“Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the Lord, they have despised the Holy One…they are utterly estranged. Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom! Give ear to the teaching of our God you people of Gomorrah! When you come to appear before me, who has required of you this trampling of my courts? When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood.
Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil,…If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land.” (Isaiah 1: 4,10,12,15-17a, 19)
The Bible tells us that calling evil good and good evil will bring disaster on those who do it (Isa. 5:20, Rom. 1:18-32) and we see that reversal in abundance today. But God’s people have been in this place before and we must humble ourselves and pray and intercede for this generation as they know not what they do.
Come now – let us gather before the Lord and pray and seek His face and repent (II Chronicles 7:14).
In our current culture, we are constantly bombarded by messages of tolerance for every viewpoint and behavior, no matter what it is. As we are confronted with the demands of tolerance, a cycle begins. We initially cry out to God in desperation; then, as we experience a series of defeats, weariness may set in, and finally, resignation. While we are tempted to give up the prayer battle, we must look to our Lord for help, examining our hearts to stay focused on God’s viewpoint as reflected in Scripture. Note this warning:
“Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Things that make people fall into sin are bound to happen, but how terrible for the one who makes them happen! It would be better for him if a large millstone were tied around his neck and he were thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. So watch what you do!’” (Luke 17:1-3 GNT)
When it comes to prayer and intercession, this is a critical passage. It is God who defines what sin is. On moral issues, His Word presents the correct viewpoint. Just because something is popular doesn’t make it right, and just because the courts rule in a particular way, doesn’t mean the judges’ decisions are right. As we struggle with the cycles that tolerance creates, we must remember to persist in our intercessory calling. Prayer is always the correct first response. Keep reading this article >>
History of Prayer in America By William Federer
Days of Prayer have a long history in America.
The same week Congress passed the Bill of Rights, President George Washington declared, October 3, 1789: “It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the Providence of Almighty God, to obey His will…and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me ‘to recommend to the People of the United States a Day of Public Thanksgiving and Prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness’…
“I do recommend…the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the People of these United States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; That we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks…for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted, for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed… Humbly offering our prayers…to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations, and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions.”
You are invited to join with intercessors from around the world in Colorado Springs, Colorado, for the Prayer and Leadership Summit, October 16-18, 2015. Discounted registration is available (for a limited time) and includes 5 meals and transportation! Learn tomobilize people to intercession as you gain a deeper understanding of prayer with like-minded believers.
