National Day of Prayer

Today was the National Day of Prayer. Most of you probably knew that, and perhaps a few of you attended various functions, while others paused to pray at some point on this day.

But here are some questions: How did you pray? And, for what did you pray?

At this point in your journey through the bible, you have now wrapped up 1 & 2 Kings, a historical summary of the God's covenant people and their leaders.

I don't know how you faired in your reading, but I was left with an aching heart. Over and over again, Israel and Judah continued in their sin-intoxicated states of independence while they drifted farther and farther away from God and His purposes. With only a few notable exceptions, those who wrote these accounts declared again again, how so-in-so (and God's people) "did evil in the eyes of the Lord."

Does that strike you as peculiar (looking at history in that way I mean) how radically different a perspective that is than how we think about history today.  Few today - even with the Church thank you very much - even think to frame history in such a way, and fewer still are bold enough to call others to live out of such a paradigm.

I can't help but wonder how different things might be for our country if we earnestly and honestly, pursued God in a full-blown, no-holds-barred, covenant relationship with Him. What if our hearts were so captured by His goodness and grace that we allowed Him to transform us in His image and restore us as a people. What if we trusted God and His Word enough to shape how we live and act, and what if we lovingly obeyed it? What if we chose dependence upon God instead of persistent and radical independence from God?

My prayer today has been simple: Lord, by your grace, help us to love, trust, and cling to you as our only hope and power. Transform the hearts of your followers and cause us to be the kingdom of priests and holy people (nation) you desire.   Amen