Happy Birthday America

James 1:17 is just a reminder for us of the source of everything we have, both personally and as a nation! We hear a lot of whining and complaining in our country and we have lost our ability to be thankful as a nation! We are the most blessed nation that the world has ever known and yet we have such an ungrateful spirit! I wanted to focus this week on all of the blessings we have as a nation and as people and remember that God has blessed America well before any of us were here! God blessed us with a Christian heritage that allowed us to build a culture that is still reaping the rewards of that Christian foundation. Let’s be thankful for our blessings and don’t let anyone catch us complaining about the issues that we face as a nation that pale in comparison to the lack of food, the disease and catastrophic natural disasters that have occurred in other parts of the world! And let’s not forget the last part of the verse that reminds us of the faithfulness of God! He is the only constant in our lives and with Him there “is no variableness nor shadow of turning”.

1. Praise the Lord for America and for the freedom we enjoy every day of our lives!
2. Praise the Lord for the freedom we have to pray anywhere at any time!
3. Praise the Lord for the natural beauty of our country He has created for us to enjoy. None of us has to travel far to find some natural manifestation of Creation.
4. Praise the Lord for the ability to get to the grocery stores where we see more food in one glance than many in other countries see in their lifetime!
5. Praise and pray for the men and women in our country who are spending their time and lives spreading the Gospel over Christian radio and television!

I could go on for a long time, but I think you get the picture! We truly have much for which to be grateful and we need to give praise to God at every opportunity and show a thankful heart for all the blessings of living in America!

Prayer Requests - May 8

I am going to admit to you this evening, that at times I carry some fear for the future of our country. I am especially concerned about my grandkids growing up and what they might have to face as they walk through their lives. I am grateful for the Truth of the promises and principles in God’s Word that remind us that we are not fighting this battle on our own! Just as God reminded the Children of Israel on many occasions, “The Battle Is the Lord’s”!!! He is totally in control and we need not fear the outcomes of any of the primaries or the general election! Our part is to do what we can to be sure we are aware of the issues and then to pray! That is what this endeavor is all about! I pray that as we pray together that we will all be reminded that there are many praying with us and God WILL have His way!

1. Pray for the results of the primaries that were held this week.

2. Pray that all of us will live above the events going on around us and be able to maintain our joy.

3. Pray that God will receive the Glory as we let our lights shine in the places where we live.

4. Pray for the testimony of our God as some are saying things that bring shame on the name of God.

5. Praise that God is over all and above all and He WILL accomplish his will!

National Day of Prayer - May 1, 2008

How blessed we are to live in a country where we can celebrate a “National Day of Prayer”! And even though we probably no longer have the right to call ourselves a “Christian nation”, we still live in the best nation on the planet and we still have many rights and privileges that our brothers and sisters in other countries do not enjoy. On this special day of prayer that is actually set aside by our government, let’s redouble our efforts and let’s pray to God on behalf of the many issues that threaten our wonderful country today! Let’s pray for God to have mercy on our land because of the shame and sins we have committed as a people. Let’s ask God to preserve the foundation of our culture that was fought for and won by the many brave men and women of past generations, and let’s pray for the men and women who are in difficult places fighting TODAY to preserve our freedom!

1. Praise for the country that is ours and for the freedom we enjoy!

2. Praise for the men and women who served in the military in order to secure the freedoms we enjoy!

3. Praise for the young men and women who are serving in the armed forces today in order to maintain those liberties.

4. Praise for the freedom to worship as we choose.

5. Praise for the spoken Word that goes out each and every day across this great nation proclaiming the Truth of God’s Word! Praise for those who have given of their time and their lives to make sure that people in this country are able to hear the message.

I could go on for a long time, for you see, we ARE a very blessed people! Let’s be thankful for the great opportunities we have and share our thankfulness and joy with those around us! May everyone who knows us recognize that we are truly the people of God by showing these attributes in the midst of the things we are facing as a nation!

Prayer Requests for Thursday, April 17, 2008

Elijah prayed and it did not rain. (James 5:17) Moses prayed and fire burned up the sacrifice even though the altar had been doused with buckets of water! Hannah prayed and received the power to conceive! Time and time again, God heard and answered the prayers of His people! We serve the same powerful and faithful God Who delights in hearing the prayers of His children and He delights in answering those prayers. God is still able to “do abundantly over and above all that we could ask or think”. There are some very important events taking place on our political landscape in the next week and we need to hold our country up in prayer to the God Who answers those prayers!

1. Pray for the primary in Pennsylvania, North Carolina and other states which will be taking place next Tuesday, April 22.

2. Pray for God’s people to come out and vote and express their desires.

3. Pray that God’s people will be informed of the issues so that they can make decisions that reflect the Truth of God’s Word.

Prayer Requests for Thursday, April 10

As we approach this 2008 election and all of the issues that we face at this time in our country’s history, let us come with joy and thanksgiving, remembering that God is all He says He is and His Word is truth! There are candidates who are promising to give the “whole world” to anyone who “needs” it, but we serve the God Who has not only given us promises, but He is the One Who ALWAYS keeps His promises – every time! Lets come before Him boldly asking for His grace and mercy and trust Him to fulfill each and every one of His promises!

Here are some specific requests:
1. Pray for safety for all of the candidates as they travel back and forth across the country. One or more has not even asked for secret service protection yet, so let’s remember them!

2. Pray for John McCain as he contemplates who he should choose for his running mate.

3. Pray for Christian radio hosts as these people have opportunity to greatly affect the decisions that Christian people will be making over these next months. Pray for wisdom for them as they schedule programming. May they take their role very seriously!

Prayer Requests for Thursday, April 3,2008

It is part of God’s plan in the world for Christians to pray for those who are in authority over us. I believe this also means that we need to pray for those who aspire to be in authority over us. So today, let’s remember these specific requests:

1. Pray for President Bush as he finishes up his term. Pray for safety for him and his family.

2. Pray that righteousness will prevail among those who are running and that any deceit will be exposed and be purged from the scene.

3. Pray for the safety of all the candidates as they are out among the people and becoming vulnerable to the public.

4. Pray that God’s people will acquire great discernment to know how to respond to the things that are confronted each day.

5. Pray that we, God’s people, will maintain the source of our joy and hope and display that to a world that is caught up in confusion.

A Call To Prayer

If you have read the introduction to my blog, you know that I am a homemaker that has spent most of my life doing things that homemakers do like raising my children, ministering to my husband and family, homeschooling, church ministries, etc.. Many years ago, God impressed on me the importance of praying, first of all for my husband and family and for the Church, Christian ministries, and many other areas of life including our country, the United States of America.

Almost every day, we receive requests in the mail or by phone for money for this or that cause or politician. And like you, we are not able to give financially nearly as much as we would like. However, we do want to make a difference in the future of our country and do what we can to preserve the freedoms we have for our children and grandchildren. I believe that God has called us to prayer in order to accomplish His plan in this world. We do not understand how our prayers affect His carrying out of His will, but we do know that He has told us to pray for many specific things including our leaders. (I Timothy 2:1&2) We are sometimes guilty of thinking and sometimes even saying that “all I can do is pray”, when in reality praying is the VERY BEST thing we can do! God has once again burdened me to organize this “team” of women who will commit to pray throughout this election season. I am not asking for a commitment to me, but a commitment to our Lord that for the sake of the future of our kids and grandkids, we will “stand in the gap” (Ezekiel 22:30).

I am sure that most of you know most of the issues that are before us at this time as we face the election in November, so I won’t go through the list. I just wonder if we are all aware of the major impact some of these issues could have on the future of America. I will try not to overstate any of the consequences, but our country is at a major crossroad and we need God’s mercy in order to preserve the freedoms that we have enjoyed all of our lifetimes. It is not my intention, nor will I in the future make reference to any particular parties or to particular candidates for the purpose of criticizing anyone specifically. However, I will try to bring to our minds specific requests that need our prayer and if that implies a particular candidate, then I guess we will trust God’s Spirit to cause us to pray for whatever He brings to our minds.

I believe that God will do great things across our land if His people band together for prayer! God has given me a great burden in the area of prayer and if I can pass it along and inspire anyone else to pray that would be a great answer to my personal prayer. If you are encouraged to pray, share it with others that you know and let’s see what God will do when His people pray!

I will be posting reminders and requests and encouragements on my blog from time to time through this election time. God bless each one of you and may He be honored through our efforts to give our country the very best we can give, our time in prayer!

“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much!” James 5:16