This past week was the annual National Day of Prayer. The first Thursday of the month of May is as much a holiday as Thanksgiving. The only difference is that no school was shut down, no bank was closed and the commercial world has not found a way to capitalize on the day. Which really make this more of a holy day, unlike all others.
It was good to gather at the center of the city with many in our community to pray, seek the favor of God for the family, the church, the workplace, education, military, government, and the media. My assignment was to pray for the church.
To pray for the church implies that the church needs prayer – and it does.
When does a church need prayer? According to the bible, she always needs prayer, non-stop.
Where does a church need prayer? Again, according to the bible, the church in all places, everywhere needs prayer.
Which churches need prayer? As before, according to the bible, all churches need prayer, including the church I pastor.
Why do churches need prayer? Now it gets personal. Here is where I want to focus my column this week.
When the church is in the midst of persecution we should pray that the church would remain faithful. When there is a shortage of truth in the public discourse of life the church needs prayer that she would rise up as a pillar and buttress of truth. When the church has been found apostate we should pray for reformation. When the church sees one of her duties is to entertain than point to the holiness of God then the church needs prayer. It appears that these are some of the reasons we should be praying for the church in our communities.
There has largely been a collective silence from the church for the past forty-eight years concerning abortion, the murdering of babies in the womb. Even this year in the Idaho legislature, a “pro-life” bill was passed and signed by the governor to continue regulating abortion rather that abolish the hellish act against God’s creation. What has been the reaction? Most of our politicians are celebrating a bill that will not go into effect until either another state wins a “heartbeat” bill case in a higher court or the Supreme Court reverses Roe v. Wade. Where this is a high hope, it is more likely a flawed hope.
For over a decade now our federal and state governments have reeducated the population on the definition of marriage. Another attack against God’s ordered world according to the authoritative Word of God that marriage is an institution between one man and one woman. Like abortion, the church has been silent for the most part.
Now, we are no longer on a slippery slope of moral decay and more on a freefall concerning the attempt by the secularist to redefine sexuality and gender. Where is the church on these matters? What will the church do?
Here is why the church is in need of prayer. So, the church should rise up in this day as the voice of objective truth that will honor God and bless the community. The church must not forget that liberty is inseparable from God. There will never be true liberty so long as the church remains silent. For “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. All of human flourishing is needing the church to do her duty. Rise up and demand your pastor preach the word of God and get fully behind the uncompromising pulpit of truth.
*this will be published in the Twin Falls Times News on May 8, 2021
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