Good morning, Lord Jesus. Before I arise in my body to step into my day, I arise in my spirit to step into prayer. ...
"May Your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in You" (Psalm 33:22, NIV).
Today is our National Day of Prayer in America. No matter what our religion, as Americans we have the guaranteed constitutional right of freedom to express our faith and hope, whether in private or in public. I thank You for the founding principles of our nation that protect "the blessings of liberty," including the free expression of religion. And I thank You that our founding fathers and national leaders recognized the human need to humbly and faithfully acknowledge a Divine authority greater than ourselves and our government. Thank You that this undeniable truth is forever sealed in the written, historical documents of our national heritage:
"We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America" (United States Constitution).
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" (Declaration of Independence).
"...that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth" (President Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address).
In that freedom, I declare my hope and my faith is in You, O Lord. You are the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; the God who created us and sustains us in Your unfailing love that always rests upon us, never leaving us nor forsaking; the God who humbled Yourself into the likeness of human flesh to walk among us and show us the nature of Your heart as Son of Man, yet Son of God; the God who is One, in three dimension of Your One Being as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
You are the God I freely honor today in the liberty I have. You are the God I will worship and praise today, as I gather with fellow Americans from various streams and traditions of the body of Christ, in the public freedom we have, to offer You our prayers and thanks for Your providence and provision. I'll gather with others at my church, but I also gather with others in our public, governmental institutions to openly and freely declare our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And we will pray that the heart of our nation will turn to You in the freedom we have to honor You or not, to seek You or not, to depend upon You or not. We have not governmentally established religion as a nation, but there is a vibrant, faithful people of this nation who have our faith in You, Lord Jesus Christ, firmly established in us.
Though some have said we are not a Christian nation, we are a nation filled with followers of the Lord Jesus Christ in every community across this nation, who have the inalienable right and the unyielding allegiance to bow on our knees and call on Your name. And with all who call on Your name from every tribe and tongue and nation around our world and throughout our generations, together as one in Jesus Christ our Lord, we are "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that (we) may proclaim the mighty acts of Him who called (us) out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9).
Together as the followers of Jesus Christ, One with the Father and One with the Holy Spirit, we are an eternal nation under God. It is this nation of believers and disciples from all nations, under God in Christ, that not even the antichrist or the new world order of a one world government will ever crush out of our spirits or completely destroy from the face of the earth. One day soon the seventh trumpet will sound and the voices of heaven will proclaim, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever" (Revelation 11:15). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
Friends, please come join us for the National Day of Prayer at 6:30 pm Thursday Night May 7th for an ecumenical gathering I'll be helping lead at my home church, Centenary United Methodist, 2800 Tates Creek Rd, Lexington, KY (http://www.centenarylex.com/). This will be jointly hosted with our neighbor churches, Immanuel Baptist Church and Tates Creek Christian Church. Please come and spread the word. There are also gatherings in the Rotunda of the State Capitol in Frankfort and in downtown Lexington at noon, as well as other places across our nation. Let's join together in prayer for the people and leaders of our nation to turn to God and depend upon Him alone as our Hope.
Order our Ministry Resources or Contribute to our vision and calling: http://www.shop.messiah-ministries.org/
Subscribe by email to me at Messiah Ministries --MessiahMin@aol.com
-- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God"
http://www.messiah-ministries.org/ 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502
