytime that something bad DOESN'T happen, it is because God is listening to your prayers. Anytime something bad DOES happen, it could have been worse, so God must be listening to your prayers. This is the old "Heads I win, tails you lose" trick! Any event, good or bad, is evidence of God's intervention.
You say that, "When nations take deliberate steps away from God, as America has, they walk away from God’s umbrella of protection. God doesn’t punish them directly, but there will be punishment."
What punishment has befallen very secular states such as Norway, Japan, or Sweden? These nations have high quality of life, far exceed the United States on measures of health such as life expectancy and infant mortality, and have not suffered any major terrorist attacks. Why haven't they been punished for walking away from God?
I look forward to your reply!
By the way, I think you meant to write "au contraire" (French for 'on the contrary' not "oh contraire").
David, thanks for the correction on the French. If you won't grade my spelling, I won't grade your grammar, ok? Japan by the way has had terrorist attacks - the worst was Sarin Gas in the subway which killed 12 and injured over 50. Is your point that since Christianity is the religion of by far the most people in the US, why is America so full of crime compared to countries where there are very few Christians? Well there are a very large number of Americans claiming to be Christians but aren't walking in obiendance. Perhaps too more punishment is headed the way of these secular nations. In "Deliver Us From Evil" by Ravi Zacharias, the author forcefully issues a grave warning to those nations "so imbued with strength, so splendidly attractive, so rich in resources" -and so blind to the source of evil dwelling in their midst. Zacharias writes that despite the wealth, advancements and intelligence of our western culture, we are "living with great philosophical risk, not pausing to uncover, even for a moment, the ramifications for the soul."
Brian,
I am helping to organize an ecumenical prayer breakfast in my town on May 1. While looking for prayers to possibly incorporate into our day, I came across the Prayer for Peace by Jefferson. I can not find the source fot this prayer. Do you have a citation, because we would love to use it at our breakfast?
It seems there is some dispute as to whether Jefferson actually wrote The Prayer for Peace or not. This web site contains the prayer but disputes that he made it: http://wiki.monticello.org/mediawiki/index.php/National_Prayer_for_Peace
The book, Prayers of the Presidents by Dr. Larry Keefauver attributes the prayer to Jefferson on March 4, 1805.
At National Day of Prayer Task Force we ask that Americans pray for our seven centers of power and that the hearts of our leaders in those 7 centers be moved to honor God, put His will before their own and act as men and women of integrity. Those seven centers are Government, Business, Media, Education, Church, Military, and Family.
The question, then, is: How does God manifest Himself in the seven centers of power? The answer is Transformation! Through our prayers, God moves to transform every center of power within a community. In areas where transformation has been documented, history has proven that God will burden a person or persons within a community to begin to pray for an appetite for the presence of God. Then, He moves through their prayers to ignite passion, repentance and obedience within the community members. While Transformation is different for every community, transformation is indicated when:
• Political leaders publicly acknowledge their sin and dependence on God (II Kings 11:17–18; 23:2; Jonah 3:6–9)
• New laws, curricula, and business practices are put into effect (II Chronicles 19:4–10; Nehemiah 10:31)
• The natural environment is restored to its original life-nurturing state (Leviticus 26:4–5; II Chronicles 7:14; Ezekiel 34:27; 36:29-30)
• Economic conditions improve and lead to a discernable lessening of poverty (II Chronicles 17:3–5; Psalm 144:14; Isaiah 60:5; Amos 9:13)
• There is a marked change in social entertainment and vices as Kingdom values are integrated into the rhythm of daily life (Ezra 10:1–4; Nehemiah 8:10, 16; Ecclesiastes 10:17; Acts 19:17–20)
• Crime and corruption diminish throughout the community (II Kings 12;13–15; Nehemiah 5:6–12; Isaiah 60:17–18)
• Volunteerism increases as Christians recognize their responsibility to heal and under gird the community (Isaiah 58:10–12; 61:1–4)
• Restored hope and joy leads to a decline in divorce, bankruptcy and suicide (Nehemiah 12:27–28, 43; Isaiah 54:11–14; 61:3,7; Jeremiah 30:17–19; 31:11–13; Hosea 2:15)
• The spiritual nature of the growing socio-political renewal becomes a hot topic in the secular media (II Chronicles 20:29; Nehemiah 6:16; Isaiah 55:5; Ezekiel 36:36; Acts 19:17)
• Overwhelmed by the goodness of God, grateful Christians take the embers of revival into surrounding communities and nations (II Chronicles 17:9; Isaiah 61:6; Acts 11:20–26)
It has recently come to my attention that the 2008
Prayer for your Nation (America) as headed by Dr. Ravi Zacharias
http://www.ndptf.org/story/Index.cfm?Entity=9&Department=9&Dept_Order=1&
This_TopicOrder=19&This_SubtopicOrder=2#5
Will conclude with the term in God's holy name, rather that in Jesus
name to avoid causing offence to non Christians.
Am I alone in finding this sad and disturbing?
I share this previous concern...any word from the NDPTF why the name of Jesus is not used in this prayer? If we're going to ask mighty things of the Father, shouldn't we ask in the mighty name of His Son?
See the Lord's prayer in Matthew 6. It does not end "in Jesus name". There can be no doubt we love Jesus but there's no "magic" nor no loss of reverence in envoking his name at the end of every prayer.
Brian,
Jesus was the giver of the Lord's Prayer. He is Lord. There is no other name that saves. No other god hears prayers. You're right its not 'magic'...its truth and the Truth will set you free.
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