THE NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER

“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 I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place… But if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods, and worship them, then I will uproot them from My land which I have given them; and this house which I have sanctified for My name I will cast out of My sight, and will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples.”  (2 Chronicles 7:14-15, 19-20 NKJV)

On this National Day of Prayer (in the U.S.A.), the words of 2 Chronicles 7 once again resonate as a powerful invitation and promise. God calls His people to approach Him with humility, repentance, and sincere prayer. The condition is clear: when we seek His face and turn from the ways that distance us from Him, He responds with grace, forgiveness, and healing -- not only for our individual hearts but for the land we inhabit together.

Almighty God, we seek Your guidance and wisdom. Grant our leaders the humility to serve with integrity and the strength to uphold justice and compassion. May they remember that true power lies not in dominance, but in service to others. Help them to resist the temptations of pride and greed, and to always act in the best interest of all the people they serve. Guide their hearts and minds to make decisions that promote peace, equality, and the common good. Let them be ever mindful of the responsibility they bear and the trust placed in them by the people.

Lord, this day reminds us of the immense privilege and power we have in prayer. We pray not just for our own needs but for the healing and restoration of our nation, for unity amidst division, for the weak and vulnerable to be protected, and for righteousness to shine in the places where darkness prevails. Your promise to hear us is unchanging, and Your faithfulness invites us to trust You more deeply.

Sovereign God, we ask for Your protection and blessings upon our nation, and for the courage to stand against any abuse of power. May our leaders be a reflection of Your love and grace, leading with humility and a steadfast commitment to justice and mercy.

In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

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LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY

“One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When He finished, one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.’”  (Luke 11:1 NIV)

He was a gifted Preacher, a powerful Person, a Man who drew people to Himself, yet search as you will, His disciples never ask Jesus how to preach or how to become a magnetic person.  But they do ask Him:  "Lord, teach us to pray."  Somehow they realized that behind that magnetic and productive life lay a power unknown to them, a source untapped by them.

They had seen Him get up early in the morning [to pray].  They had known Him to stay up late at night [praying].  They knew He prayed as the need arose.  More than once they caught Him in meditation.  "Lord, teach us to pray."  We, too, want to know the secret of a productive life.  We, too, want to tap the source of power. 

-- H.S. Vigeveno in “Jesus the Revolutionary” 

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WHY BOTHER TO PRAY?

Why should we expend the energy to pray?

I found there are several reasons – but the first is all we really need to know.  God has told us to pray.  It is a commandment, and if we love Him, we obey His commands.

But there is a second reason: We pray because Jesus prayed.  Sometimes people will say the only reason for prayer is that we need to be changed.  Yes, we do need to change, but that's not the only reason to pray.  Jesus didn't need to be changed or be made more holy.  When He prayed He was communing with His Father.  He thanked God.  He praised Him.  He asked for things.  He requested power.  He prayed on behalf of others.  He asked that the devil be bridled.  He asked His Father to prevent what was about to take place.  He made clear His own will.  He prayed as though His petitions had a definite effect on God's design.

In light of God's clear commands and our Lord's unmistakable example, it's obvious we believers "should always pray and never give up" (Luke 18:1).  God does not want us to shrug our shoulders, shuffle our feet, and mutter, "Que sera, sera, whatever will be, will be."  On the contrary, Scripture makes it plain that we are involved with this life of ours -- and the lives of others as well.  Certain things simply will not happen… unless we pray.

-- Joni Earkeckson Tada in “Glorious Intruder”

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PRAYER CAN CHANGE THE WORLD

“And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God…”  (Colossians 1:9-10 ESV)

I believe the greatest cry around the world today is “Pray for me.” All of us are here today because someone has prayed for us. I know I am indebted to so many people for their wonderful prayers. Martin Luther said that the shoemaker makes shoes, the tailor makes clothes, and the Christian prays. Prayer can change a person’s life; it can change the world. Prayer is a challenge to me. If I pray for someone, it challenges me to love and to help that person. 

-- James H. Davis, as quoted in “Stories of Prayer for a Healthy Soul”

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PRAYER AND SPECIFIC ACTIONS

Saint Paul speaks of praying “without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

It is not as hard as it sounds, really. You merely learn to be aware of God’s presence with you all the time, whatever you are doing.

A friend who commutes to work says that he sits and communes with God every time he stops at a traffic light. You can do it every time you open the refrigerator. Or when you brush your teeth.

The point is simply to turn your thoughts toward God at many specific times each day.

One way to do this is to practice remembering God when you are performing one specific action all week. When you are making the bed, for instance. Or setting the table. Or checking your mail. Or walking to school. Then, for the next week, pick another action.

-- John Killinger in Beginning Prayer

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CALLING ON GOD

“In His name the nations will put their hope.”  (Matthew 12:21)

All who call on God in true faith, earnestly from the heart, will certainly be heard, and will receive what they have asked and desired, although not in the hour or in the measure, or the very thing which they ask; yet they will obtain something greater and more glorious than they had dared to ask. 

-- Martin Luther


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