Looking to God on National Day of Prayer
I’ve always known that our country and our world is in desperate need of prayer, but this last year has had me “on my knees” like none other.
In whatever direction I looked, or wherever I browsed on my newsfeed, my heart was assaulted by disasters, tragedies, injustices, and afflictions.
The burden I’ve felt as these foes have surrounded us has brought me to tears, and so, I’ve been praying the words of 2 Chronicles 20:12, “O our God… we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you” (ESV).
It can be so easy to become overwhelmed by the bewildering suffering filling the media, the outrage pouring out onto our city streets, the overcrowding in our hospitals, or the clamoring at our borders.
With so much disheartening news, it would be so easy to disengage.
Yet we simply cannot give up, throw our hands up in the air, retreat to where we think it’s “safe,” or take refuge behind the walls of our heart.
God insists that we respond differently.
Jesus taught us this persevering prayer: “Your Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.” There’s a divine template in heaven of what God intends, and we are to “pray it down” onto earth. Just like King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20, we must set our face to seek the Lord. We must remember that in God’s hand are power and might. And we must keep our eyes on the only One who can come to our rescue.
Whether scanning the headlines or sitting with those experiencing the worst of the front-page story, we can pray as Jesus taught us:
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Matthew 6:9-13
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
I hope you will join me in doing just that. Because when God wants to change a nation, he begins by motivating his people to pray. Together let’s lift up our President, our Justices, the US Congress, and state and local leaders; pray over contentious issues in your community, pray against hopelessness, and heartbreaks; pray for the new generation rising up, the witness of the Church, and our wonderful men and women in uniform.
Whether you join an official prayer rally or if you informally join with family, friends and neighbors for prayer, you are taking a step of faith and obedience in coming to the presence of the Lord with our country’s needs. Your prayers will “heavenize” earth, helping God’s pattern in heaven become a reality on earth.
Keep looking to God and you will see divine deliverance. Encourage others across our land by posting your prayer for our nation on our Joni and Friends’ Facebook page.
-Joni Eareckson Tada
How Can We Pray for You?
If you need prayer or support of any kind, please contact our team. We would love to partner in prayer with you as your brothers and sisters in Christ.
