Thursday, June 7, 2012

A call to Pray

A couple of weeks ago, I took a few days off the internet to seek the Lord. I felt led to read the book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah is an old testament prophet that warns Israel and Judah of God's impending judgement  for their disobedience to Him. All throughout my reading, I kept  thinking, "he's speaking of us. God is going to seriously judge the U.S.!"


It is no secret that this country has seen a decline, from academic achievement to economic prosperity. The most drastic change has been decline of morals. Assault of the elderly has become common. Mass shootings are more prevalent in this decade. Sex outside of marriage is at an all time high. What's worse is that the music and film industry encourages much of this behavior. Abortion makes it easy to avoid the consequences of sex. States are changing the institution of marriage to include same-sex couples. This was once a huge issue for me as a lesbian. But I found the absolute truth in Jesus Christ and had to acknowledge that there were things in my life that didn't please God.


Our fleshly desires are often a reflection of our sin nature. Sex can be a wonderful expression of love and help strengthen commitment and encourage procreation. Since the fall of man, our sexuality has gone awry to pleasure ourselves. Our lust for food has us obese with cardiac trouble. Seeking after physical and psychological anesthetizing has left us plagued with drug and alcohol addiction. We constantly seek to indulge our flesh in some way and really, it's a sign that we are unfulfilled.


Jesus speaks much about this when he says, "if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, pick up his cross and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" "Don't worry about what you will wear or what you will eat. Seek first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added to you." "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil..." "Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word of God." "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."


I'm not saying that we shouldn't enjoy things like food or fashion, but we need to check ourselves in our motives and goals. The void in our soul that we seek to fill with various things is a missing relationship with God. God wanted to reconcile us to himself so much, He had his son Jesus enter into this world to suffer the penalty for our sins. He has revealed Himself in the person of Jesus Christ and has given us historically reliable, consistent testimony of His character in the Bible.


Never before has the truth of the Bible been so evident than with our current events! Nations rising against Israel, unprecedented natural disasters, and unlikely alliances forming just as the Bible predicted. I recently listened to a messianic rabbi named Jonathan Cahn foretell fulfilled prophecy in Isaiah 9:10 regarding 9/11. He says God has allowed this attack to show he has removed his divine protection from America. Now I have my reservations that this country was indeed founded as a Christian nation, but I do agree that God was in the midst here as pilgrim Christians came, fleeing religious persecution from Europe. Many settlers here did put their trust in the Lord and center their lives around His Word. Unfortunately, many now are denying God and living carnally, even much of the Church! Just as Israel faced God's judgment for her idolatry, so America is facing the same same fate. I don't think it was any coincidence that I thought what I did reading Jeremiah, as I hear many Christians saying similar things. My pastor was led to give many of us "Invasion of Wales by the Spirit" by James Stewart. It's a short account of the revival in Wales in 1904-1905. Through many years of prayer, the Holy Spirit came down mightily to save the lost and move people towards confession and intercession. 


Brethren: we need to seek the Lord and pray for revival in this country. We can do nothing without the Holy Spirit. Read Psalm 80, Isaiah 63:15-64:12, Daniel 9:2-21, Nehemiah 1 for biblical accounts of these supplications. Be the woman clamoring for justice to the judge and continuously pray! Be thankful for God's mercy in all His provisions and intercede for lost souls! Pray for the leadership in this country, mourn and confess your sins to the Lord! Don't worry if you feel you don't pray eloquently enough. Don't worry if you spend time in silence. Just pour your heart out to Him who has redeemed you. Remember the time when your eyes opened, when you realized that you needed saving and you felt the love of God shed abroad in your heart. Pray earnestly for that love again, for it to be manifest in your life and for others to receive it. Pray for for our Brethren abroad and remember those in bonds. May our Lord Jesus snatch his bride soon!



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