Today is Thursday, May 5th, 2005; Karen's Korner #539

This is the day that has been named as the National Day of Prayer for our country!
 
There are many opportunities to pray together today in groups, churches, clubs, and organizations. It promises to be a powerful event.
 
Early this morning, there will be a Prayer Breakfast at the White House and Max Lucado, senior pastor of Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas, and noted author of such books as "No Wonder They Call Him Savior" and "The Applause of Heaven", has been asked to pen this year's national prayer. Watch for exeprts of the event on the news and maybe the whole thing on some of the 24-hour news stations.
 
Naturally, Lucado hasn't tipped his hand early as to what he has written. He has, however, mentioned to the media what might be included.

"One of the things I want to focus on when I speak on Thursday is that nations exist for the glory of God; that God does not exist to make a big deal out of the United States, or any other nation, but every nation exists to make a big deal out of God.

"According to Scripture, everybody exists to honor God. Especially nations. One of the things I'll talk about in my message is different ways that God ordains people who live in the nations, the leaders of the nations and the boundaries of the nations—everything about nations is intended to provide an arena, a way in which God's glory and His goodness can be unveiled.

"I'm going to talk about the danger of forgetting that God is the giver of all; that God would have us remember that we exist by His power, and we exist for His glory. If we forget that, then we begin to exist just for ourselves, and fall into secularism. I'm going to try to nail that point home.

"The promise of God, through Moses in Deuteronomy chapter 8, is that those nations 'who forget Me' will be destroyed. So this is a high-stakes issue here. I'm thankful that we have a National Day of Prayer so that we can discuss this. I think some of the symbols and gestures and decisions of the recent past suggest that we are a nation that is forgetting God.

"Praying for the nation is more important than voting. Praying for the nation is more important than volunteering for military service. Praying for the nation is more important than volunteering to help in a campaign. If God is really the Giver of All, and nations exist by Him, there is nothing more important than talking to God about the nation."

He was asked by this particular interviewer if it is appropriate to have such a thing as a "Natoinal Day of Prayer". Lucado commented, "We are so paranoid now about the Church not running the state and the state not running the Church. That is a secondary question. The big question is: Is mankind going to submit to mankind's Maker?

 

Karen's Prayer:  "God in Heaven, we humble ourselves before you today. Place your hand on each of our lives so that we become become more what you would have us to be. Help us to learn to pray Your prayers which are bigger than we can think and believe. Help us to look to You, and not to ourselves for answers. Reach out to us with Your Love. And as we learn from You, help us to in turn reach out to our neighbor with that same kind of love. Teach us. We want to learn. In the name of Your Son, Jesus. Amen."

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