This article is based on ideas from a series of teachings of Pastor Jerome Holmes of Bethel Church located in Bowie, MD.
The number one tool that God has given us to establish a sense of order in every aspect of our lives is prayer. Prayer offers us the opportunity to communicate with God and offer up intentions for ourselves and others. However, in today's society, it becomes somewhat commonplace to forget about the needs of our nation (and even the entire world) during prayer and only focus on what WE want from God.
The time has come to revamp our egotistical mindsets and evaluate the nation's need for prayer. There are an unparalleled amount of things going on in our culture that is so much bigger than our day to day reality. From natural disasters to terrorist attacks, police brutality to mass shootings, it's time for God's people to come together and intercede for not only the nation but also the world. America specifically needs prayer now more than ever. We're at a crossroads in our history and arguably going down a dangerous path. Most obviously, God's people need to pray about the upcoming election as the direction of our country is at stake. Rather than the church becoming unnecessarily involved in the political rivalry, the primary focus of politically based prayer should be God's will being done and our nation staying on the path He has set.
There are three primary reasons why God is calling our nation specifically to pray, now more than ever.
1. Our society is saturated with spiritual warfare.
Everywhere you look, there are things that make multiple attempts to pull our focus from God. Today's society is filled with distractions that can lead you away from God and down a path towards spiritual warfare. In simple terms, spiritual warfare is an attack by the enemy on your spiritual health and wellbeing. Lack of spiritual health can ultimately lead to sins of compromise. Praying for the good of our country can without hesitation undo the grievances in our society and aid developing a nation free from temptation, allowing God's people to focus solely on Him.
2. Our sin is too serious to ignore.
Sin drives a wedge between us and God and is potentially catastrophic. Spiritual warfare can also lead one down the path of sin. At this point, sin becomes too serious to ignore. Society is constantly promoting the idea of sin, even glamorizing sinning in certain senses. Prayer is our most powerful weapon in the ongoing war on sin. Not only can prayer prevent us from sinning, but it also gives us the opportunity to repent for past sins. Our nation is drenched in sin and prayer is the only way out.
3. Our souls are subjected to sensuality.
The concepts of lust and sensuality are everywhere in today's society. The media often perpetuates the idea that our self-worth exists within our sexuality which couldn't be farther from the truth. Since the nation is immersed in this aura of lust and sexually fueled desires, temptation to give into the desires of the flesh is inevitable. However, we must pray that our nation does not become distracted by human desires because that's all these desires are; a distraction. Yet another attempt by the enemy to divert our attention away from God. We must pray for strength in the face of adversity and temptation not just for ourselves, but for our country.
Prayer has been known to change the direction of the nation. When God's people come together and reach out to him for the good of the nation, He will answer. We just have to take the first step. Prayer is essential in maintaining a strong relationship with God.
We as human beings have no way of when God is coming again. Mark 13:32 says, "But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." Because of the foundation my prayer life has given my relationship with God, I am confident that I know where I'll stand on Judgement Day. Do you? Stay prayed up.
