by Anne Graham Lotz
23 Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; 24 But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the Lord. Jeremiah 9:23-24 Great God of creation. We bow before You boasting of Your greatness and Your glory. No one compares to You. No one is Your equal. We look at Your creation and marvel at the infinite power and wisdom that are Yours. Nothing is beyond Your reach. “You bring out all the starry host one by one, and call them each by name. Because of Your great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing…You pitch a tent for the sun…It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat…Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there.” [1] There is nowhere in all the Universe where You are not. Surely Your arm “…is not too short to save, nor [Your] ear too dull to hear.”[2] God of our fathers. Lord of the nations. Our hope is not in man or in a government or in this nation. Our hope is in You. You are the One who will bless us as we come in and bless us when we go out. You are the One who will grant that the enemies who rise up against us will be defeated before us. You are the One who will send a blessing on everything we put our hands to. You are the One who will grant us abundant prosperity. You have promised us all these things and more if we “make You the head, not the tail” … If we pay attention to your commands and carefully follow them.[3] So on this day, we choose to place our hope in You. We choose to obey You. Because we fully trust in You. Therefore, in 2017, if “…the kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord,”[4] we trust in You. If “…the earth gives way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging,”[5] we trust in You. Though …”nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall…,”[6] we trust in You. When …”the wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright…,[7]” we trust in You. We trust You. We trust You! And now, God of grace, as we pray for the New Year, we ask for a smooth transition of power in our local, state, and national government. Yet underneath our earnest prayers for our nation is an even greater prayer for the church. Please. Send down Your Holy Spirit in fullness. Ignite the fire of revival in the hearts of Your people. Hear us. Forgive us. Heal us. Bless us as we remain obedient and alert while we keep on praying. And as we keep on watching. Is 2017 the year of Your return? We hope so! Come Lord Jesus![8] For the glory of Your name… Amen The National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday of May, inviting people of all faiths to pray for the nation. It was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the United States Congress, and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman. Our Task Force is a privately funded organization whose purpose is to encourage participation on the National Day of Prayer. It exists to communicate with every individual the need for personal repentance and prayer, to create appropriate materials, and to mobilize the Christian community to intercede for America’s leaders and its families. The Task Force represents a Judeo-Christian expression of the national observance, based on our understanding that this country was birthed in prayer and in reverence for the God of the Bible. Our theme this year is For Your Great Name’s Sake! Hear Us... Forgive Us...Heal Us! Taken from Daniel 9:19, which says, “O Lord, Listen! O Lord, Forgive! O Lord, Hear and Act! For Your Sake, O My God...”. As the 2017 National Day of Prayer on May 4th approaches, thousands of individuals, churches, and communities will be working to rally millions of Christian’s to once again heed this call! Scripture tells us again and again that our fervent prayer is effective. That our loving God responds to His children’s earnest pleas in mighty ways that avail much, and ultimately determine the course of history. At this crucial time for our nation, we can do nothing more important than pray. Thank you in advance for making this spiritual discipline a personal priority and for standing with us as we encourage others to incorporate prayer in their lives. The Lord has graciously anointed our efforts, empowering them to touch and change many hearts and lives. We look forward to seeing His hand move across our land in exciting ways each May in response to our petitions! In closing, we ask that you prayerfully consider becoming a volunteer in your church or community to lead a National Day of Prayer gathering. May the Lord’s peace fill your heart as you rest in Him throughout the days ahead. 16th Annual Ozark Mountain Prayer Breakfast™ Celebrating the National Day of Prayer, Thursday, May 4, 2017 Branson Convention Center • 6:30 am -8:30 am
Full Hot and Hearty Breakfast begins at 6:30 am. Program begins promptly at 7 am. INSPIRATIONAL SINGING • PRAYERS • PRESENTATION OF THE KINGDOM BUILDER AWARD • A VITALLY IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM ALAN SEARS • Alan Sears serves as founder of Alliance Defending Freedom, an organization that was founded in response to the Christian community gaining awareness that the threats to its freedom were multiplying. The legal system, which was built on a moral and Christian foundation, has been steadily moving against religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and marriage and family, and very few Christians were showing up in court to put up a fight. By funding cases, training attorneys, and successfully advocating for freedom in court, Alliance Defending Freedom is changing all that. Hear from nationally recognized Christian leader, Alan Sears, as he brings us up-to-date on what America faces next. |
AuthorHi, I'm Gaye Lisby, event manager for the Ozark Mountain Prayer Breakfast™. I serve on the Branson Business Men's Committee which presents this important regional convocation of prayer. Archives
May 2018
Categories |