It’s the time of year still that you have to keep an eye on the weather. I’m a fan of Doppler radar, and of smart phone technology. I have an app now that tells me how many minutes it will be before it starts to rain where I’m at, and then it tells me how long the rain will last. So, the next time there’s severe weather, wherever I am, I can watch it, and the weather experts can tell me all about it.
Still, there’s one thing they haven’t been able to do: change it. You can trace the weather, predict it, chase it, photograph it and warn people about it, but the fact is when there’s a tornado in the area, the most we can do is hide from it and then clean up after it. We can’t change it. We can’t stop it. We can only watch it happen and then react after it’s gone.
There’s another storm coming. You can watch it – on your computer, your TV, your smart phone. Have you been watching it? I’m all in favor of being positive, and I have a very positive message to focus on today, but the tide of our nation is changing, and it’s largely becoming something most of us don’t want. Individual freedoms are being taken away. The very ideals upon which our nation was founded are being forgotten, denied, or hidden away. Even our President, a few years ago, openly denied that the United States is a nation resting on Christian principles. There’s a rise in crime associated with the pressure on police. Internationally, there’s growing conflict in the Middle East and a growing, hateful enemy that calls itself the Islamic State that seems bent on world chaos. There’s a storm on the radar, and it’s headed this way.
What do we do about the coming storm?
Is the tide of the nation like a storm cell – we can trace it, chase it, predict it, run from it, photograph it, wonder at it, hide from it, and even clean up after it – but we can’t do a thing to change it? Really?
E.M. Bounds was a man of prayer who placed himself at the front lines of revival and change in the US. Bounds said:
“Prayer concerns God, whose purposes and plans are conditioned on prayer. His will and His glory are bound up in praying…When the church is in the condition of prayer, God’s cause always flourishes, and His kingdom on earth always triumphs. When the church fails to pray, God’s cause decays, and evil of every kind prevails.”
I want to be a part of God’s cause flourishing and triumphing. How about you?
Whoever you are, you need to know that when you came here this morning, you set foot in the House of God – not a temple in Jerusalem, and not a building at 6595 Guilford Road, but a spiritual part of God’s House – His Church – His people where His Spirit lives. By sitting with this group of people, you are sitting in the House of God. Amen? God said in Isaiah 56:7 “My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.” Jesus reemphasized that, when He threw the money changers and salespeople out of the Temple. God’s House – which today is made up of you and me – is declared by him to be a house of prayer. Are we?
Our nation needs us to pray for it.
Why must we pray? I’m glad you asked that! I want to point out a few reasons we must, and then put it into practice even before we’re out the doors today…
1. God Commands It
The simplest answer when questioning the why of something is this one. Because God says so. That’s somewhere above “because Mom said so,” and even more final in its nature!
We must be praying because it’s commanded.
God assumes this of His people…
(When you pray… Matthew 6:5,6,7
Pray then like this… Matthew 6:9
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. Luke 18:1
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Colossians 4:2
Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17)
Not only did Jesus assume His followers would pray – he set the example during the short term of his stay on earth, and then He commanded it through the authors of the NT. Whether we understand it or not, whether we even know what to say or not, we’re commanded to pray.
More specifically, we’re commanded to pray for the nation where we live
1 Timothy 2:1-3 (HCSB)
First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good, and it pleases God our Savior,
We could just stop there and say that should be enough motivation for us to pray as we should, but the Scriptures present us with several other reasons we must be a people of prayer:
2. It’s A Major Weapon In Our Spiritual Warfare
Some would like us to just completely give up nuclear weapons. The problem is our enemies won’t. We’d be foolish to lay aside a major weapon when there are real threats who will do us great harm, given the opportunity.
There is an enemy to the Kingdom of God who would love for us to hand over whatever helps we have against him. He’s waiting to find each one of us in our weakest place so that he can do the greatest damage. I’d love to stand here this morning and say, “Well, the fight has let up so we can all let down our guard a little bit,” but I can’t do that. Because…
God’s kingdom is always being opposed.
1 Corinthians 16:8-9 (NASB)
But I will remain in Ephesus until Pentecost; for a wide door for effective service has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.
Paul told Timothy that all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. Peter tells his readers not to be shocked by the fiery ordeal they were facing. Why? Because the Church is engaged in a conflict. The Church was started by a great spiritual conquest won on the cross, it will grow by aggressive love, and the gates of Hades will not be able to withstand its attack.
Now, when we talk about this conflict, it’s challenging to remember that we wage that war with the most unearthly, unconventional means – prayer for instance.
Remember what Jesus said when He taught the disciples to pray? “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” When you talk to God regularly, daily, about your interest in His Kingdom, when you’re watching for His reign in peoples’ lives to increase, you’ll find it’s easier not to get bogged down in the junk of the world.
Prayer is a vital factor in the spiritual war – a part of the armor of God
Ephesians 6:18 (HCSB) With every prayer and request, pray at all times in the Spirit, and stay alert in this, with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.
We must be a household of prayer because we are a people at war – not in the Middle East – but in the Heavenly realms, “for though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” Don’t tell me, “I’m a lover, not a fighter!” If you love people, you’re engaged in this fight, because where people spend forever is being determined right now – right here!
Prayer is one of our major weapons.
3. Time and Circumstances Prompt Us To It
Try to guess during what seasons in life I usually pray the most. What do you think? Do you think it’s when things are going well? When life is easy squeezy lemon pleasy? Nope. Confession time. The times in life that I’ve prayed the most sincerely, the most frequently, and with the greatest focus have been the times when life was challenging – when there was a death, a serious illness, betrayal by friends, financial hardship, or other experiences that, yes, I’ve had in my life too.
It’s an ironic kind of motivation, but it works. When we get knocked down low enough, we have more of a tendency to look up. When we feel weakest, we have a tendency to seek more help. When we’re facing a test, we spend more time talking with the Teacher.
Early on, the Church entered into prayer because the early believers found themselves in need.
Acts 4, when Peter and John are arrested and threatened by the Jewish Council, they get together with their people and pray. In Acts 12, when Peter was put in jail to be the next one executed, the church was praying. Paul was put in prison and told the Philippians, “I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance.”(Phil. 1:19)
I mentioned in the beginning that there’s a shift taking place in our nation. Pressure is coming up against people who wear the name of Jesus. God already said that hard times would come upon us. We should be more surprised if they don’t.
1 Timothy 4:1 (NIV) The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.
1 Timothy 3:1 In the last days, difficult times will come.
OK, so, what’s it moving you to do?
There’s no shame in having hard times move us to more fervent, focused prayer. The shame would be that we fail to pray.
Look around you! Church, we must pray!
4. The Example Of Godly People Encourages It
I have limited time this morning. There are many examples in the Bible of the way prayer figured into the lives of God’s best people. There are a couple of examples that stand out to me: One is Daniel…
Daniel 9:5-7 (NIV) we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. 7 "Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame--the men of Judah and people of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you.
The other is Nehemiah…
Nehemiah 1:5-7 (NIV) Then I said: "O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father's house, have committed against you. 7 We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.
For some reason, God preserved many of the prayers of godly people for us to read. He preserved the stories of how they prayed, and how they depended on God and acted like it.
Before we leave today, I’m going to ask us all to follow the example of godly men and women with prayers like these before the Lord. “Why?” you ask. Because we must pray!
5. The Future Is Affected By It.
The idea that we’re somehow going to persuade God or change His mind just doesn’t fit with our understanding of God. Translation: prayer doesn’t really change anything, does it? Why pray if, really, it doesn’t change anything? As you ask that question, I ask you to consider how many Bible events were shaped by prayer:
• Job’s friends were spared (Job)
• Israel was freed from Egypt
• Israel was spared when they rebelled against God at Sinai (Moses)
• Miriam was healed (Moses)
• Hannah prayed, and God blessed her with a son named Samuel
• David prayed, and God forgave his sin
• Elijah prayed about the weather. There was a drought, then there was rain again.
• King Hezekiah was given 15 more years of life
• Jehoshaphat prayed and Israel was spared (2 Chron 20)
• Daniel prayed and was delivered from lions
• Esther and the nation of Israel prayed, and they were delivered from annihilation
• Saul of Tarsus prayed, and God sent him Ananias to help him become a Christian
• Cornelius prayed and God sent Peter to teach him the gospel
Any person who accepts the Scriptures can’t say that prayer doesn’t shape the future, whether you understand how or not.
Here’s a question: if these things are what happened because of prayer 6,000 years ago, 2,000 years ago, what about now?
I’m of the conviction that prayer 239 years ago and 71 years ago yesterday had a lot to do with the nation where we live today. I’m of the conviction that prayer over 160 years ago had a lot to do with the church congregation where you sit today. The same God, Who never changes, is the God we approach in prayer today. Why would we think that the future is any less affected by our prayers now...unless it’s because they’re non-existent, or just empty of belief? God has brought us into a partnership with His work. It’s like Him to make part of what He does dependent on His people. He has been doing that since He created us, and He’s doing it now.
James said in James 4:2-3 You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.
I don’t have to explain why God tells us to pray, nor exactly how it affects the future when God already knows the whole future. I’m just going to be simple and say what God says is true. The future will be affected by our prayers…or our lack of prayer. You do believe this, don’t you?
6. Nations Can Be Preserved Through It.
More than once, Israel faced a crisis, and prayer is what changed it. Jehoshaphat and the Hebrew people prayed that God would save them from the Moabites and Ammonites, and He did. Queen Esther and the Hebrew people prayed for deliverance to come for them, and it did.
God even told them that if they rebelled and messed up things royally, but then they sought Him, would humble themselves, turn from their wicked ways, and pray, He would hear, forgive them, and heal their land.
One of the more touching depictions of our nation’s shaky beginning is of George Washington at Valley Forge, who reportedly was seen off by himself, off his horse, asking the Lord’s help as the early colonists sought to be free.
Right now, our Supreme Court is debating a decision that’s going to affect our nation immensely. Christian people ought to be speaking about it. We ought to be standing for the truth as we reach out with love to people who are getting so lost and confused in the issues of marriage and sexuality that are flooding the media. We ought to be telling them that our real identity starts with what God made us to be, and that our worth and purpose is found only in Him. We ought to be telling them the good news that they are of great worth in the eyes of God, and that the place they belong is in God’s family, made new by Jesus Christ. How much good could be done if someone godly could come alongside people like Bruce Jenner and tell him that good news instead of the confusion and pooling of opinions that’s happening?
Israel had abandoned God. As a result, God turned the nation over to their enemies. They were exiled to Babylon, and there they lived as aliens, in the cities of those who destroyed their homes. If that was you, you wouldn’t have much love for a country like that, would you? I wonder if they liked their president?!
Here’s what God told His people to do during their stay in the nation of Babylon…
Jeremiah 29:7 (NASB)
Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare.
I’m simply saying: if this is how Israel was supposed to pray for the evil nation that had conquered and destroyed them, how much more should we pray for the welfare of the nation that is our own, that has given us peace and prosperity, that was founded in Christian ideals and principles?
Go ahead and point out the flaws of this nation…anyone can do that. Go ahead and say it’s not what it used to be and that you don’t like the direction that it’s headed. OK. What will you do about it? What will make it better? How will you spend the priceless liberty?
My simple hope for this message is: that we pray, confidently, fervently, for our nation, and that we would begin by praying right now, on our knees, for the healing of our nation.
So I want to ask you to do this now, just for a few minutes today.
• To get on your knees, where you are, if you are able to do so. (you may need someone to help you get back up! That’s OK!)
• To thank God for the way He has blessed us here and now with this great nation
• To follow the example of Daniel and Nehemiah and others, by personally owning and confessing the sins of our nation, and asking Him to forgive our sin as a people
• To ask the Lord to help our nation’s leaders
• To ask Him to heal our land
If you want to accept Jesus today and be a part of the Church that is His House of Prayer for all people, then we want you to make that choice freely today. If that’s you, then come forward today as we start to pray. Otherwise, where you are, on your knees, let’s pray, and then, when you finish, just leave quietly.
(Time of prayer)
