Product of the Community

The Bible teaches us that we belong to Christ and that we are not of this world; so even though we are placed here, our allegiance is to the Kingdom of God, to a higher authority, and we are called and empowered to live in Him. 1st Peter 2 states:
11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,
12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

The question becomes, "who or what am I allowing to influence my life?"  We can surround ourselves with Biblical teaching and seek God consistently or we can choose to allow the world to have an impact on us.  If we allow worldliness into our consciousness and place a greater emphasis on pleasing this world than pleasing God, we run the risk of our spiritual life running aground and not bearing fruit. We have to choose our influences carefully - people and information - so that we can be built up in our faith.

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How and with whom we spend our time can have a profound influence on our growth in Christ. In speaking of the hope of the resurrection, Paul wrote in 1st Corinthians 15:
31 I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
32 If, in the manner of men, I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me? If the dead do not rise, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!"
33 Do not be deceived: "Evil company corrupts good habits."
34 Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.

Your life today is reflective of the influences that you have had throughout your past.  Some of those influences are good, others are bad; some have been accepted, others rejected.  But, we are where we are in part because of the people whom we've met.  And, it can be a stark reminder for each of us to make sure that we are being positive influences on others, especially those who are young.

A young man grew up not too far from where I grew up - Cartersville, GA, up I-75 from Atlanta.  And, a recent Baptist Press article explored how his influences impacted him.

He was active in his local church growing up. His middle school and high school pastor testified to his fairly regular church attendance. The article contains a picture of him being baptized when he was around ten years old. His high school football coach was well-known as a Christian leader in the community. His position coach was also a "strong Christian," according to one of the deacons at the church. The deacon was a local parks and recreation coach, his son was a friend, and the boys traveled on sports trips, and, of course, youth group trips. He says: "Sports helped us form bonds with his family and others..."

But, his spiritual life took a downward trajectory during his latter years of high school and first year of college. He told Sports Illustrated that enrolling early in college may not have been the best thing for him to do and added, "I made some decisions … first year being on my own, got this freedom now. … I made some decisions, not good decisions..."  He connected with an associate pastor in the area where he was in college, attended a Christian retreat, and his life, as the BP article notes, "shifted." As his high school coach said, "As you grow in your faith, there is a defining moment where you’re mature in it. That’s what happened..."  

Oh, and about this young man from Cartersville, Georgia - he has become more outspoken in his faith and has taken a huge step in his athletic career - he will likely be the starting quarterback this year for the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars; you see, Trevor Lawrence was this year's #1 draft pick after a stellar career at Clemson, playing for a coach who is likewise outspoken in his faith, Dabo Sweeney.  

The afore-mentioned pastor is quoted in the SI article as saying: "Faith for him brings peace and context into his life. It bleeds into every part of his life." The article relates:

Lawrence is not shy about discussing his faith. In fact, he wears it. On his wrists are a half-dozen personalized rubber bracelets, each a different color with its own message. There is one representing a church band, two more portraying Bible verses and another recognizing Clemson’s 2018 national championship. This is where faith and football merge.

Baptist Press also points out Trevor's charitable work, stating, "Early in the COVID shutdown, Lawrence and his then-fiancé Marissa Mowry (also a Cartersville native) received permission from the NCAA to begin a relief fund for those affected by the coronavirus pandemic in their hometown and upstate South Carolina."  Last month, he and now-wife Marissa "announced they would donate $20,000 to Jacksonville-area charities after Jaguars fans bought items off the registry for their future quarterback."

Trevor has been blessed by God and is using what he has been given in order to serve others. The Baptist Press article quotes his high school coach, Jody King, who now coaches at Cedartown High School in Georgia: 

"To whom much is given, much is required,” King told the Cartersville Daily Tribune Tuesday (April 27) in paraphrasing Luke 12:48. “[Lawrence] understands that and is grateful for that. That’s one of the things I always preached to my teams [in Cartersville] and to my new team. One of our core values here is gratitude.”

We can ask the question, what have I been given?  We have been created by God and, if we are born again, brought into the Kingdom of God for a purpose.  We have certain gifts to use and opportunities to respond to.  We can consider how we are glorifying God through what we choose to do. 

There's also a matter of influence - who has influenced us and who we are influencing. As that Baptist Press article related, Lawrence is a product of the community in which he grew up, and it is clear that people poured into his life. Granted, not all of our childhood influences or even influences later in life are good. We have to choose what and whom we follow and be sure to live a life that reflects Christ so that we can impact those with whom God brings into our lives. 

Errors in Trans-lation

The Bible provides encouragement for us to make sure that we are grounded in Christ and that our lives are built on His foundation. Jeremiah 17 reminds us:
7 "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord.
8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.
9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?
10 I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.'

So, there is the key to a satisfying life - trusting in God and putting our hope in Him.  The world is full of false promises and fruitless illusions, that will not produce peace and joy in our hearts. God calls us to be rooted in Him and in His principles, realizing that true growth and spiritual maturity come as we are devoted to His ways.  Human wisdom will deceive us and lead us astray; God's wisdom will provide us with reliable direction by which we can stand confident and firm in an unstable world.

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We have ideological and philosophical cancers in our culture today, which are spreading and infect hearts and minds. That's not my analogy, it's the apostle Paul's; he writes in 2nd Timothy 2:
15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
16 But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.
17 And their message will spread like cancer.

Across the country, state legislatures are passing laws that would prevent males who identify as females from competing against females in school sports.  This comes as the federal government is continuing to push an agenda that considers "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" as protected groups under Title IX, which was designed to, ironically enough, protect females!  Not presumed females.

Alabama is one of the states that has passed such a law, which was signed by the governor.  And, it seems that weekly, more states are being added to the list.  

Interestingly enough, a Morning Consult poll from several weeks ago finds significant support for what are called "trans females," who are actually biological males, competing against biological females.  The survey summary says:

In a Morning Consult survey conducted April 16-19, 40 percent of U.S. adults said they support allowing transgender women to compete in women’s sports at the collegiate level, while 42 percent opposed their participation. Opinions about transgender participation in high school girls’ sports and professional women’s sports were virtually the same.

It goes on to say, "Nearly 1 in 3 Americans...said they 'strongly oppose' allowing transgender women to play sports against other women in college."

There are those that say allowing boys to compete in girls' sports is "fair," but is it fair to young ladies who have been training to compete in certain sports to have to compete against boys who may have a competitive advantage?  The polling data shows that the majority of Americans believe that biological males who identify as women have that advantage; the summary says:

While Americans are fairly evenly split on whether transgender women should be allowed to play women’s sports, most believe that transgender women have a competitive advantage over cisgender women, or those whose gender identity matches the one they were assigned at birth. 

Fifty-six percent of adults agreed transgender women generally have an advantage, compared with 21 percent who disagreed with that notion.

There's that phrase: "assigned at birth."  Well, who assigned someone's gender?  The doctor, a nurse, the parents, or perhaps the Creator, whose Word says that from the beginning He created male and female - you can't say a person's gender is "assigned," unless you are referring to God Himself.  By the way, someone has invented the ridiculous term, "cisgender," to describe someone whose gender identity matches his or her biology. 

The article also mentions that states who pass this legislation may run afoul of the NCAA, which had released a statement "supporting transgender participation in college sports and warning lawmakers that it will only hold events in locations that are 'free of discrimination.' Under NCAA rules, transgender women are allowed to participate in women’s sports after undergoing one year of testosterone suppression treatment."

Beth Stelzer, founder of a consortium called Save Women's Sports, who is referred to in the article, "said lawmakers need to prioritize fairness in women’s sports over the potential short-term economic impact of losing NCAA events."

And, while we're using new terms and phrases to reflect a more enlightened age, to redefine the word, "mother" as "birthing people" is also problematic.  According to FoxNews.com, a Missouri Congresswoman, Cori Bush, as well as the National Abortion Rights Action League used that phrase the week before Mother's Day.  U.S. House members pushed back at an attempt recently to establish a "gender-free rules package;" the article notes:

In an effort to be inclusive to those who don't identify as a specific gender, the rules package strips all mention of gender-specific pronouns and terms such as "man," "woman," "mother" and "son."

The attempt to placate a small swath of the population has led to language madness and odd policies. And, dominant media culture plays along.  This poll gives us an idea about what real Americans are thinking, yet it would have perhaps been unfathomable even a decade ago that sports participation would be governed by one's declared "identity" rather than his or her actual gender. 

We have to remember to live in the world of reality.  Sometimes that will mean withdrawing from exposure to media, especially social media.  The headlines can produce headaches and detract us from the fresh truth of God's Word.  On today's Meeting House, May Patterson provides encouragement to seek the Lord and draw near to Him.  Our devotion to truth helps us stay grounded in an unstable environment.

Who's Watching?

It's Paul on trial, as we find in the latter sections of the book of Acts - a series of trials, actually, and while there were those who accused him according to their interpretation of the law, he declared his intent to maintain a good conscience within. He declared in Acts 24:
14 But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets.
15 I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust.
16 This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.

Because we know Christ, we can be led of His Holy Spirit.  He has given us a conscience, which gives us the ability to discern right from wrong and to give us wisdom in order that we might make good decisions. We can pay attention to the indwelling presence of the Spirit in our hearts and train ourselves to know when He is directing us. Through the Word of God being activated inside, we can seek to live according to its principles. 

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In John chapter 16, Jesus is teaching His disciples about the coming of the Holy Spirit - he says:
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me;
10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more;
11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

On yesterday's program, I made mention of an invention that seems to be well-intentioned, but that could be regarded as a bit invasive, reminding us that while we love our technology, we should be aware of privacy concerns.

The Washington Examiner reported on a device called the "Halo," made by Amazon.  Tim Carney writes:

The retail giant owned by the world’s richest man last year began offering a $65 device you could wear on your wrist to judge you on your tone when you speak to others. It would also measure your heart rate and other measures.

“Halo” was quite the fitting name for this device, which tells you whether you’ve been good or bad. Presumably, if you yell at the referee or scold your children too much, Bezos awards you devil’s horns instead of a halo.

Now, Amazon has released an Alexa with a screen, a "motion tracker." Carney writes, "The latest Amazon Echo doesn’t merely listen to you. It watches you with a camera. And follows you as you walk around."  He adds:

A privacy violation? No doubt! But have you considered the convenience of being able to keep streaming CNN while assembling your salad — or while getting enough steps to keep your Halo from judging you?

CNET.com, about this new Amazon Echo Show 10 says, "People who are creeped out by cameras might have a hard time liking the Echo Show 10. While all the display's data is processed locally on the device and you have the option to turn off motion and physically shutter the camera, it's still a strange feeling when an inanimate object, well, animates."

But, what if we could see ourselves and the way we interact with others, the way that perhaps a Halo or Echo does?  We may not want personal information to end up in the wrong hands, but I would submit that some self-awareness, which could lead to self-control, could be beneficial.  While the Halo may presume to help someone watch his or her tone, we have access to something far more reliable.

Well, we do have an inner guide, a conscience, activated by the Holy Spirit, who will prompt us when our tone is off or when we don't walk in love or violate Scriptural principles, and that's good - when we choose to listen.  The Spirit will convict us of sin and give us the capacity to correct our shortcomings.

We can even learn to "see" ourselves, in a sense, as God sees us.  It's not a camera, but He can give us the realization when we behave in a manner that does not line up with His ways. We can also, through the Word, develop a sense of who we are in Him.  And, we can learn to see others through the eyes of God's love.  Through Him, we can learn more about what it truly means to be holy, not because of ourselves, but because of the presence of Christ in us.  

Through and After the Fire

There will be difficulties we will encounter, even as believers in Christ. Our walk with God does not exempt us from trouble, but He sustains us in our trouble. 2nd Corinthians 4 reminds us:
8 We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed--
10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

This reflects the proper attitude of a believer in crisis.  Yes, there will the storms of life, the fires that we encounter, yet we know God goes with us.  We don't ignore our pain or live in a state of denial - instead, we embrace that we are struggling and allow God to give us His strength, so that we might know His love more deeply.  And, He manifests His love through His people - we are called to be sensitive to needs and allow the Lord to use us to stand with those who struggle.   

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Peter reminds the readers in 1st Peter chapter 4 that tribulation will come, and we can respond by rejoicing. We can read these verses:
12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;
13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.

In times of tragedy, the goodness of God will bring people together.  And, when others are hurting we can reach out to lend a helping hand.

Such was the case of a bivocational pastor in Lenoir City, Tennessee, which is just outside of Knoxville. The Tennessee Baptist publication, The Baptist and Reflector, ran a touching story recently that was also found on the new national website launched by The Alabama Baptist, called, The Baptist Paper.  

In early April, Kenny Palmer, who is a bivocational pastor and a deputy for the Loudon County Sheriff's Department, was informed by a dispatcher one night that his house was on fire. Fortunately, his wife and their youngest son were not home. Their oldest son was with him. Kenny said, “Everything we owned was gone in a moment...” And, he related that he thought, "What do we do now?” But he said, "I knew God would take care of this." One of the losses was, as the article says, "the Bible that he had been given when he was ordained as a deacon and the one he has used since he was called to preach."

But, that's only part of the story - the community, including the family of God, came along side the Palmer family; Kenny relates, “It is a testament to God to see how people have supported us with money, clothing and prayers. God really showed up.”

The article relates that Phil Holmes, director of missions for the Loudon County Baptist Association said, “Several of our churches are taking up special offerings for them. Our association leadership also offered them a sizable donation to help them back on their feet...," adding, "We have seen a very strong outpouring of the love of Christ to bless this amazing family...Thank you to all who donated clothing, gift cards to restaurants and other items while they are staying in a hotel, and thank you for your prayers for the Palmer family.”  Even while the fire was in progress, area pastors were reaching out to their fellow servant, according to the article.

And, God has opened up doors for Kenny Palmer to share his testimony of God's faithfulness during this time of difficulty on local television stations. 

Regarding the support he has seen, Palmer states, “It has been very humbling,” adding, “The Lord will use whoever and whatever to bless His people. He has done that and it has been amazing.”

First of all, as we reflect on this story, it begins with the tragedy.  We will all have adversity enter into our lives.  How we allow it to affect us is key.  Pastor and Deputy Palmer chose to trust God even when he lost his earthly possessions in a fire, yet, he and his family saw the heavenly outpouring of God's faithfulness. 

The tragedy, the fire, was just the beginning of the story. The Palmers' house was burned down, and that could have been regarded merely as a devastating loss, with the family left to pick up the pieces. But, then God showed up.  And, that is also instructive for us - we don't have to draw our own conclusions and get caught up in a human response.  We can trust God and look for His hand, which was certainly all over this situation.

The response of compassion kicked in. And, that is the beauty of the work of the Church - where we see a need, we are called to meet that need. By so doing, we show the world the love of Christ. And, that response gave Kenny Palmer a greater story to tell, as he had the opportunity to relate God's work.

We can recount how God has been present during our times of challenge, and there is the further story to be told of what God did after it.

Simple Gifts

In a tender speech to the elders at Ephesus, the apostle Paul poured out his heart and encouraged those to whom he spoke to be charitable. He proclaimed in Acts 20:
32 So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
33 I have coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel.
34 Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me.
35 I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' " 

As recipients of God's grace, we recognize that He is enough and that He is our provider - we are to not desire what others have, but to be dedicated to work that provides not only for our own needs, but for the needs of others.  The Christian faith has a strong element of giving, predicated on our God, who gave His Son, who gave His life, so that we might have life, and has provided us an abundant life so that we can develop an attitude of being content in His provision and willing to share.

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Jesus invites us to come before Him in humility - like children, we can surrender to His abundant love. Matthew 19 states:
13 Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them.
14 But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven."
15 And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.

Ira Miller is a 104-year-old man who lives in West Virginia.  He cross another milestone back in January when he celebrated his birthday.  But, there's another milestone that he has reached - he has packed 1000 shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child, the initiative of Samaritan's Purse in which shoeboxes full of small gifts are sent to needy children all over the world.

That's according to CBN.com, which reported recently:

For years Miller has devoted his time to packing Christmas boxes for children through Operation Christmas Child. He started packing the shoeboxes at his small church in West Virginia. The congregation usually assembled 35 boxes a year, but in 2016, Miller packed 21 by himself.

Then in 2017, Miller was gearing up to celebrate his 100th birthday and the idea arose for him to pack 100 boxes in honor of his centennial.

His daughter, Debbie Welch assisted him in reaching that mark. Ira says, “I hope [the children] are blessed and realize that God looks after them and that there’s still hope for them..." He is also quoted as saying, "The Lord has blessed me and I still want to do something for the children who don't know the Lord," adding, "I return all my thanks to Him." His grandchildren and great-grandchildren are also part of what has become a family tradition.

And, as CBN relates: "On his 100th birthday, Miller and his family decided to keep track of how many shoeboxes he packed. By the time he turned 104-years-old on Jan. 27, he had reached 1,000 boxes, The Garrett County Republican reports."  And, that's just since he turned a hundred, according to an Instagram post included with the CBN story.

And, the total numbers are in for this past year's Operation Christmas Child effort - 9.1 million shoeboxes were collected in the midst of a worldwide pandemic, according to another CBN.com story.  7.8 million of those were collected in the U.S.  Franklin Graham heads the ministry, and is quoted in the article as saying: "This has been a difficult year for many children around the world...More than ever, they need to be reminded that God loves them and He hasn't forgotten them. I thank God for the incredible team of volunteers who serve year-round to share the hope of the Gospel with children—one shoebox at a time."

More than 570,000 volunteers were reportedly involved in the effort, including 270,000 in the U.S. There were over 4000 collection sites across America, and the story notes, "The new concept of a touch-free, curbside drop-off system for people donating shoebox gifts was introduced which allowed donors to safely contribute to the cause."

Operation Christmas Child has been so effective for a number of reasons.  For one thing, it's simple. Participants pack a shoebox full of toys, school supplies, and other items.  We humans have a tendency to complicate things; Franklin Graham and his team have made things simple. 

Operation Christmas Child also helps to foster cooperation - families can get together and acquire the gifts and assemble the boxes.  Churches organize around the effort and become partners in an effective missions effort.  It's a ministry to children, which appeals to people of all ages who get involved.

It also gives a person an opportunity to play his or her part in the Great Commission.  These boxes get the attention of kids, and when the point is made that this shoebox gift represents the greatest gift that has been made available to anyone - the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ - it resonates with the children.  

We can ask ourselves: where are we serving?  How are we spreading God's love?  Here is one avenue to allow God to manifest His love through someone. 

Surfing Through Adversity

One can look at Proverbs 31 and be challenged, perhaps, or trust in the Lord to produce the characteristics and attitudes that are reflected there. For instance, on this Mother's Day, we can gain a sense of God's equipping for our moms:

26 She opens her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue is the law of kindness.
27 She watches over the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her:
29 "Many daughters have done well, But you excel them all."

Not only do we see certain capabilities that God makes available - to speak with wisdom, to be sensitive to the needs of a household, to be active in doing God's work.  But, we also see how children and fathers can be affirming toward the mothers in their midst.  Children - that means all of us - with mothers, can be complimentary and respectful.  And husbands can be careful to "praise" their wives, as well. In our families, as we are dedicated to bringing praise to God, we can look for ways to praise each other, including our moms.

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There is great advantage in life when we consider the principles of Scripture and show respect to our mothers and fathers.  Respect for parental authority can produce healthy attitudes and actions. Ephesians 6 echoes the Ten Commandments, which are found in Exodus 20, stating:
2 "Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with promise:
3 "that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth."

We can rejoice that God has given us the components through which we can live a life that honors Him, an abundant life even though there may be challenges. We have impedances along the way, yet in our weakness, God is strong.  For instance, the apostle Paul had a "thorn in the flesh," which helped Him to realize God's strength in His own life.  While there may be physical struggles and scars, there are also the spiritual and emotional wounds and losses.  But, through all of them, God is faithful, and He will use our pain to draw Him closer to Himself.

You are probably familiar with the story of Bethany Hamilton: her story is told in the book and movie, Soul Surfer.  She lives life with an impedance: she has only one arm.  She has been and continues to pursuing being a competitive surfer and when she was much younger, she lost that arm in a shark attack.  

At age 31, she is a wife and the mother of three children, the most recent arriving in February. The Movieguide website includes some Instagram material in this section:

“Mom life. Not always smiles. The balance. The ups and downs. The the most beautiful gift but also so incredibly challenging…Sleep deprivation. They cry. They stretch us mentally and emotionally. I cry. But then they smile and coo and nurse sweetly,” Hamilton wrote.

However, Hamilton is grateful to God for the “challenge and joy” of raising children.

“Thankful for this life and the beauty of motherhood. Thankful for my family, friends, my husband and boys,” Hamilton wrote. “Grateful to God to have this beautiful challenge and joy.”

And, as the article notes, she has implemented, as she says, “tricks and adaptations," which "are getting better with each child.” She also related on Instagram, "I use my feet to help with diaper changing, lots of pillows with nursing, a baby carrier all throughout the day and tricky styles of holding to keep baby’s head up.” One key, according to Bethany is to “keep moving forward, have lil breaks and keep it positive!”

This Sunday is the day set aside to honor mothers, although it's a practice that should ideally be done consistently.  We can certainly appreciate the high call that God has given to those who are mothers and realize that not only is the call there, but the ability is, as well.  Guests recently have addressed the incredible equipping that God makes available to those who are called to be mothers, specifically, and how He provides the capability to fulfill that call.

Bethany Hamilton, in addition to demonstrating the heart of a mom, also shows the mechanics of a mom.  There are certain skills that are helpful in raising kids, and she is doing it with only one arm, which is totally amazing.  But, there will be things that could hold all of us back in fulfilling what God has directed us to do - we can depend on the companionship, power, and wisdom of the Lord to sustain us and to flow through us in order to bring Him honor.

Praying By the Numbers

The 2021 National Day of Prayer has, as its theme, “LORD pour out Your LOVE, LIFE, and LIBERTY.” The theme Scripture verse is 2nd Corinthians 3:17 NKJV, which says, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”  

Throughout our nation, people are coming together and joining their hearts together to call out to the Lord.  We certainly need the mercy of God for our nation, and we can cry out for a move of God, that He would, as the theme suggests, pour out those three elements.  We know that a loving God desires to bring people into a saving knowledge of Christ and to give them eternal and abundant life.  And, true liberty - freedom in Christ - poured out in our hearts can transform our lives.  He has set us free and we are free to come together and unite our hearts so that He may be glorified.

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God invites us to come into His presence, to seek His face, and to humbly call out to Him. 1st John 5 can fortify our expectation. In that chapter, we see these words:
14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

This is the day set aside to observe a National Day of Prayer, an American institution that was originally set aside in 1952, directing the President of the United States to set aside such a day.  That's according to the National Day of Prayer Task Force website, which says that in 1988, Congress passed and President Reagan signed the authorization for a National Day of Prayer, to be observed the first Thursday in May. 

This is the 70th annual observance of the National Day of Prayer.  The theme is "Lord, Pour Out Your Life, Love, and Liberty."

The Presidential Prayer Team has partnered with the National Day of Prayer to offer opportunities and encouragement to pray on this special day.  Last year, the Team partnered with George Barna and the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University for a survey on some of the dynamics of the practice of prayer in America; I want to revisit some of that information.

According to a summary on the Prayer Team's website, 45% of adults in America "claims to pray every day." Also, as the summary states, "An additional one out of five (20%) prays at least once a week, but not daily. Almost as many (17%) pray irregularly, with 15% saying they never pray."

The level of involvement and awareness of matters of government and politics is actually stronger for people who pray. The survey found that "Those in the general public who pray regularly are more likely than those who do not to pay “a lot” of attention to news about politics and government. Among people who pray at least once a week, 30% pay a lot of attention to such news compared to just 21% among people who pray less often or never."

Why do people pray? This survey offers some insight. In the general public, people pray because for a number of reasons - here are some of the principal ones:

• 64% of those surveyed say they "believe it is a meaningful way to communicate with God,"
• 57% say "prayer is central to their personal relationship with God,
• and 57% responded that it is one of their ways of worshiping God,
• 55% stated "it helps them to cope with challenging situations," and
• 53% say that "praying gives them reason to hope for a positive resolution to difficult situations."

And, who do people pray for? The survey summary relates, "Respondents in the general public were asked which, if any, of six entities they pray for in a typical week. A majority of adults say they usually pray at least once a week for three of those six: other people they know (75%); the country (61%); and the military (53%)." The other areas are: the President, other governmental officials, and people with whom they disagree.

Almost 4-in-10 of those surveyed said that "God hears and answers all prayers," while only 2-in-10 say that He hears all prayers but will respond according to His will. 

According to this poll, a total of 85% of American adults pray, with almost two-thirds praying at least once a week.  Prayer is not a spectator sport, we have to be in the game, as participants - it's not intended to be casual activity, but consistent in its practice.  James describes the importance of "fervent prayer."

So, we can be challenged to be engaged when we pray, anticipating that God will respond according to His will.  He is not some sort of magic genie who answers everything we ask, no matter how selfish, but He is a loving God who calls us to come before Him with reverence and awe, presenting our requests and confident that He hears. We can be specific with what we present.  And, we can be responsive - giving Him praise for His love, goodness, and faithfulness, and taking action when He directs us.