Uniting in Prayer for Our Land

When so much of our culture is turning away from God, how do we bring people back to Him?

The words of 2 Chronicles 15 could easily describe our situation today:

“For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach them, and without the Law to instruct them. ... During those dark times, it was not safe to travel. Problems troubled the people of every land. Nation fought against nation, and city against city, for God was troubling them with every kind of problem” (vv. 3, 5-6)

Then the prophet Azariah challenged the king and all the people, saying:

“The Lord will stay with you as long as you stay with him! Whenever you seek him, you will find him” (v. 2)

As believers, we can take great comfort in Jesus’ promise that He will never leave us or forsake us. Azariah continued:

“Be strong and courageous, for your work will be rewarded” (v. 7)

What happened? The king took courage, removed all the idols, repaired the altar of the Lord, and led the people in renewing their covenant with God. Verse 15 tells us:

All in Judah were happy about this covenant, for they had entered into it with all their heart. They earnestly sought after God, and they found him. And the Lord gave them rest from their enemies on every side.

There is power when we seek God together, with all our hearts. As David wrote in Psalm 133:1, 3 (NKJV):

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! … For there the Lord commanded the blessing—life forevermore.

One of the greatest worship experiences I have ever attended was in a tiny church in Hong Kong. People from many nations and every ethnicity were gathered in one accord. We were of one mind and assembled for one purpose: praying about how to spread the Gospel.

We need to come together as brothers and sisters in Christ and seek God for what is eternally important. When we lose the things that bind us together, we introduce weakness into our midst because we’re not one people anymore.

So let’s unite our hearts in prayer, asking God for strength and encouragement, that His message would go forth—into our churches, into our neighborhoods, into our schools, into our police departments, into every street and city. Let’s agree that His power and presence will be manifest in our land, that we would indeed be one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. God bless you.

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All Scripture is quoted from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation, (except as noted). Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.