April 19, 2024
The 2015 National Day of Prayer was May 7. Never has there been a greater need for the national day of prayer than now. The theme for this year’s day of prayer is “Lord, hear our cry.” The theme is based on I Kings 8:28: “Yet have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant and to his supplication, O Lord my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer, which thy servant prayeth before thee today.”
There is a genuine sense of urgency about this call to prayer this year. I do not believe it is too late to pray for our nation, but the day may come when God will no longer hear our prayers for this beloved land.
Newt Gingrich stated, “A country that has been relentlessly driving God out of public life in the courts since 1963 shouldn’t be surprised at all at the problems we have.”
Audrey Barrick, writing for The Christian Post, observed, “The Culture and Media Institute conducted a national survey depicting who is on what side of the cultural war and how the war is faring.”
The survey revealed that 74% believe that moral values in America are weaker than they were 20 years ago and nearly half went further to say moral values are much weaker.
Barrick added, “America no longer enjoys cultural consensus on God, religion, and what constitutes right and wrong.”
The survey indicated that fewer people believe that the Bible is God’s authoritative Word and fewer people believe they should live by God’s principles. Many indicated that they would live by their own principles even if they conflict with God’s principles.
The nation is in a moral and spiritual quagmire and many are looking for answers to our dilemma.
Sandy Munro, a voter from Michigan, stated, “Now, what we need is a strong political leader to do something to get us out of the moral slump that we’re in.”
I have been listening as aspiring presidential candidates begin courting voters and making promises of how they will restore America’s exceptionalism if they are elected in 2016. However, our hope for a brighter future is not in politics.
Our hope is in God and we need to make our appeal to Him now, lest the day come when He will no longer incline His ear toward us.
In Jeremiah’s day Jerusalem and Judah had become so wicked and immoral that God refused to hear the prayers of intercession for them. God said to Jeremiah, “Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee. Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?” (Jer. 7:16-17)
The Lord was so displeased with Judah and so determined to punish them with captivity that he ordered the prophet not to make any supplication for them.
Our hope is in God and we need to make our appeal to Him now, lest the day come when He will no longer incline His ear toward us.
So, there was a sense of urgency and emergency regarding this National Day of Prayer. We know that the ultimate answer is not in politics, education, military might, or financial resources. “God (alone) is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Ps. 46:1). Our appeal must be to Him.
David Franklin, associational missionary in Bartow Baptist Association, served as Georgia’s state coordinator for the National Day of Prayer. He explained prior to the event, “Over 41,000 National Day of Prayer gatherings will be observed across the United States. Georgia has historically been very engaged in the National Day of Prayer with many local communities having events. Everyone is encouraged to participate in his or her local church or community event.
“A special invitation is also given to everyone to come to the State National Day of Prayer event at noon on the south wing stairs of the Capitol. The focus of this year’s NDoP is education.
“Each year the prayer focus is on one of the seven spheres of influence in American life: government, business, education, religion, media, arts and entertainment, and the family.
“We hope everyone will take Thursday, May 7 as a day to truly cry out to God and ask Him to help us in our local communities, our state, and across the nation.”
The honorary chairman of the National Day of Prayer was Dr. Jack Graham, pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, TX and former president of the Southern Baptist Convention. He offered the following National Prayer for 2015:
“Heavenly Father, We come to You in the Name that is above every name – Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Our hearts cry out to You.
“Knowing that You are a prayer-answering, faithful God – the One we trust in times like these – we ask that You renew our spirits, revive our churches, and heal our land.
“We repent of our sins and ask for Your grace and power to save us. Hear our cry, oh God, and pour out Your Spirit upon us that we may walk in obedience to Your Word. We are desperate for Your tender mercies. We are broken and humbled before You.
“Forgive us, and in the power of Your great love, lift us up to live in Your righteousness. We pray for our beloved nation. May we repent and return to You and be a light to the nations. And we pray for our leaders and ask that You give them wisdom and faith to follow You.
“Preserve and protect us, for You are our refuge and only hope. Deliver us from all fears except to fear You, and may we courageously stand in the Truth that sets us free.
“We pray with expectant faith and grateful hearts. In Jesus’ name, our Savior. Amen.”
