“Pray for each other…..The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” James 5:16
We have a number of adopted children in our family who have brought us so much pleasure. Seven of them were born in China, one from Guatemala, one from Russia, and several born in the USA. SaraGrace came into our family when she was three years old from China. She had a severe heart defect and was operated on soon after birth. Her parents taught her about Jesus as soon as she could speak.
SaraGrace loved to talk to God on her play phone. One day, mother heard her talking to God as only SaraGrace could, with MUCH drama!
“Hewwo, God. Um…watcha doin up dere? Tank you for dying on da cross. Can You help my sister not be scared at school tomorrow? Um…I hope da orphans in China get a mommy and a daddy. Can you give dem mommy’s and daddy’s?”
“Um….Jesus….um God…” Here she looked at mother to explain the theology……”Jesus and God….dems the twins.” The twins? Mother chuckled. SaraGrace just smiled and with a twinkle in her eyes, continued her conversation with God. I’m sure the “twins” were smiling too!
We smile at SaraGrace, but how different our lives would be if we had the faith of a child and took God seriously! God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong…so that no one may boast before Him.” 1 Corinthians 1:29. We’re told to pray without ceasing. Often revival begins with just two or three people committed to prayer. There is a college age group in our church who have committed to prayer, once or twice a week, for our church and country. I attended their prayer meeting last week and I was so inspired by their prayers. They really were serious about their commitment and their prayers showed it! We are living in a sad time in our nation. We are in a horrendous decline where wrong is right and right is wrong. But, in God’s Word and our Christian experience, there is an amazing “secret” about life in Christ: God meets us at our places of brokenness. When we are weak, He is strong! “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” James 5:16. Like Gideon in Judges 6, we see victory in weakness, God’s love in the middle of a failed nation and a flawed, weak man who God raised up to defeat the enemy.
God can use young men and women who are passionate about God and empower them and equip them to do great things. It begins with prayer! How can we pray for our country?
- Give thanks for our government
- Pray for those in authority for wisdom/honesty
- Teach them wisdom and knowledge
- Bring to light what is hidden in darkness
- Pray for the nation to repent/turn to God
- For God to forgive their sins and heal the land
- Open eyes to turn from darkness to light
- Soften hearts hardened by sin
- Raise up Your standard in this nation
- Raise up intercessors for the nation
- Pull down strongholds over the land
- And let the GLORY of the LORD be revealed!
The Lord has answered prayer for this country in the past and He won’t forsake us if we turn to him. “The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.” 2 Chronicles 16:9 Pray without ceasing!
Your friend, Jean