Tag Archives: Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; P.G. – Take Your Place

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One of America’s founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton, said, “Those who stand for nothing fall for anything.” Bible commentator Mathew Henry added, “A Christian is always in danger. By his faith alone, he will be able to keep his ground.”

Stand up and bless the Lord your God from everlasting to everlasting.

Nehemiah 9:5

While religious persecution runs at high pitch in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, American Christians are sheltered from physical onslaught. Yet atheist and other anti-faith groups want to abolish God from the public square, dismantle memorial crosses that honor veterans, and destroy ages-old sanctities of marriage and life. Those who serve God and the cause of Christ can no longer sit in idleness on the sidelines. As with the people of Nehemiah’s day, Christians need to confess their sins and stand up, boldly proclaiming that they belong to God.

The coming year shows no promise of a let-up by your adversary. Are you ready in 2015 to take your place – with the jailed pastor in Iran, Christian aid worker in Liberia, and the teenage girl in New Jersey fighting to keep the right to say “under God” in her Pledge? Prayerfully consider your watchfulness, your depth of faith, and your willingness to be among those who stand.

Recommended Reading: Nehemiah 9:1-6

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; J.R. – Foregoing Frivolity

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Every trial lawyer worth his or her salt is intimately familiar with a legal volume entitled Rules of Civil Procedure. It is a courtroom bible of sorts that spells out how pleadings and proceedings are to be conducted. And every lawyer knows about Rule 11, which says, in essence, that lawsuits must be brought in good faith. Arguments may not be presented which are “frivolous” or brought for “any improper purpose such as to harass, cause unnecessary delay, or needlessly increase the cost of litigation.”

There is one body and one spirit.

Ephesians 4:4

Wouldn‘t it be nice if Christians also would commit to avoiding frivolous arguments? For God’s will and purposes to be fulfilled in America over the coming year, followers of Christ must set aside non-essential disagreements and focus on the enemy at hand. The apostle Paul was no doubt thinking of infighting among believers when he reminded the church at Ephesus that there is “one body and one spirit.”

As you pray today, ask God to help those who call Him Lord to set aside petty spats and get on the same page. If Christians stand together with one voice in 2015 for biblical truth and values, the impact on Congress, the White House and the nation will be overwhelming!

Recommended Reading: John 13:31-35

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; G.C. – Day After Day

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Is it healthy to eat the same meal every day? The answer is obvious – only if it’s a healthy meal! Aristotle said “We are what we repeatedly do.” At the conclusion of the book of Daniel, he is talking with a messenger from God. After having an amazing vision about how the end of days will take place, Daniel is a little perplexed about what to do with the revelation. The messenger tells Daniel to “go his way,” not so much in reference to physically walking away, but more along the notion of moving forward in his thinking.

Many shall purify themselves…but the wicked shall act wickedly.

Daniel 12:10

Sometimes it’s hard to understand what you see happening around the world: the suffering has no sufficient explanation or resolution. Scripture says when believers suffer it is never wasted: the pain will be redeemed and used for God’s great purposes. The Bible also says the wicked will go on being wicked – count on it. It’s like someone choosing to eat the same unhealthy meal every day.

Today, if you are distressed by the evil you see, first pray and then let your mind rest in the faith that, every day, God’s plan is still in place.

Recommended Reading: II Peter 2:4-9

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; H.L.M.- Exalt Righteousness

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Susan Schriver recently initiated a petition for a major toy store chain to remove a line of toys that glorifies drug dealers. This Florida mom admonished the store for selling dolls that held a detachable sack of cash and a bag of drugs. Schriver was a guest on the Today Show and stated that “anything to do with drugs” should not be sold in a toy store. Her petition obtained signatures from more than 9,000 supporters and the company eventually pulled the toys off their shelves and their website.

Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice.

I Samuel 15:22

Proverbs 14:34 says, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” When you put your faith in Christ, you received a new nature – one of holiness and righteousness. As you depend more upon the power of the Holy Spirit, His righteousness flows out of you through your words and actions. That positions you to be able to express your moral beliefs in ways that can make a practical and noticeable difference in the society in which you live.

Ask God to help you separate the unrighteous morals of culture and exchange them for godly ways. Pray the same for Christians across this nation so God’s foundation of righteousness will be restored in America.

Recommended Reading: Ephesians 4:17-28

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; C.H. – No Stamps Necessary

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This time of year, millions of children pour through toy catalogs and carefully pen letters to the jolly old man in the red suit. “Dear Santa, I’ve been good this year…” They begin their letters with an accounting of their behavior in the hope of earning items on their wish list. Once the post is mailed to the North Pole, children all over America will count the days until Christmas morning, waiting to see if their requests are granted.

But if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him.

John 9:31

While a fun tradition for many, there is only One who gives the ultimate gift and you don’t have to earn it with good behavior – God. When you praise Him with your life and are obedient to His calling, your Heavenly Father hears when you pray. You won’t need to mail a letter.

Remember the true reason you celebrate the season. Give the ultimate gift this year by sharing God’s love and truth with someone. Help them see how His great plan of salvation for the world came in the form of a baby. Pray, too, for Americans to recognize their Creator and discover how He can grant their most heartfelt requests.

Recommended Reading: Psalm 145:8-21

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Snug As A Bug In A Rug!

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Psalm 91:9-16

I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. —Psalm 4:8

When I was a child, my family lived in a house my father built in the cedar breaks west of Duncanville, Texas. Our house had a small kitchen-dinette area, two bedrooms, and a great room with a large stone fireplace in which we burned 2-foot-long cedar logs. That fireplace was the center of warmth in our home.

There were five people in our family: my father and mother, my sister, my cousin, and me. Since we had only two bedrooms, I slept year-round on a porch with canvas screens that rolled down to the floor. Summers were delightful; winters were cold.

I remember dashing from the warmth of the living room onto the porch, tiptoeing across the frost-covered plank floor in my bare feet, leaping into bed and burrowing under a great mountain of blankets. Then, when hail, sleet, or snow lashed our house and the wind howled through the eaves like a pack of wolves, I snuggled down in sheltered rest. “Snug as a bug in a rug,” my mother used to say. I doubt that any child ever felt so warm and secure.

Now I know the greatest security of all: God Himself. I can “lie down in peace, and sleep” (Ps. 4:8), knowing that He is my shelter from the stinging storms of life. Enveloped in the warmth of His love, I’m snug as a bug in a rug. —David Roper

Leaning, leaning,

Safe and secure from all alarms;

Leaning, leaning,

Leaning on the everlasting arms. —Hoffman

No one is more secure than those who are in God’s hands.

Bible in a year: Hosea 9-11; Revelation 3

Insight

Psalm 91 celebrates the safety and security of those who trust in God, who have made the Lord (the Most High) their refuge, fortress, and dwelling place (vv.2,9). The psalmist affirms that our God is powerful and faithful and therefore trustworthy (vv.1-8). He also testifies of God’s protection and deliverance in a dangerous and destructive world (vv.9-16). In the New Testament, Satan misquoted verses 11-12 to tempt Jesus to test God’s protection by jumping from the top of the temple (Matt. 4:6). In response, Jesus says that God’s promise is for those who love and obey Him (Ps. 91:14-15) and not for those who presume upon God’s grace (Matt. 4:7).

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; G.C. – Becoming

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If the adage “you are what you eat” is true, why don’t salad eaters have lettuce for hair or meat eaters have bacon for brains? The reality is a little more complicated. Modern psychology calls it “change blindness” – the tendency of people not to see small changes over time. A salad eater may indeed wake up one day to find a slimmer waistline, and the bacon eater may notice a slight heart palpation after that same time. The change happened, but the process wasn’t really noticed.

They went after false idols and became false.

II Kings 17:15

In the Bible, the ancient Israelite nation was crumbling under persecution after God’s people had given up their faith and began to follow pagan practices. You might think after they had seen the Lord miraculously defeat a mighty Pharaoh and deliver them from slavery, they would never forget their powerful God; but that does not account for change blindness. Life was hard for the Israelites, living among people that did not acknowledge their God. Instead of challenging the situation as the Lord had instructed, they stayed silent. Slowly, over time, they became just like their enemies.

Today, pray for faithful believers in the nation to stay strong, standing for God’s purposes. Have faith that, over time, America will become what you pray for.

Recommended Reading: Philippians 3:8-21

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; C.P.- Love Preoccupation

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Peter had a vision that seemed contrary to God’s Word itself. When a spread of potential detestable foods was set before him and he heard a voice, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat,” Peter’s revulsion was so stark he argued with God. “By no means, Lord; for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth.” The Lord replied, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” (Acts 11:7-9) Peter was soon to find out that this wasn’t all about food, but people.

He exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose.

Acts 11:23

God made it clear in the following days that His salvation was not only intended for the Jewish people, but for everyone. God’s purpose is to love people and unite with them so that, as Jesus prayed, “the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” (John 17:26)

This holiday season, express your thanks for God’s loving gift of salvation in Christ. Remember that love is greater than food, gifts and all those details that can preoccupy you this time of the year. Pray, too, for the nation’s citizens and leaders to develop hearts that love God and love others.

Recommended Reading: John 17:20-26

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; H.L.M. – God’s Purpose

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Kara Tippetts is a 38-year-old married mother of four who understands the fear and pain of stage four cancer diagnosis. Yet Kara’s approach to her illness has been to rest in the grace of God and to find power in living faithfully moment by moment, squeezing the goodness out of each day.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good.

Romans 8:28

“We thought my pastor-husband and I would help the broken,” Kara says. “But Jesus planned for us to be the broken. We opened our hands to strength and grasped the weakness handed to us. From the despair, beauty was born. We were invited to dine at the table of those who came with us and salt our every meal with our own tears.”

The sufferings endured by followers of Christ are neither in vain nor outside of God’s sovereign control. In fact, those who “are called according to his purpose” learn to accept, not resent, pain and persecution because God is with them.

Thank the Lord for the Christian leaders in this nation who are shining examples of God’s faithfulness despite difficult circumstances. Pray that many people would come to embrace Jesus Christ as a result.

Recommended Reading: Romans 8:26-39

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Presidential Prayer Team; J.R. – Death Defying Determination

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Ezekiel J. Emanuel created much discussion and controversy recently when he authored an article entitled “Why I Hope to Die at 75.” The now-57-year-old oncologist makes the argument that creativity shrinks, health erodes and usefulness to society diminishes with old age, and therefore he sees no point in hanging around for octogenarianism. Dr. Emanuel makes his declarations with great logic and determination, but only time will tell if he retains his viewpoint when he reaches the appointed age.

He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age.

Ruth 4:15

There’s nothing in Scripture to support the notion that you should be put out to pasture at any age. You can be sure that God will call you home when your purpose is fulfilled, but in the meantime, He has work for you. Creaky knees, a weak heart, or any other ailments of old age may mean you can’t move with the swiftness of a college athlete anymore, but so what? “Do what you can,” as President Theodore Roosevelt said, “with what you have, where you are.”

And as you pray today for America, consider how you can be a “restorer” and “nourisher” by looking for opportunities to help a senior saint fulfill his or her purpose.

Recommended Reading: Exodus 7:1-7

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; A.W. – Accepting the Job

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Have you ever hired someone for a job? If so, what qualities did you look for in a candidate? Entrepreneur Magazine recently shared 30 secrets for hiring the right person. The list included belief in the mission, being passionate about the purpose, having integrity and a humble attitude, and caring about helping others.

Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.

Luke 1:38

Did you know God has a job for you – and He’s looking for these same qualities? God uses people to accomplish His will on Earth (Philippians 2:13). In today’s scripture, the Lord chose Mary for a very specific part of His plan: to be the mother of Jesus. Mary responded to the angel Gabriel’s news by believing what he said, passionately singing praises to God and humbly accepting the role God asked her to fill.

Is the Lord calling you to a specific purpose to accomplish His will? If so, how are you responding? Pray today for God to clearly make His will known to you and to empower you to respond as Mary did. Pray also for the country’s leaders to seek God’s will and purposes the nation.

Recommended Reading: II Peter 1:3-11

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Presidential Prayer Team; P.G. – Sweet Aroma

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Pearl Harbor: in 1941, the scene of a surprise attack by Japan that helped lead America into World War II. On that day, acrid, choking smoke filled the air. If you have been fortunate enough to visit that scene more recently, you cannot help but inhale the wafting sweetness of tuberose, jasmine, and hibiscus. The fragrances spread freely – a sensory gift from the islands.

But thanks be to God, who in Christ…spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.

II Corinthians 2:14

In 2015, when the rotting stench of terrorism and authoritarianism cover much of the world, and religious freedoms are at global peril, consider that God has called America…and, in particular, American Christians…to sweetly represent Him in such a way that knowledge of the Lord permeates from distant villages to near metropolises. Too big an undertaking, you say?

Pass these sniff tests. Rather than being consumed with the “sweet smell of success,” let your life be fragrant with sincerity, sacrifice, and service. God doesn’t require great things from you. A cup of cold water in my name, Jesus said (Mark 9:41). To the one who receives it, it’s as glorious as a lei of tuberoses.

Recommended Reading: II Corinthians 2:15-3:3

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; C.H.- A Plan for Hope

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When Henry Wadsworth Longfellow penned the words to “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,” he was grieving deeply. His wife had died three years earlier and his country was in the depths of the Civil War – brother against brother. The poet wrote, “And in despair I bowed my head; ‘There is no peace on Earth,’ I said; For hate is strong, and mocks the song; Of peace on Earth, good will to men!”

She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.

Matthew 1:21

However, the hope in today’s verse caused Wadsworth to continue writing. “Then pealed the bells more loud and deep; God is not dead, nor doth He sleep; The wrong shall fail, the right prevail; With peace on Earth, good will to men.” While many in America are suffering this Christmas, there is healing. The birth of Jesus brought hope to a hurt and dying world.

God’s great plan for humanity was to send His son. “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) Pray for all in America – both leaders and citizens – to find and experience His love and salvation this Christmas.

Recommended Reading: Romans 6:15-23

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Our Helper in Prayer

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Charles Stanley

Romans 8:26-27

Christians need the Holy Spirit’s help in prayer. At times in our journey of faith, we’ll find that we cannot . . .

  • Find the right words
  • Discern God’s will
  • Recognize what He is doing, or
  • Grasp the complexity of a situation.

Periods of struggle in prayer are normal for believers. Few of us are as eloquent as the psalmist David—especially when we are confused, distressed, or weary. So let’s look at two biblical examples of prayer in challenging situations.

First, notice that in today’s reading, the apostle Paul admits to feeling weak in his prayer life. His well-known request was for God to remove a “thorn in the flesh” (2 Cor. 12:7). Paul pleaded desperately—and probably with great effort—for relief. With the Spirit’s help, he came to understand the Lord’s call to endure in spite of pain.

A second example is Jesus Christ’s agonized prayer the night before His crucifixion. Although He was committed to doing His Father’s will, He dreaded the immeasurable spiritual suffering that lay ahead. Crying out to God from Gethsemane, the Savior uttered this urgent sentence: “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will” (Matt. 26:39).

God knew we’d need help in prayer. With our limited human perspective, we cannot know all aspects of the situations facing us. But the Holy Spirit understands our needs and burdens—as well as the big picture. He carries our requests to God even when we can’t adequately express them.

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; G.C. – Don’t Forget

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ppt_seal01What would it take for you to forget God? In ancient times God’s people, Israel, had no land of their own; they were slaves in Egypt. The Lord performed amazing miracles to lead three million of His chosen ones to a specific place He called their forever home.

There arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.

Judges 2:10

Once there, God gave them a personal guarantee and a formula for success: remove all squatters and, as soon as the land was cleared, He would be their King and they would live in peace. However, when the people of Israel met the occupiers, they found a sophisticated people who were cruel in war but dedicated to lavish living and indulging in every pleasure. Unsurprisingly, the Israelites found it much easier to join their party than start a war. In the span of one generation, the words of today’s verse became reality. They had forgotten God.

As you pray for America today, specifically intercede for coming generations. Pray they will seek God and His purposes. Do your part to make sure America’s future citizens do not forget the faithful One, but instead speak of Him and His love.

Recommended Reading: Psalm 22:22-31

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; C.P. – Watch Your Intentions

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ppt_seal01Phrases such as, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions,” gives “good intentions” a bad connotation. “At least they had good intentions” usually isn’t a compliment. But good deeds begin primarily with a heart and mind set on doing God’s will. Despite the evil crime Joseph’s brothers committed by selling Joseph into slavery, the Lord intended it for Israel’s deliverance.

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.

Genesis 50:20

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10) Intend to do good this holiday season by planning acts of kindness; carry through with your intentions. How can you use your talents, abilities and possessions to help someone? Holidays are often stressful. An extra dose of patience and kindness might be all a person needs to get them through the day.

Pray to the Lord that, like He did with Joseph and Israel, He will turn the bad things in your life and in this nation for the good. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:17)

Recommended Reading: Luke 6:37-49

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Presidential Prayer Team; C.H. – Act Two

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The characters – a young, pregnant Jewish girl and her new husband. The setting – a dingy stable. The scene – the smell of animals permeates the air as the Savior of the world is born and placed in a manger. When the prophet Isaiah foretold the coming of the Messiah, no one expected His arrival to be like this. God often uses the unlikely to fulfill His purposes.

But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.

Exodus 9:16

In today’s passage, God used Pharaoh for His plan. When Moses asked for the release of his people, “the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh.” (Exodus 9:12) In doing so, the Lord was able to display His power. Since God is “the same yesterday and today and forever,” (Hebrews 13:8) you can be certain He still uses the unlikely to accomplish His will.

As the curtain falls on 2014, you may be wondering what the new year holds for America. Remember, the Lord is in control and can use even the most implausible circumstances to reveal His glory. Ask God to help you recognize His hand in the future, and pray for your nation and its leaders to turn back to Him.

Recommended Reading: Exodus 12:21-32

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Presidential Prayer Team; J.R. – Presidential Pass Over

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Some speeches are better than others. One U.S. president gave a speech that was considered so pathetic by members of the press that they didn’t even bother to report what was said. “We pass over the silly remarks of the President,” wrote the reporter for a Pennsylvania newspaper. “For the credit of the nation we are willing that the veil of oblivion shall be dropped over them, and they shall be no more repeated or thought of.”

And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

Mark 13:13

The president who was the subject of this attack was named Abraham Lincoln. The speech in question was the Gettysburg Address. Though revered as perhaps our greatest leader, it’s easy to forget that Lincoln was despised by many in his day.

Popularity is not important. Perseverance is. Your biblical beliefs are sure to draw opposition and scorn…maybe even hatred. Jesus knows all about that, and He will make things right in His time. For now, continue in God’s will and endure. As you pray for your senators and representatives today, ask the Lord to give them the courage and conviction to choose godly principle over popularity, lest a “veil of oblivion” descend upon America.

Recommended Reading: Romans 5:1-11

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Presidential Prayer Team; P.G. – Prepare and Press On

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In the weeks since America’s midterm elections, men and women who’ve won hard-fought campaigns are preparing to take their oath of office. What thoughts must go through their minds as they transition from political pugilist to lawmaker?

Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.

Joshua 1:5

One might well imagine the realigning thoughts of God’s man Joshua as he shifted from aide to commander, from assistant to leader of the people of Israel. Just as today’s politicians can rely on the experiences of others who have gone before them, Joshua had God’s promise of His presence, just as He’d been there for Moses.

In the same way that Joshua told the people to prepare, the Lord has given guidance to you for today and tomorrow, and the promise of His eternal presence. His instruction to Joshua to follow His teachings is the same directive He gives you. Finally, just as Joshua needed courage to enter a land he didn’t know, it may take courage for you to trust for the success of these new lawmakers as they enter Congress’ oft-divided hall. As you pray this month, repeatedly ask God to help each new senator and representative as they press on.

Recommended Reading: Joshua 1:1-11

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Presidential Prayer Team; C.P. – Responsibility

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When God called Ezekiel to speak to Israel, He strictly warned him that if he didn’t declare His message, He would hold him responsible. He also forewarned Ezekiel that Israel wasn’t going to listen to him. Ezekiel may have wondered, then, why God sent him to preach in the first place. If he did question it, Ezekiel nevertheless obeyed, trusting in God’s direction and purposes.

Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel.

Ezekiel 3:17

Though God knew Israel, as a whole, would not turn to Him, He gave individuals opportunity to repent. “But if you warn the righteous person not to sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning, and you will have delivered your soul.” (Ezekiel 3:21) The gospel message is one of repentance and salvation (Mark 16:15-16).

Take responsibility every day to pray for United States citizens and leaders to turn to God in obedience. Trust Him for His answers. Thank the Lord for the leaders who do serve in ways that please Him…and be careful to take responsibility by being ready to reply to anyone “who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.” (I Peter 3:15)

Recommended Reading: I Peter 3:8-17