On this day that's now
forever known as "9-11," my heart turns to You on behalf of my nation and on
behalf of the nations of the world. I'm remembering the words of Scripture
spoken by a pastor at our National Cathedral in Washington, as our nation
grieved and mourned the shock and horror of that day in 2001:
"The Lord is my light and
my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom
shall I be afraid? When evildoers assail me to devour my flesh - my adversaries
and foes - they shall stumble and fall. Though an army encamp against me, my
heart shall not fear; though war rise up against me, yet will I be confident....
For He will hide me in His shelter in the day of trouble; He will conceal me
under the cover of His tent; He will set me high upon a rock... Hear, O Lord,
when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me! 'Come,' my heart says, 'Seek
His face.' Your face, O Lord, do I seek..." (Psalm 27:1-8).
Many in our nation and the
nations of the world went to our knees that day to cry out to You and seek Your
face. Whether by the grief of our anguish for the tragic and senseless loss of
life or by the fear of what might come next or by the leading of the Holy Spirit
of our living God, all the world seemed to know for a day there is no true hope
without God and there is no true comfort without prayer.
Holy Spirit, bring us to
our knees again - here in America and in the nations of the world. Father God,
You alone must be our stronghold - not a strong national defense, not a strong
economy, not a strong President. You alone must be our light and our salvation.
As we humble ourselves to call on Your name and return to Your ways, then the
security we desire and the redemptive destiny to which every nation is called
will come to pass.
The choice of that destiny
is in the hands of the people of God in every tribe and tongue and nation of the
earth (Revelation 14:6-7). And every nation will be judged and give an account
of how we have lived out our destiny, whether trusting in You or centered on
ourselves (Matthew 25:31-46). Will our hands be clenched in anger, will they be
pushing the rest of the world away to withdraw in isolation and fear, or will
they be lifted to You in prayer?
The words of Your promise
of restoration and Your covenant of revival are forever the same: "If My people
who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray, seek My face, and
turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive
their sin and heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14). Lord, let it be so, in my
own heart and in the heart of my nation and the nations of the world. In Jesus'
name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In
the Love of Jesus, Tommy
Hays
Tommy, please
join with me in prayer today for our nation and the nations of the world to turn
to God in prayer, our only true Hope. The darkness of evil and destruction in
this broken and falled world will get darker until the return of Christ. But at
the same the Holy Spirit of God will continue to arise and shine in the hearts
of those who will truly call on His name and live lives that display His glory
throughout all the earth (Isaiah 60:1). We are meeting for a city-wide
prayer gathering outside the Courthouse in downtown Lexington today at
noon. And I pray for a stirring of the Holy Spirit to humility before
God, faith in Him, and obedience to His Word in your city and mine. God bless
you and thank you for joining with me in this daily journey of
prayer.
Messiah
Ministries
Healing from the Inside
Out
2800 Tates Creek
Road
Lexington, Kentucky
40502
