Magnificent Prayer #186

Pray About It: The nation that honors God is blessed. A nation that departs from God enters into a sad decline and ultimately falls. Today, America is well on the way to confirming that historical trend. Though founded by godly men and women who were fearless Christians, America has now become a nation of secularists who deny the influence of righteousness in exalting a nation. Many public schools have revised the history they’re teaching the next generation, eliminating all mention of the true history that shaped our civilization. At the same time Hollywood openly degrades Christian morality—often with the consent (and dollars) of those who call themselves Christians—and often clearly marketed to that same younger, vulnerable generation. All the while, those who predict a strong future for America, mistakenly do so by looking to Wall Street and other economic indicators, ignoring what history has told us about such folly.

But America isn’t alone in its decline. Other nations that once were in the forefront of proclaiming Christianity have also recklessly abandoned their heritage.

And yet, in spite of this gloomy news, there is hope. Some Christians are praying. Not content to see the destruction of their land, believers in countries all over the world are praying for revival in their country. Many are also interceding for America because of our historic leadership role in world affairs.

Will God answer these prayers? Will there be revival? No one knows for sure. It must surely depend on the urgency with which God’s people besiege heaven for a fresh outpouring of God’s Spirit. And as Jonathan Edwards notes, how encouraging it would be to know that on one singular day, millions are uniting in prayer for that one goal—God’s blessing on the nation.

Some interceding Christians have set aside specific days to pray just for America. The first Friday of each month has been named by at least one group as a special day of prayer. But also on this day, the Fourth of July, Americans can surely take time to recall the rich spiritual history that led to this day of independence and pray. Citizens of other countries are encouraged to intercede for their native land today also.