Sometimes God gives you moments of clarity. It seems that you are like Neo (the Matrix) where you are just going about your daily life, and then all of a sudden, you wake up to what is really going on.
I am a pastor, but first and foremost, I am a Christian. I am a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, and I am not ashamed of His gospel. I believe so wholeheartedly in the Christian faith that I truly believe I would rather die than deny Christ. I believe that the gospel of Jesus Christ meets every human need and is the answer to every problem plaguing society.
I am as concerned as the rest of you about the state of our country. I am grieved that 1.25 million children are killed each year- legally- because we've renamed murder to a more politically correct word called abortion. I am grieved that marriage is not honored by all. I am grieved that our nation is being financially irresponsible. I am grieved that families are broken apart, that divorce rates are what they are, that children are not being taught work ethic, frugality, respect, and faith. I am grieved that churches have forsaken the Bible and are teaching non-Biblical "truths," and that we are seeing a major decline in traditional expressions of Christianity. I am grieved that pop culture openly mocks Christianity and that I can't even watch five minutes of tv without seeing something that would have been banned from the airwaves fifty years ago. I could go on.
However, despite how grieved I am with all of that, I really haven't done much about it. Other than a few Facebook rants and personally expressed opinions, I really haven't done anything at all.
God has actually offered us the solution to everything that I just listed. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
The moment of clarity that I described earlier wasn't a realization of how bad everything out there is. The moment of clarity that God gave me was the fact that He has presented me, as well as you, with the solution and yet we have not embraced it. God asked me, "Are you serious?"
He said, "Are you serious enough about it to pray about it? Are you serious enough to dedicate significant amounts of time to pray to Me that I will heal your land? Are you serious enough about wanting to see the divorce rate lowered that you would fast and pray to Me so that I can heal the marriages in your country? Are you serious enough about the condition of the church- the fact that churches are not centered around the Great Commission- to pray and seek My face so that I may heal the churches? Are you serious?"
Under the direction of the Holy Spirit, I made a decision to dedicate the entire month of February to praying 2 Chronicles 7:14. If anyone wants to join me, this is what I will be doing- at 7:14 am and 7:14 pm of every day in February, I will be pray through 2 Chronicles 7:14 and ask God to do what He said He will do. I will pray for this country. I will pray for the churches. I am praying that God sends Central Kentucky a revival that will spread to the entire United States.
Is anything impossible for God? Listen people- we've tried everything else. We've tried legislation. We've tried social services. We've tried education. We've tried finances. We've tried everything under the sun except prayer. We've tried it all, and nothing has worked. We don't need more laws or more government or more money or more education. We've got more than we need of all of that already. What we need are Christians- followers of Christ- standing together in unity before the throne of God crying out to Him in prayer.
Are YOU serious? Let's put our time where our mouth is. Join with me in committing to pray twice a day the entire month of February. You don't have to pray at 7:14 morning and evening- that's just a way I will remember. Pray twice a day for the 28 days of February, and let's see what God will do. Who knows? James 4:2 says, "You do not have, because you do not ask God."
We as a nation don't have healing because we have not asked God for it. I say we ask Him for it. Join with me in praying 2 Chronicles 7:14 twice every day in the month of February.
I am a pastor, but first and foremost, I am a Christian. I am a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, and I am not ashamed of His gospel. I believe so wholeheartedly in the Christian faith that I truly believe I would rather die than deny Christ. I believe that the gospel of Jesus Christ meets every human need and is the answer to every problem plaguing society.
I am as concerned as the rest of you about the state of our country. I am grieved that 1.25 million children are killed each year- legally- because we've renamed murder to a more politically correct word called abortion. I am grieved that marriage is not honored by all. I am grieved that our nation is being financially irresponsible. I am grieved that families are broken apart, that divorce rates are what they are, that children are not being taught work ethic, frugality, respect, and faith. I am grieved that churches have forsaken the Bible and are teaching non-Biblical "truths," and that we are seeing a major decline in traditional expressions of Christianity. I am grieved that pop culture openly mocks Christianity and that I can't even watch five minutes of tv without seeing something that would have been banned from the airwaves fifty years ago. I could go on.
However, despite how grieved I am with all of that, I really haven't done much about it. Other than a few Facebook rants and personally expressed opinions, I really haven't done anything at all.
God has actually offered us the solution to everything that I just listed. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
The moment of clarity that I described earlier wasn't a realization of how bad everything out there is. The moment of clarity that God gave me was the fact that He has presented me, as well as you, with the solution and yet we have not embraced it. God asked me, "Are you serious?"
He said, "Are you serious enough about it to pray about it? Are you serious enough to dedicate significant amounts of time to pray to Me that I will heal your land? Are you serious enough about wanting to see the divorce rate lowered that you would fast and pray to Me so that I can heal the marriages in your country? Are you serious enough about the condition of the church- the fact that churches are not centered around the Great Commission- to pray and seek My face so that I may heal the churches? Are you serious?"
Under the direction of the Holy Spirit, I made a decision to dedicate the entire month of February to praying 2 Chronicles 7:14. If anyone wants to join me, this is what I will be doing- at 7:14 am and 7:14 pm of every day in February, I will be pray through 2 Chronicles 7:14 and ask God to do what He said He will do. I will pray for this country. I will pray for the churches. I am praying that God sends Central Kentucky a revival that will spread to the entire United States.
Is anything impossible for God? Listen people- we've tried everything else. We've tried legislation. We've tried social services. We've tried education. We've tried finances. We've tried everything under the sun except prayer. We've tried it all, and nothing has worked. We don't need more laws or more government or more money or more education. We've got more than we need of all of that already. What we need are Christians- followers of Christ- standing together in unity before the throne of God crying out to Him in prayer.
Are YOU serious? Let's put our time where our mouth is. Join with me in committing to pray twice a day the entire month of February. You don't have to pray at 7:14 morning and evening- that's just a way I will remember. Pray twice a day for the 28 days of February, and let's see what God will do. Who knows? James 4:2 says, "You do not have, because you do not ask God."
We as a nation don't have healing because we have not asked God for it. I say we ask Him for it. Join with me in praying 2 Chronicles 7:14 twice every day in the month of February.
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