Unity in Prayer

Our lives can be solidified, buoyed up because of our devotion to the Lord through prayer.  James 5
states:
16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.
18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

There are a number of adjectives in this passage to describe the way that the Lord would intend for us to pray.  By His power, we can participate in effective prayer.  We are effective as we pray in accordance to His will, and He desires for us to be dedicated in that practice, in fervent prayer.  We also see that Elijah was earnestly praying.  That implies that we are consistent in bringing our requests before the Lord, that we possess an attitude of prayer, communicating with His regularly, not distracted, but focused on calling on Him.

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The 2020 National Day of Prayer is in the rearview mirror, and this year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, people responded in creative ways to the call of God to come together in prayer.  There was a national virtual prayer meeting hosted by Will Graham and National Day of Prayer President Kathy Branzell, that took place that Thursday night.  Before that, another collection of Christian leaders were part of an online prayer gathering, led by Greg Laurie and Jack Graham at the Pray.com website.  The Presidential Prayer Team hosted virtual prayer rooms throughout the day.

The theme for this year's National Day of Prayer was "Pray God's Glory Across the Earth," a concept taken from Habakkuk 2:14, which says, "For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, As the waters cover the sea." Kathy Branzell incorporated that into the 2020 Prayer for America, saying: "We pray that the knowledge of the glory of the Lord will spread across our nation and the entire earth as we seek Your Kingdom and righteousness; as we walk in obedience to You, and in humble unity, love one another."

On that day, the first Thursday of May - this year it was May 7 - Faith Radio partnered with area church and ministry leaders for an on-air and online National Day of Prayer events, concentrating on the seven centers of influence, as well as prayer in response to the Coronavirus crisis.  We deeply appreciate the willingness of these leaders, from a variety of racial, cultural, and denominational backgrounds to lead our listeners in prayer.

Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council wrote this:

For once, America is in something together -- battling the same enemy, hurting from the same pain. Today, seeking the same God. The president, in his official proclamation, called this date a "prayerful tradition" -- one that, until very recently, a lot of us took for granted. Now, under the long shadows that have driven other generations to prayer, we find ourselves in the same position -- privileged to call on God as one people.

In that same piece on the FRC website, he quoted the President's National Day of Prayer proclamation:

"...Even though we have been unable to gather together... we are still connected through prayer and the calming reassurance that God will lead us through life's many valleys. In the midst of these trying and unprecedented times, we are reminded that just as those before us turned to God in their darkest hours, so must we seek His wisdom, strength, and healing hand..."

President Trump and Vice President Pence participated in a Rose Garden National Day of Prayer event, which has become an annual event during the Trump presidency.  Pence also participated via video in the Pray.com event later that day.  ChristianHeadlines.com quoted from the Vice President:

“Karen and I will both attest that the sweetest words that we ever hear are when people will take a moment, walk up, and say, ‘I’m praying for you,’” Pence said, referencing Second Lady Karen Pence. “And you know they mean it from their hearts and we hear it all of the time. We can attest, firsthand, America is a nation of prayer.

“The American people have long believed in the power of prayer, that the effective and fervent prayer of a righteous person availeth much, and that in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, we’re to present our request to God with the promise that the peace of God that passes all understanding will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus.”

The Christian Headlines article also noted:

Pence asked Americans to pray for those who have the coronavirus and for the families who have lost loved ones. He requested prayer for “doctors and nurses and healthcare workers who have cared for our families as if they were their own” and for the “police, firefighters and first responders” who “have rendered care and sped those impacted by this dread virus to healing hands.” He also asked Americans to pray for the “men and women who defend this nation” and “are standing [at] a post at this hour in far-flung places around the world.”

The website, Christian Daily, provided coverage of the Pray.com gathering of leaders, including Faith Radio programmer Greg Laurie.  The website related:

Greg Laurie, Pastor from Riverside California, opened up the National Day of Prayer, "We need prayer in our nation right now facing Coronavirus. We're trying to get the country opened up again. We should all be praying for supernatural intervention."

He said, "Constant prayer, we want to ask you not just pray during this service but continue to pray for our nation. There is power when we pray together. I am joined by a lot of amazing friends that will be praying today in this service."

The article also mentioned Alabama-based pastor Chris Hodges of Church of the Highlands, who, as the piece notes, "prayed for pastors and spiritual leaders. He mentioned that religious leaders need prayer more than ever, and Satan will try to attack them during this pandemic time, so we have to pray for their protection." He is quoted as saying: "I also believe that our spiritual leaders are targeted by the enemy."

Secretary of State Pompeo also participated in that event.

At the top of the Faith Radio Coronavirus Response page, there is the reminder to pray without ceasing.  That can also affect our response and make sure that we are placing faith over fear.  When fear seems to be intensifying, we can respond on our knees.

We continue to recognize those who are on the front lines fighting this virus; many have put their lives at risk and there are those, including health care workers, who have lost their lives.  But, challenged and even exhausted, their are diligently fighting this disease and saving lives.  Through prayer, we can rise to the challenges we face and we can call on God, for His strength to flow through them.

And, through our prayer, we can build perseverance.  We want to move quickly to reopen our churches and restore our way of life, but we have to be patient.  God will calm our spirits as we commit to seeking His face and adopt His mindset.