Thursday, May 3, 2018

Called to Pray - National Day of Prayer

Called to Pray - National Day of Prayer by the Staff of On The Go and the Presidential Prayer Team

The Staff at On The Go Ministries, the Presidential Prayer Team, and the National Day of Prayer Task Force would like to invite you to join us in celebrating the "National Day of Prayer"!

"Making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." Ephesians 4:3
"if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." II Chronicles 7:14

Today is the day set aside as the National Day of Prayer across America. Prayer is a powerful weapon. Prayer can break through strongholds, which have stood firm for years. God wants His Children to become mighty, active prayer warriors! The National Day of Prayer theme this year is Unity. The vision is to mobilize unified public prayer for America.

The National Day of Prayer has a rich history, dating from the first declaration of a day of prayer and fasting that was implemented by George Washington to President Lincoln's call for prayer and fasting during the Civil War to the modern-day declaration signed into law by President Harry Truman in 1952.

Prayer is an opportunity to humbly come before God and confess all sins and to praise God for His mighty works, His gift of freedom, His mercy, and His boundless love. Through prayer, we recognize the limits of earthly power and acknowledge the sovereignty of God. Prayer leads to humility and a grateful heart, and it turns our minds to the needs of others.

As our nation looks to the future, the need for prayer remains high. This year the National Day of Prayer Task Force has chosen Seven Centers of Influence to help us stay focused and intentional as we pray for America.

Select Prayer Focus:

Use this list to guide and direct your prayer time. As you pray for the individuals listed, pray that they will be given godly wisdom and guidance, great strength and divine protection in the key positions they hold. Remember, especially, our troops who safeguard freedom overseas. 

1.  Pray for Government. Pray for our local, state, and national leaders asking God to grant them wisdom, discernment, and hearts that are open to His Leading. Pray for your elected officials, their spouses, and their children. Pray for local police, fire, and first responders.

2.  Pray for our Military and its leaders. Pray for God to grant courage, dependence on God, divine protection, strength, perseverance, confidence, and vision for our service men and women, and their families as they serve our country.

3.  Pray for Media and Arts.  Pray for Christian Influence in the media industry, from movies, television, and radio stations, to newspaper and magazine publishers.  Ask the Lord to provide Godly men and women to work in, and influence the media throughout our nation, your state, and your city.

4.  Pray for Business. Pray for Divine Intervention in our national, state, and local economies.  Ask God to raise up leaders of integrity, creators of economic blessing, and givers of resources to the community.

5.  Pray for Education. Pray for God's presence in our schools, colleges, and universities. Ask Him to select teachers and administrators who honor His statutes and protect our children, and inspire them to discover their God-given calling. Pray for a return to truth-centered education, driven by excellence, and equal opportunities for each student to achieve their full potential.

6.  Pray for the Churches and Church Leaders throughout our nation and in your community. Ask God to preserve and protect them as He inspires and empowers them to equip His "Saints" for the work of ministry, for the building up of the Church, and the spreading of the Gospel. Pray that the church would find a renewed zeal and commit to the Gospel-centered message, disciple-makers in mission, and Spirit-empowered unity.

7.  Pray for Families in our nation, your state, and your community. God's model for the family is being challenged, and we are seeing families fall apart before our very eyes. Pray with passion for the Lord to reconcile, protect and to strengthen marriages, encourage parents toward His Biblical model, and restore to love and unity.


Suggested  Prayer for The National Day of Prayer

"Our Dear Heavenly Father, while we come to You in complete humility, we also come to you with boldness in the authoritative name of Your One and Only Son, Jesus Christ, who is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. In Jesus' name, fill us now with your Holy Spirit and lead us as we pray in Jesus' name for America.

Oh God, we are burdened for our nation today. We turn from the sins that we have committed against your Word and your Name. We turn away from our contentious words and ways toward one another that has led us to division and polarization. We turn away from our disrespect and lack of dignity toward each other, and we turn away from our continual devaluation of human life from the womb until death in this world. We also turn away from and refuse to participate in skepticism, criticism, and cynicism in our nation. We turn away from anything that divides us, an we run toward the gospel of Jesus Christ that is the only thing that has the power to unite us together.

Lord, in this critical hour in our nation, we pray for unity in America. Only You can bring unity, harmony, and oneness in America. As your Word calls us in Ephesians 4:3, "Making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace", we ask You to empower us to make every effort to live in unity, to call for unity, and to forward unity in America continually.

We pray for the churches in America to unify in Jesus Christ and to pray as one unified spiritual family for America. May Your church pray for America passionately, perpetually, privately, and publicly.

We pray for God's Power to unify families, workplaces, communities, and cities in America. By Your Spirit, lead us to forgiveness, reconciliation, healing, and unity.

We pray for people of all ethnicities and races in America to come together as one, living in peace and unity together. Oh Lord, because each of us is created in Your image, please give us the courage to stand against all racial and ethnic division, denouncing it as evil and sinful, while simultaneously coming together in unity with all persons knowing this is God's will for us.

We pray in unity for the security of our nation. We ask You to preserve the United States of America from the forces of evil that are threatening our lives and our future. God, please guard all persons in public and private settings from anyone or anything that desires to harm us or take our lives. Our future is in your hands.

We agree clearly, unite visibly, and pray extraordinarily for the next Great Spiritual Awakening in America. Oh Lord, wake up Your church spiritually and convict Your people to agree clearly, unite visibly, and pray extraordinarily until the next Great Spiritual Awakening occurs in our generation.

Oh God, we stand together upon your words in Psalm 133:1, "How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony." Through Jesus' name and by the Holy Spirit's power, we pray for all Americans to unify and to live together in unity.

In the mighty and majestic name of Jesus Christ who is the Only Savior and the Only Hope in this world, we pray. Amen."

- 2018 National Prayer by Ronnie Floyd -  National Day of Prayer Task Force President


Suggested Prayer Scriptures:

Use these scripture verses to set the tone for your observance of The National Day of Prayer.

"O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For your sake, O my God..."  Daniel 9:19

"I urge then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving, be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives, in all godliness and holiness. This is good and pleases God our Savior."  I Timothy 2:1-3a

"Since prayer is at the bottom of all this, what I want mostly is for men to pray--not shaking angry fists at enemies but raising holy hands to God."  1 Timothy 2:8

"Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." James 5:16

"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express." Romans 8:26

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things." Philippians 4:8

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains." Colossians 4:2,3

"if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding." Proverbs 2:3-6

"The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble.  He cares for those who trust in Him" Nahum 1:7

"Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you. Accept instruction from his mouth and lay up his words in your heart." Job 22:21, 22

"Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,"  Ephesians 3:20

Important Websites

National Day of Prayer: www.nationaldayofprayer.com
The Presidential Prayer Team: www.presidentialprayerteam.org
How to Know God: www.needhim.org
Decision America Tour with Franklin Graham:  decisionamericatour.com
Every Home for Christ:  https://www.ehc.org/free-prayer-maps

Today's devotion was compiled in accompaniment with The Presidential Prayer Team and the National Day of Prayer Task Force. Prepared by The National Day of Prayer Task Force. In order to visit the article in entirety or join an online prayer group today, visit www.nationaldayofprayer.com.

Thank you for taking the time to pray for America. Prayer is our most powerful weapon. For more information on any our ministries here at On The Go, you may send your questions to info@onthego.org.

On The Go Daily Devotion for May 3, 2018
Brought to you each day by On The Go Ministries / Keith Cook Team

Copyright (c) 2018 On The Go Ministries / Keith Cook Team
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