Why Pray?

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. [John 3.16 NKJV]

The answer to the question, "Why pray?" is found entirely in the verse above.

Everything that anyone could ever genuinely need from God, and would pray for, is justified in the fact that God loves the world - all people.

Could a political agenda for our nation distract us from God's spiritual agenda for the world?

Of course God cares about nations. But true Christians must understand that God's care for individual nations pales in comparison to His love for the world. In other words, God's work on behalf of any nation will always perfectly fit into His plan for the world. His plan for the world governs all other plans.

If we are to pray effectively for our nation, it will only be in concert with God's plan for the world. That plan does not follow political party lines, church denominational lines, or personal preferences. God's plan is this:

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. [John 3.16 NKJV]

Our work on earth is not political but spiritual:

And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. [2 Corinthians 5.18]

God's plan is that we are reconciled to Him so that we might then reconcile others to Him. If everything we adhere to politically, denominationally, and personally hinges on this truth, then the Kingdom of God will manifest. Otherwise... well, the evening news pretty much tells that story.

What Are You Praying For?

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. [1 Timothy 2.1-4]

Sometimes, it is far too easy to just "pray" with no direction or conviction about what we are praying for.

I 'get it' that there is something to be said for the persistence of consistency. But, consistency alone falls short. I find this in myself all the time - and I don't like it.

If we are praying for "help" for people, shouldn't we see them helped? Based on what God is revealing about our role in prayer, does it not make sense that, if God has "given" us people to pray for (signified by the instruction to "give thanks" for them in 1 Timothy 2.1-4), then is it not our responsibility to help them?

Likewise, if God has "given" us people to intercede for (ask for their forgiveness), then is it not our responsibility to forgive them as well?

The scriptures are clear that the single answer to both questions above is, "Yes, it is our responsibility."

So, how do we help people we pray for that we may never even encounter? Jesus revealed a principle that answers this puzzling question:

“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ [Matthew 25.37-40]

Forgiveness follows this same precedent. If I am to forgive someone I will likely never encounter in life (say, like a President or Presidential candidate), does it not make sense that I should forgive people I do encounter following the same principle Jesus taught above?

How much more effective will our prayer be when we "flesh out" that for which we are praying? That's exactly what Jesus did. Jesus is our example.

What we are praying for should manifest in what we are doing.

Day three of 40 Days of Prayer - US General Elections! 

We are just getting started! Be encouraged. Be strengthened. Be faithful. Be fruitful!

40 Days of Prayer - 2020 US General Elections

40 Days of Prayer - 2020 US General Elections 

It is an honor to spend the next 40 days in a Christian prayer effort with you for the US General Elections. This vigil begins Friday 9/25/2020 and goes through Election Day, 11/3/2020. 

All 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives, 35 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate, and the office of President of the United States will be contested. This election is pivotal for the United States' future.

Join me in praying each day specifically for the following Presidential candidates by name:

• Joe Biden / Kamala Harris (DNC candidates)
• Donald Trump / Mike Pence (GOP candidates)

Also, educate yourself on the candidates for your House seats and Senate seats (if any) and pray specifically for them by name each day as well.

Please understand the importance of praying not only for the candidates of your choice, but also for those you would not choose... The reason is found in 1 Timothy 2.1-4 (underlines mine):

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. [1 Timothy 2.1-4 NLT]

God wants EVERYONE to be saved and to understand the truth - EVEN the candidates you do NOT want in office!

So this is how we should pray for the candidates...

Ask God to help them - The "help" ALL the candidates need is help ONLY God can provide. They all need to know God as their Righteousness, Sanctifier, and their Peace. They need to know Him as God Who is There, Healer, Provider, Shepherd, and Banner. Furthermore, it is critical that they know God as their Forgiver, Advocate, Refuge, Strength, Defender, Protector, Fortress and Shield!

Intercede on their behalf - To intercede is to mediate - and mediation between God and "whomever" means that "whomever" needs the help. That help can be summed up in one word: Forgiveness. Jesus said it best in His final moments on the Cross: “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” [from Luke 23.34 NLT]

Give thanks for them - This is your opportunity to see if you, like Jesus, have forgiven those you disagree with. It is your opportunity to know true Kingdom Christ-likeness as you witness in yourself your act of forgiveness for your enemies progressing into genuine thanksgiving for them.

And, this is how we should pray for the Elections... (brackets and underlines mine)

Pray this way [see above] for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.

The United States of America needs a miracle if it is to return to the God of our Founding Fathers. We need leaders who will wholeheartedly honor and serve God Almighty of the Holy Bible. 

May the Lord God Himself bless and keep YOU as you persevere these 40 days in this monumental and historical task of prayer!

This blog is where I will post updates or insights (hopefully every few days - maybe more, maybe less). Those on our Daily 40 Days of Prayer Text will be directed here accordingly.

Let the prayers begin!

Pray Like Never Before,

Greg