So, you might ask, what exactly are we asking God to do when, while focusing on the eternal (I'll explain in the 2nd half how to balance eternal vs. now), we ask Him to come heal our land?
That's a good question. We first want to pray for God's
will to be done, and His main interest is in seeing that others call on
Jesus Christ for salvation. He desires a personal relationship with each
of us. He loves us even though we are all sinners, we consistently fall
short of His mark of perfection, and so taking the punishment for our
sin was necessary to reconcile us to Himself.
He wants each of us to be with Him forever in His perfect Heaven, where there is no pain, no suffering, etc.(Rev.21:3-5) Nobody has seen, heard, or even imagined the wonders that await us.(1 Cor.2:9)
So, it's far better than the best country people could make, and thus we must keep our focus on our Heavenly home while still praying for our own country. At the end of this post, I share how with what was a special post but - since this blog is about how to pray for America - seemed best as part of this post.
He wants each of us to be with Him forever in His perfect Heaven, where there is no pain, no suffering, etc.(Rev.21:3-5) Nobody has seen, heard, or even imagined the wonders that await us.(1 Cor.2:9)
So, it's far better than the best country people could make, and thus we must keep our focus on our Heavenly home while still praying for our own country. At the end of this post, I share how with what was a special post but - since this blog is about how to pray for America - seemed best as part of this post.
It should be apparent from earlier posts on
repentance that He is most interested in changing us so we can be
Christlike examples and therefore win others to Him. Each of us may be
the only Bible someone will read, through our actions and attitude.
There are easy illustrations to use to answer questions about hypocrites, etc.. For instance, these. One might say just because I say I am The King of Norway and
do lots of mean stuff it doesn't mean the real king of Norway is like
that. Or, one might say that just because a person goes around
pretending they have a dog, walking an imaginary dog, and talking like
they have a dog even though it's clear they don't, dogs still exist.
That person might not have a dog, but other people can. And that
person's pretending to have a dog would not make you enjoy dogs any
less. There are doubtlessly many other good examples to use.
However, they should see a difference in us and not
have to rely on someone explaining the people who just pretend. People
need to see genuine believers, genuine love and compassion and humility
and making things right when we mess up, not just complaints about
others. This is why I emphasized personal repentance first so much.
So, after that and praying for souls to be saved - getting specific as we can - then what?
Remember that each believer has the Holy Spirit living in
them. The Body of Christ is to be united through the Spirit. The Church, then, should be an organism. However, just as there must be repentance revival among the
body - that is, each of us - there must also be a sense in churches that they need to return to the Lord.
If the Spirit is not quenched - and the above guide is to prevent that - the Spirit can teach what to pray, just in the ambulance example from one post. He doesn't speak as much as He guides, though He can be heard in a still, small voice at times. It was more a persistent guiding that led me to start this blog and a Twitter account. I didn't know where it would lead, I simply followed the Lord as he led. So, clearly the Holy Spirit plays a big part here.
If the Spirit is not quenched - and the above guide is to prevent that - the Spirit can teach what to pray, just in the ambulance example from one post. He doesn't speak as much as He guides, though He can be heard in a still, small voice at times. It was more a persistent guiding that led me to start this blog and a Twitter account. I didn't know where it would lead, I simply followed the Lord as he led. So, clearly the Holy Spirit plays a big part here.
We need to pray that peoples' hearts would be changed
first, because some things come because people forget there is an
absolute right and wrong which God created for the world to function; just like a lawn mower is built to cut lawns and you'd never use it to trip branches off a tree for obvious reasons. People have made some things to seem like they belong in
that class even though they don't, to please their own desires. For instance, there are no racial distinctions - we are all one race, the human race, and one group of people should never be placed above another. But,
that doesn't mean there is no right and wrong. It just means we must
trust God's Word and not that of selfish, sinful man.
Hence, the Church must be friendly. It is vital that the acts of the Pharisees never be repeated. People must feel as if they are welcomed, no matter who they are, and no matter what they have done. If a person is willing to look into Jesus Christ, and to a change on the inside, which is what repentance is, then they will be willing to change from any sinful ways. Of course, such people must be kept out of leadership positions until they demonstrate that they have changed from, for instance, alcoholism. But, this is in keeping with any organization. You don't join any company and suddenly become the president or CEO. First, there is a period of discipleship. This is why Jesus says to teach them, not just win them to Him. Indeed, this should be the strongest rebuke of is there a Pharisee mindset because Jesus was most critical of the Pharisees.
Hence, the Church must be friendly. It is vital that the acts of the Pharisees never be repeated. People must feel as if they are welcomed, no matter who they are, and no matter what they have done. If a person is willing to look into Jesus Christ, and to a change on the inside, which is what repentance is, then they will be willing to change from any sinful ways. Of course, such people must be kept out of leadership positions until they demonstrate that they have changed from, for instance, alcoholism. But, this is in keeping with any organization. You don't join any company and suddenly become the president or CEO. First, there is a period of discipleship. This is why Jesus says to teach them, not just win them to Him. Indeed, this should be the strongest rebuke of is there a Pharisee mindset because Jesus was most critical of the Pharisees.
When God heals a nation, that means that His Holy Spirit
comes and works in hearts. The Holy Spirit's primary function is to live
in and guide believers to become more Christ like. However, it serves
to convict the world of sin as well, as we see in John chapter 16.
This is because the Church must be Christlike. That, of course, is why so much emphasis has been placed on
repentance. That starts with individual believers uniting to change the body of the Church, if necessary starting home churches which, of course, are doctrinally sound in the crucial areas - Jesus Christ, God in flesh, 100% man and 100% God, dying to take the punishment for one's sins and rising from the dead, and salvation being by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, & that calling on Him with a repentant heart to forgive and save the individual is all that's needed to save them.
Too often, we have
focused so much on watering things down that we have forgotten it is
Jesus Christ who saves sinners, and not we ourselves who does the work. While the ultimate focus must be on Jesus, programs help if the programs are Christ-honoring. This means staying away from the emergent church. We
must not work to simply get them in church. We must disciple people to have
that relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Because, we must not just
promote a religion. We are called to present the Gospel so that people
can be born again and have a vibrant relationship. Jesus promises in
John 10:10
to give life and life more abundantly, and it is that more abundant
life we can only have if we have eternal life. Eternal life starts the
moment one trusts Jesus Christ as their Savior.
What else can the church do?
One reason churches don't preach God's Word is because there are counterfeit Bibles. Just a few examples show that there are
problems when one gets away from the one Bible which uses the original
Antioch texts. Whole books have been written exposing these problems.
And, they don't even get into some of the other versions, because
logically it would be confusing to continue to keep flipping back and
forth between 200 versions which all come from the Alexandrian family of
tests yet are all different. This version is not archaic and is very understandable, more so than the modern ones.
The church must also stay away from false teaching. An earlier post discussed how Islam and Christianity are not compatible.
The god of Islam is not love, whereas God is love in the Bible.
That is one of many examples. However, that comparison is
also one of a number of problems that churches face. There are many
people in churches who don't realize how deep they are in the world's
system, a system which ignores God and pledges allegiance to false gods.
These false gods can be money or fame for instance, or even literal
false gods.
We are called to be in the world but not of it. That means
not acting like the world or having the rude and vulgar vocabulary of
the world.
Also, young people should be encouraged to start prayer and devotion clubs in the public schools where they are actively presenting the Gospel themselves. They are perfectly allowed by Federal law if other clubs are in the school. They must simply be totally student-initiated and student-led. And, young members can disciple others in other ways, too, being great is something God calls you when you are totally devoted to Him and let Him do the leading no matter what. takethespirituallead.blogspot.com has a lot about that.
So, we can pray our country and states 'll pass laws to
protect people and also to give people the freedom God wants us to
have. Remember, God values freedom because it's better to love Him
because we want to, not because we have to. However, taht can't happen till hearts are changed, that means us as believers and then others coming to Christ as they see a change in the body of Christ.
As noted, though, we must keep our minds focused on our eternal home in Heaven.For where our treasure is, there will our hearts be also(Mat.6:21), and it is far better to have our hearts on thigns that will last fever.
As noted, though, we must keep our minds focused on our eternal home in Heaven.For where our treasure is, there will our hearts be also(Mat.6:21), and it is far better to have our hearts on thigns that will last fever.
I'm sorry this is longer than I'd planned, but I
wanted to close by saying how we can balance our focus on eternal
rewards and love for our country This is a retelling of a Memorial Day
post that, at the
risk of sounding like a poor attempt at one of Paul Harvey's
commentaries, is a modern day parable if you will.
You are on a flight. A flight to the most awesome,
wonderful place you could imagine. You are going there to live, and all
that you want or need will be there with you when you get there. So you
have no luggage. In fact, you didn't even have to buy a ticket because
you were given a free one. All you had to do was receive it and trust
that it would pay in full your way there.
However, it's not a direct flight. You have a layover in a
certain city and you don't know when the flight to your final
destination will take off, so you.are put up in a motel. The way our
weather was this past winter with record snows and many storms and delays there might be
quite a few people who are familiar with this.
Now,
you're put up in this motel, just like the other passengers. To you,
it's just like home, but it's nothing like where you are going. In
fact, you notice right away there is lots of poverty and in fact outright oppression
in certain areas. You find that parts of it remind you of home, and you
have your ideas for how solve the problems, but at the same tiime, the
stark contrasts between this and your final destination bother you.
Indeed, not everyone on the flight is staying at the same motel. Some
are put up in 5-star rooms where
Presidents have stayed, others are put up in places that make Motel 6
look like the Ritz-Carlton; they don't even leave a light on and you
wonder if each room comes with its own outhouse. Or worse, they'll have
to share. The accommodations seem to be given out at random, but while
some think the airline has flipped, they are reassured by others that
what matters is that everyone will have the best accomodations in their
new home.
And
yet, despite the disparity, there is abundant beauty in this city. It
has brilliant, majestic scenery of every type imaginable, and the
splendor is such that you sort of wish you could stay. In fact, there
are some people who claim that it's just as good as where your
connecting flight will take you, though you know from your flight
brochure that's not possible, that where you're headed will be far
lovelier.
As
if the scenic beauty of your layover isn't breathtaking enough, you
start to see evidence of something even greater. Freedom. So many in
your layover city are celebrating as you go to your motels. They laugh
and have fun and play andwork in so many different ways; their only
problem is that many don't realize that this city you have arrived at is
not their final destination. In fact, some seem completely oblivious to
the fact ou have a flight someplace else, and refuse to believe it
possible. Others see you as Joe Tourist and sort of mock your ways.
Still, there are some who might be willing to accept and put their trust in the free tickets you are willing to give them, tickets which are God's, not yours, but which He has let you give our to any who will take them. It really mystifies you when some people insist they want to pay for a ticket themsleves.
But, despite the peculiarity of some of the people on your layover, you leave the motel you were placed in and explore the area, since you've nothing better to do till your flight leaves. There are some parts you won't enter because of your love for the One who paid for your free ticket Himself with His own purchase price - and for that you may be ridiculed by some. But, overall, as you explore, you find the people and the community events very lively and fun. In fact, if you weren't going to your final new home, it might not seem like a bad place to settle down. It's a nice place to take a vacation, anyway, even if it doesn't have all the comforts of your new home.
Speaking of community events, you realize that you have really lucked out. There is a great big festival tomorrow, and your plane won't be taking off till after its over. you would certainly rather attend the festival than sit and mope in your motel room, so you make plans to attend.
At that festival, you discover that it's a celebration of freedom; freedom just like you were given by the purchaser of your free ticket to your new home. The buyer of your ticket values freedom, in fact. he loves the notion as much as anyone there; in fact, there were many, early in the history of this city, who revered the One who bought your ticket because of that freedom. They weren't all headed for your final destination, but the concept of freedom was a lofty ideal for them, which they fought for.
At this festival you also see braves men and women who have fought for that freedom even now. You learn of powerful, dark forces which have tried to capture the city, to conquer it, to hold it hostage through fear and terror. But, these braves men and women would not let it be conquered. They gave everything they had in order to ensure that others would be able to enjoy that freedom. Even those who used the freedom to oppress.
Of course, you know that the One who bought your ticket with His own currency, the only currency which would buy that ticket, hates oppression. It grieves the Purchaser of your free ticket in fact, so He made sure there would be no oppression ijn your new home. And, he has promised to have in derision those who use their freedom for evil purposes; you read that in your flight brochure. But, while you are on that layover, you wonder, what can be done? The ones who oppress seem to be greater and greater in fnumber, because the bitterness they arouse causes the oppressed to sometimes wish to be the oppressors.
the only way is to change those oppressors' hearts. They may not listen to you, but maybe they will. However, to truly change their hearts, the oppressor and oppressed each need to meet and get to know personally the One who bought your ticket. Just like you did when he gave you that free ticket to your new home. Then, He will teach them not to oppress but to love and forgive.
In the meantime, you recognize that the great freedom which is celebrated by where you have your layover truly is something joyful. Despite the oppression, it is a wonderful place, because the freedom to do so much else is there as well. No, they don't always honor the One who gave them that freedom, or the ones who died to protect them from those who would conquer them and take away that freedom. However, freedom is something you know the One you love, the One who gave you that free ticket, cherishes.
And, so, while on your layover, you enjoy that festival celebrating freedom. But, at the same time, you go to it with a mind that while it is a wonderful place to visit, and you know you will have a good time, eventually you will be going somewhere even better. And, in the meantime, you try to help others in that city to know personally the One who gave you that free ticket, so they, too, can go to that new home. Indeed, you may even see the dangers of conquest and choose to give all that you have to defend that freedom, because you cherish it so much. And, because you know that even if you have to give up everything defending their freedom, in the end, you have that free ticket to your new home already purchased.
American freedom has been purchased with a price - the blood, toil, ears, and sweat of people from the War of Independence to the present. And, Jesus Christ bought our freedom with the purchase price of His own blood(Acts 20:28), so we who who were in bondage to sin can be made free. His gift is free to all who call upon Him for forgiveness of their sins. he gives each person a free ticket to Heaven and only requires that they receive it instead of trying to pay their own way there.
While here on Earth, we have a layover; we don't know how long it will be, it'll be different for each of us till the Rapture of the Church when all go together. But, in the meantime, we ust let Jesus Christ continue to mold us to being more like Him in His love, mercy, kindness, etc., while keeping our own individual personalities. He is working to change each believer on the inside. And, while on this layover, we must also be telling others there is that free ticket available for them if they will only call on Jesus and receive it by faith. there might even be someone reading now who feels the Spirit prompting them to pray a single, sincere prayer of repentance for their sins, trusting that Jesus Christ, God in flesh, died for their sins and rose fromt he dead and inviting Him into their heart to save them as they turn from their sins and turn to Him.
Also while on this layover, most reading this are in a land, America, which has great freedom. (Those who are in other nations can of course use this illustration in their own way, the crucial part is, make sure you know you are going to God's perfect Heaven where there will be no pain, no suffering, no death, etc.) That freedom has been tried and tested, used and misused, fought over, trampled down and held back up again as a shining beacon in a dark world. It is not the shining beacon that heaven is, but it has appeared as such when compared to the rest of the world many times.
So, when praing for America, and remembering those who gave their lives this Memorial Day, remember that America, like God, provides freedom, something that is special - or should be - for all people. it is a wonderful example and should be celebrated as that wonderful example. Its freedom is to be applauded and we should work to improve the lot of those who are in our country - and the world.
However, just as in that illustration you were merely enjoying that festival on a layover till your flight to a joyous new home celebrate America and work for the betterment of it keeping in mind that our minds should be fixed on what lies ahead, that flight out, and on making sure we are the kinds of shining examples of love who can be believed when we share with others the love of Jesus Christ and the freedom he gives from sin. He frees us from the Penalty of sin through His death on the cross. Once a person trusts Him as Saviour. He frees them from the Power of sin by letting them draw closer to Him and guiding them to be more Christlike. And, one day, he will free us from the very Presence of sin.
Still, there are some who might be willing to accept and put their trust in the free tickets you are willing to give them, tickets which are God's, not yours, but which He has let you give our to any who will take them. It really mystifies you when some people insist they want to pay for a ticket themsleves.
But, despite the peculiarity of some of the people on your layover, you leave the motel you were placed in and explore the area, since you've nothing better to do till your flight leaves. There are some parts you won't enter because of your love for the One who paid for your free ticket Himself with His own purchase price - and for that you may be ridiculed by some. But, overall, as you explore, you find the people and the community events very lively and fun. In fact, if you weren't going to your final new home, it might not seem like a bad place to settle down. It's a nice place to take a vacation, anyway, even if it doesn't have all the comforts of your new home.
Speaking of community events, you realize that you have really lucked out. There is a great big festival tomorrow, and your plane won't be taking off till after its over. you would certainly rather attend the festival than sit and mope in your motel room, so you make plans to attend.
At that festival, you discover that it's a celebration of freedom; freedom just like you were given by the purchaser of your free ticket to your new home. The buyer of your ticket values freedom, in fact. he loves the notion as much as anyone there; in fact, there were many, early in the history of this city, who revered the One who bought your ticket because of that freedom. They weren't all headed for your final destination, but the concept of freedom was a lofty ideal for them, which they fought for.
At this festival you also see braves men and women who have fought for that freedom even now. You learn of powerful, dark forces which have tried to capture the city, to conquer it, to hold it hostage through fear and terror. But, these braves men and women would not let it be conquered. They gave everything they had in order to ensure that others would be able to enjoy that freedom. Even those who used the freedom to oppress.
Of course, you know that the One who bought your ticket with His own currency, the only currency which would buy that ticket, hates oppression. It grieves the Purchaser of your free ticket in fact, so He made sure there would be no oppression ijn your new home. And, he has promised to have in derision those who use their freedom for evil purposes; you read that in your flight brochure. But, while you are on that layover, you wonder, what can be done? The ones who oppress seem to be greater and greater in fnumber, because the bitterness they arouse causes the oppressed to sometimes wish to be the oppressors.
the only way is to change those oppressors' hearts. They may not listen to you, but maybe they will. However, to truly change their hearts, the oppressor and oppressed each need to meet and get to know personally the One who bought your ticket. Just like you did when he gave you that free ticket to your new home. Then, He will teach them not to oppress but to love and forgive.
In the meantime, you recognize that the great freedom which is celebrated by where you have your layover truly is something joyful. Despite the oppression, it is a wonderful place, because the freedom to do so much else is there as well. No, they don't always honor the One who gave them that freedom, or the ones who died to protect them from those who would conquer them and take away that freedom. However, freedom is something you know the One you love, the One who gave you that free ticket, cherishes.
And, so, while on your layover, you enjoy that festival celebrating freedom. But, at the same time, you go to it with a mind that while it is a wonderful place to visit, and you know you will have a good time, eventually you will be going somewhere even better. And, in the meantime, you try to help others in that city to know personally the One who gave you that free ticket, so they, too, can go to that new home. Indeed, you may even see the dangers of conquest and choose to give all that you have to defend that freedom, because you cherish it so much. And, because you know that even if you have to give up everything defending their freedom, in the end, you have that free ticket to your new home already purchased.
American freedom has been purchased with a price - the blood, toil, ears, and sweat of people from the War of Independence to the present. And, Jesus Christ bought our freedom with the purchase price of His own blood(Acts 20:28), so we who who were in bondage to sin can be made free. His gift is free to all who call upon Him for forgiveness of their sins. he gives each person a free ticket to Heaven and only requires that they receive it instead of trying to pay their own way there.
While here on Earth, we have a layover; we don't know how long it will be, it'll be different for each of us till the Rapture of the Church when all go together. But, in the meantime, we ust let Jesus Christ continue to mold us to being more like Him in His love, mercy, kindness, etc., while keeping our own individual personalities. He is working to change each believer on the inside. And, while on this layover, we must also be telling others there is that free ticket available for them if they will only call on Jesus and receive it by faith. there might even be someone reading now who feels the Spirit prompting them to pray a single, sincere prayer of repentance for their sins, trusting that Jesus Christ, God in flesh, died for their sins and rose fromt he dead and inviting Him into their heart to save them as they turn from their sins and turn to Him.
Also while on this layover, most reading this are in a land, America, which has great freedom. (Those who are in other nations can of course use this illustration in their own way, the crucial part is, make sure you know you are going to God's perfect Heaven where there will be no pain, no suffering, no death, etc.) That freedom has been tried and tested, used and misused, fought over, trampled down and held back up again as a shining beacon in a dark world. It is not the shining beacon that heaven is, but it has appeared as such when compared to the rest of the world many times.
So, when praing for America, and remembering those who gave their lives this Memorial Day, remember that America, like God, provides freedom, something that is special - or should be - for all people. it is a wonderful example and should be celebrated as that wonderful example. Its freedom is to be applauded and we should work to improve the lot of those who are in our country - and the world.
However, just as in that illustration you were merely enjoying that festival on a layover till your flight to a joyous new home celebrate America and work for the betterment of it keeping in mind that our minds should be fixed on what lies ahead, that flight out, and on making sure we are the kinds of shining examples of love who can be believed when we share with others the love of Jesus Christ and the freedom he gives from sin. He frees us from the Penalty of sin through His death on the cross. Once a person trusts Him as Saviour. He frees them from the Power of sin by letting them draw closer to Him and guiding them to be more Christlike. And, one day, he will free us from the very Presence of sin.
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