Brandon Neil Richards

I recently read about a national prayer gathering and it really made me think about our motivations in prayer. Why do we pray? Why do we go to God in prayer? Are we moved by fear or by faith to pray?

Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please  and  be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly  and  diligently seek Him [out].

There's nothing I can think of that is more exciting than praying and encountering God. Whether its for just knowing Him better or form a hedge around a prayer target and intercede for a person, country and watch God answer. What would life be like without being able to go into prayer and hear the Lord for ourselves. A prayer initiative, a movement for the country, this is good, this is right. Let's encourage that!

I would like to address something I believe is important to this initiative, though it isn't 'my movement' - yet if I'm the Christian I should be, then it should just naturally be an ever growing movement, in participation with the Holy Spirit, reflected in the daily prayer time. Coming together to agree in faith and not for fear should be our motivation. God is pleased by faith, not fear.

Some scripture to consider:

Scriptural prophecy is distinct and clear in its purpose.

2 Peter 1:20-21
20 [Yet] first [you must] understand this, that no prophecy of Scripture is [a matter] of any personal or private or special interpretation (loosening, solving).
21  For no prophecy ever originated because some man willed it [to do so--it never came by human impulse], but men spoke from God who were borne along (moved and impelled) by the Holy Spirit.

Test and Prove and keep the good.

1 Thessalonians 5:19
19  Do not quench (suppress or subdue) the [Holy] Spirit;
20  Do not spurn the gifts and utterances of the prophets [do not depreciate prophetic revelations nor despise inspired instruction or exhortation or warning].
21  But test and prove all things [until you can recognize] what is good; [to that] hold fast.

Scriptural prophecy all point to Jesus the Messiah's plan of redemption for all nations to win them to the faith.

Romans 16: 25-26
25  Now to Him Who is able to strengthen you in the faith which is in accordance with my Gospel and the preaching of (concerning) Jesus Christ (the Messiah), according to the revelation (the unveiling) of the mystery of the plan of redemption which was kept in silence and secret for long ages,
26  But is now disclosed and through the prophetic Scriptures is made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, [to win them] to obedience to the faith,

Revelation 19:10
10 ... For the substance (essence) of the truth revealed by Jesus is the spirit of all prophecy [the vital breath, the inspiration of all inspired preaching and interpretation of the divine will and purpose, including both mine and yours].

The marketing of this gathering is suggesting that God will bring judgment upon this nation. This just isn't so. The biblical context in which they were pointing out is for the Jewish nation... we're not the Jewish nation. It doesn't apply to America, or any other country. If it did, then Iran, Russia, China, Vietnam, Germany, Cuba and all the other nations of the world would have also been gone a long time ago from judgment. Remember Grace? Has the Lord returned yet to judge the world? It makes me wonder the motivation behind that style of marketing.

This is the same presumptuous chatter we heard from some talking about Haiti making a pact with the devil brought God's judgment, and some presumptuously prophesying the hurricane was God's judgment on New Orleans.

Now please let us put it in the correct perspective and light.

We know that the devil controls the forces in the air and all the world around us. (1 John 5:19, Ephesians 6:12)

If God wouldn't destroy Sodom if it contained ten righteous men, then surely God and His people in America will be safe regardless of our government. (Genesis 18:23)

We should pray for our country.
We should pray for our leaders, both good and bad.
We should also pray for the citizens of this country who voted to put them in office.
We should also pray for other nations, so as not to be self serving.

... and all by and in and through faith.