Day of Prayer

Today (May 5^th 2011), in Christian “gathering places” across America, is the National Day of Prayer. George Washington, father of our country, started this day of prayer, but it was not until 1952 that it was formally established by Congress. Of course, things were far different in 1952, but even then some atheists and imposters fought the idea. Prayer had been the accepted practice in Congress from its very beginning, our forefathers spent much time in prayer.

The phenomenon of prayer was a mystery to me as a child. Born and raised in a Christian home, never exposed to anything but Christianity, I believe my mother told me I started going to church when I was only two weeks old. Both of my parents, all of my grandparents, all of my great grandparents were involved in the same church, which was built by these same ancestors. My young mind was mystified by these real men standing and praying out loud above the congregation... my relatives going to the alter in the front of the church and kneeling in prayer, the pastor on his knees in prayer. Later, I found that this was the greatest power and need in their life. In the supernatural, mystical action, they showed for time and eternity, their faith..... faith, action based on belief, sustained by confidence.

Having lived a long active live, I now understand this definition of faith. I know that God only listens to believers, the only prayer He hears from an unbeliever is a prayer of repentance. The academics, the atheists, those just playing church, those who think they have God fooled are just wasting their time. God requires one thing from us, and one thing only, TRUST. He is in charge of everything, HE IS BOSS.

Once, years ago, already blind, but owning several entrepreneurial businesses, with one of my employees driving, I took several of my managers in my Cadillac up the country to the home where I was born and raised. I showed them the community where my parents, grandparents, etc had farmed for hundreds of years. I remember pointing out to them, from memory, the large consolidated school where I went for 12 years, the smaller school which my father attended, the two-room school which my mother and grandmother attend, and the beautiful old country church which my ancestors built in 1874. Then, at the home place, I showed them the beautiful old home which had been in the family for a very long time.

On the way back, pointing out the large, old cemetery and other things. I said, “can you imagine me plowing mules in these fields? Cutting wood in these extensive woodlands owned by my family?” They were all very quiet, they had never been exposed to family legacy, family heritage. They had never heard their mother pray at the table before a meal. They had finally seen the results of prayer in Christian America. They finally knew that my life had not been accidental, that it is not an accident, a quirk of nature, human beings evolving from pond scum, that many of us have committed our lives to prayer. That our parents, grandparents, ancestors had consecrated their yet unborn progeny through prayer many years ago, that men such as me were just fulfilling the goals that God had already designed and chosen me for...and they, if they had been willing to submit to God, rather than to the world, the flesh, the devil. You serve one of two masters: God or the devil. You cannot serve both, choose you this day whom ye will serve (Joshua 24:15).

Alfred Lord Tennyson, in his poem Morte D'Arthur, said, “more things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.” Perhaps because of my blindness, perhaps because I live alone, perhaps because I have no one else on whom I can depend, I have very definite need for prayer in my life. As long as I can remember, I get up very early in the morning and have a time of prayer about everything, about today's activities, my employees, my family and friends. I know that many of them do not want me praying for them because they do not want God involved in their lives (and that is their problem). I have a time of communion, the Lord's Table, I have a small piece of bread, asking God for healing and the healing of all those who need healing, even the earthquake victims in Japan, New Zealand, Chile, Haiti, the recent tornado victims.

God took all our sicknesses and infirmities to the cross, along with our sins and the sins of the world, the full wrath of God. The wrath that should be imposed on us was afflicted on His only Son, whom He loved (Isaiah 53). The apostle Paul tells us and showed us that Christianity comes with a price, the “marks of the Lord Jesus.” (Galatians 6:17) We are told to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Even our blessed Lord, who had put on a tent of human flesh, dwelled among us, lived a perfect life, had need for prayer, and taught us how to pray (Matthew 6:9-13).

The greatest privilege, the greatest power, that we as Christians (those who claim the name of Christ), have in this world, is prayer. It is not necessary to have a long prayer, Peter said, when He walked on the water, “Lord help me.” If any of you smart people, you academics, you lovers of Satan find a better way, please let this weak, old man know! I have unbelieving family members, relatives, friends who have nothing to say to me anymore because I have told them about their lost condition. Some, who are Democrats, who support the Democrat political machine, may still think they are praying, but anyone who supports the heathenism of abortion, the Satanism of same-sex marriage, the paganism of tax enslavement, Christ has already said, “cannot be His disciple.” (Luke 14:26, Luke 14:17, Luke 14:33).

When you have government, you have government what government can do. When you have education, money, idols you have what they can do. When you have prayer, if you are Christian, and you are doing what He has told us to do, you have what God can do. If anyone reads the newspapers, listens to news broadcasts, has eyes to see what is going on in this world, ears to hear what is going on in this world, and does not think that we need what God can do and claims to be a Christian, you should obey and pray.