Devot. National Day of Prayer

Hi Folks,

I hope you had a good week!  

I am going to use a devotional. that is a throwback to a national occurrence on May 20th, 2019.

Thursday, May 20th was The National Day of Prayer.  "While the National Day of Prayer has occurred since 1952, 31 years ago, President Ronald Reagan signed a law designating it as always being the first Thursday of May.  This year’s National Day of Prayer theme is “Love One Another.” The theme comes from the words of Jesus in John 13:34, 'Love one another. Just as I have loved you.' Americans across all 50 states will gather in churches, local businesses, the steps of city halls, schools, neighborhoods and public gathering places for a day of public prayer for the United States of America."  

(Taken from https://awaa.org/blog/)

I saw some clips from a collective meeting of both sides of the aisle that was held in the Rotundra and it gave me goosebumps.   The prayers that were prayed, with boldness and 'in Jesus' Name' were very powerful and the music was spiritually heart stirring. Im sure that a sense of God's presence could be felt even after the meeting was over.

 

Now, before you think in terms of "separation of church and state" or the controversy over praying In Jesus' Name, I wish to remind you of the power that Jesus' Name has.   Acts 4: 8-11 states, 

8 "Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: 

9 If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, 

10 let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. 11 (In Acts 3, a lame man was healed by Peter commanding him to walk/be healed "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth"-verse 6).  

11 This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ (an Old Testament reference to the coming Savior which was Jesus in the NT)

12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

There is no other name than Jesus' name that can save a soul from Hell!  If you read of all the NT miracles in Acts that took place after Jesus' resurrection, the men that were used by the Lord to heal folks always used "In Jesus' Name" as the means of healing.

As you look around our country with an open heard, heart and eyes, we have strayed far from the Christian roots that once grew in our country. Not trying to be depressing, just realistic  but what was legally or morally right or wrong even 30 years ago is seen as just the opposite, justice is not served the way it once was, criminals are allowed to get away with crimes, corruption is rampant, petty issues are made into mountains, folks do not respect each other in general, being of Christian faith is not respected or tolerated anymore....

I was leading a teen girls' Bible study a month ago and one of the girls asked for prayer for our world, as it seemed very messed up right now.  And that was the perception of a 13 year old!!!!   

2 Chronicles 7:14 states, "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."

In the context of this verse, the Lord Himself is speaking to King Solomon in verse 13 saying that He has heard a specific prayer Solomon made, but also that He would be serving justice on the Nation of Israel through a drought since they had turned their back on worshiping Him.   But that if the Nation of Israel ("My people") would humble themselves, pray, seek Him in their lives, turn from the sinful practices they had allowed to corrupt  the land, He would forgive their  sin and heal their land (physically and I think spiritually as well, as we see that when Jesus healed someone, he stated that they were forgiven of their sins and restored spiritually as well, just just physically.  God wants the whole person/country restored, not just to heal the physical, but ultimately the spiritual as well.)

In the context of us today as Believers in Jesus, God is calling those who are "children of God through faith in Jesus Christ" (Galatians 3:26) to make sure our lives are right with the Lord, we're walking in the light of how God's Word instructs us how to live. When we do, when can pray for our country to be healed and come back to God and our prayers 

can have the power to change the trajectory of our country.   There is still hope.....

Pray that the devot. below is a boost to your week and that the Lord would be with you in a special way. 

Devot. https://www.dayspring.com/articles/what-it-truly-means-to-love-one-another?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NEBNANP2019-05-02NationalDayofPrayerArticle&utm_term=DaySpring%20Newsletter%20%2B%20Daily%20Devotion%20List. (Read and Share.  Taken from https://www.dayspring.com/articles/)