A Call to Repentance - 16

Prayer!

America's Strength & Shield

"The Lord is my strength and shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped." (Psalm 28:7)

Be a part of building a Prayer Blanket providing Strength and a Shield over our Nation!!

INTRODUCTION TO WEEK SIXTEEN

Ideas for Prayer in a Time of Turmoil and Transition

This week, we continue to press in during WEEK SIXTEEN of our 40 Weeks of Prayer and Fasting, to honor this week when America observes the National Day of Prayer.

In alignment with the prayer recommendations released by the National Task Force of the National Day of Prayer, we offer tihs week a prayer focus on the 3 Institutions created by God and vital to our Nation:

1. Our families

2. Our churches

3. Our governmental leaders

Next week we will conclude our NDP Prayer Focus, praying for 4 Institutions our Forefathers developed to serve our Nation:

1. Our military

2. Our educational systems

3. Our businesses and

4. Media

Praying for our Families

This week . . . pray for Strength for the security and future of our American Families, marriages, and children, with A Shield against the forces seeking to destroy this fundamental institution of God.

No institution in the culture is facing more intense persecution than the family. Not only are the incidences of divorce, infidelity and abuse on the rise, but social engineers are relentless in their efforts to dismantle the traditional family.

Pray that mothers and fathers will take their place in the home and care for their children.

Pray for:

- Wisdom for parents in raising their children
- Children who are victims of divorce
- Domestic violence
- Unity among families
- Protection of marriage

- Righteous legislation protecting families
- Preserving parents' rights in raising and educating their children
- Reconciliation among family members - The youth to repent for not respecting our parents

SCRIPTURES TO CLAIM:

"But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." (Joshua 24:15)

"Sons are a heritage from the LORD,
children a reward from him.

Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are sons born in one's youth.

Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
when they contend with their enemies in the gate." (Psalm 127:3-5)

"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." (Proverbs 22:6)

Praying for our Churches

Pray for: strength in the unity and boldness of our American Churches, national and local, as hundreds have taken the leadership statewide in the fight for marriage and families, with A Shield against the forces of disharmony and fear. While we often associate the word "church" with our locale of worship, Scripture takes a much broader view. The Church, ultimately, refers to the body of Christian believers around the world. Pray for the Lord to spark a revival throughout our nation, unity, and continue to sanctify and purify Christians around the world.

Pray for:

- Church leaders and youth pastors Unity among the different parts of the body
- A renewed boldness to speak out with power as the spiritual leaders of the nation
- A new generation of leaders and world changers to arise

- Youth groups to grow with solid biblical teaching
- The families of those in leadership
- God's heart to reach out to the community
- Unity among the generations and ethnicities
- Discipleship, mentoring, training, and equipping

SCRIPTURES TO CLAIM:

"And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." (Matthew 16:18-19)

" . . . endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." (Ephesians 4:3-6)

"And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay." So she persuaded us." (Acts 16:15)

Praying for our Government Officials

Pray for: Strength for wise leadership of our local, state and national American Government officials, and for the educated participation of the community in the November elections with A Shield against the forces of confusion. Our nation's government was founded by God-fearing men who established a system of checks and balances in order to preserve liberty for all. However, the concepts of liberty and freedom are in jeopardy in America today. We must come together and pray that God would reign as king in the United States so that we may truly be, "One nation under God."

Pray for:

- Government officials (elected and non-elected, national and local)
- The Judiciary
- A new generation of virtuous leaders to be elected
- Integrity in the government

- Righteous legislation
- Election day
- Young voters to arise and vote on values and principles
- Informed voters

SCRIPTURES TO CLAIM:

"I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness." (I Timothy 2:1,2)

"But select capable men from all the people-men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain-and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens." (Exodus 18:21)

"Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves." (Romans 13:1-2)

TRUST AND OBEY

"O Lord Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in You." (Psalm 84:11-12)

Words: John H. Sammis (1887)
Music: Daniel B. Towner

This song gives a simple, clear explanation of living the Christian life. The title expression was used in a testimony meeting, following an evangelistic crusade in Brockton, Massachusetts, by Dwight L. Moody. A young man stood to speak, and it soon became clear he knew little Christian doctrine. But he finished by saying, "I'm not quite sure-but I'm going to trust, and I'm going to obey." Daniel Towner, who was in the meeting, jotted down the words, and gave them to John Sammis, who developed the lyrics from them.


(Courtesy of Moody Bible Institute)

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word, What a glory He sheds on our way! While we do His good will, He abides with us still, And with all who will trust and obey. Refrain Trust and obey, for there's no other way To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

To see the remaining four stanzas of this wonderful, classic hymn, and to enjoy its music, go here.

Nothing Can Hinder God or a Good Man

By A. W. Tozer

"If any man will to do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God. . . " (John 7:17)

The notion that hostile persons or unfavorable circumstances can prevent the will of God from being fulfilled in a human life is altogether erroneous.

Nothing, no one, can hinder God or a good man!

It is one of the glories of the Christian faith that it can be present in effective power regardless of whether or not the moral and political environment is favorable to it. We recall that H. G. Wells once said that he personally believed Buddhism to be the best religion, but admitted that it could flourish only in countries having a warm climate!

If true religion consisted in outward practices, then it could be destroyed by laws forbidding those practices. But if the true worshiper is one who worships God in spirit and in truth, how can laws or jails or abuses or deprivations prevent the spiritual man from worship ing?

Let a man set his heart only on doing the will of God and he is instantly free! No one can hinder him. It is only when we introduce our own will into our relation to God that we get into trouble. When we weave into the pattern of our lives threads of our own desires we instantly become subject to hindrances from the out- side.

The essence of spiritual worship is to love supremely, to trust confidently, to pray without ceasing and to seek to be Christlike and holy, doing all the good we can for Christ's sake.

How impossible for anyone to hinder that kind of "practice"!

To study past issues of the Call to Repentance, visit our blog at:
http://chpponline.blogspot.com/

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