National Day of Prayer May 7^th

Equipping: How to Pray for America

WHY PRAY FOR AMERICA?

God is sovereign and nothing comes as a surprise to Him. Whether we face fluctuating economics, threats from abroad, unrest at home, or other troubling circumstances, our Heavenly Father is not caught unaware. Through prayer, we are able to tap into His wisdom, strength, protection, and peace. He stands ready to respond to our needs when we humbly ask for divine intervention in the affairs of men.

As we Pray for America whose pledge of allegiance recounts that we are “one nation under God,” and whose currency states that it is “in God we trust,” we want Americans to encounter the God who rules over their country. “He who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals His thoughts to man, He who turns dawn to darkness, and treads the high places of the earth—the LORD God Almighty is His name.”

—Amos 4:13 NIV

He is the One who gave us this promise in 2 Chronicles 7:14: “If my people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” As we humbly and diligently seek Him, we’ll be changed, and we’ll see transformation in America through prayer!

HOW TO PRAY FOR AMERICA - BY PRAYING INTO SEVEN CENTERS OF INFLUENCE IN OUR NATION

GOVERNMENTMILITARYMEDIABUSINESSEDUCATIONCHURCHFAMILY

Pray for your leaders, as well as the judges in our courts. Ask God to grant them wisdom to act with integrity.

(I Kings 3:28; I Timothy

2:1-2; Exodus 18:21; Proverbs 11:3;

Romans 13:1-2)

To read more on WHY, HOW, and WHAT to pray for the government, visit "Praying for Leaders and Elected Officials in Government"

Federal Government

Consider praying for our President, Vice President, Cabinet Members, Congressional Leaders, Supreme Court Justices

State Government

Consider praying for your Governor, Executive Leaders, Legislative Leaders, Judicial Leaders

Local Government

Consider praying for your Mayor, City Counsel, Police Chief, Fire Chief, Judges, County Officials

Pain forms a wave

speeding toward me

I have no home

no place to go

not Maine

not West Virginia

not Tennessee

not anywhere

Where shall I go

God says wherever

God is there before

God is there during

God is there after

there anytime God is

Where shall I go

I have no home

no place to go

I am lost again

no place to go

not anywhere

 May 4

Isaiah 20:5 “Then they shall be afraid and ashamed of Ethiopia their expectation and Egypt their glory.

Who do they mean by Ethiopia?

Who do they mean by Egypt?

Who is afraid of them?

Why are they afraid of them?

Fear my enemies

Fear my friends

Fear my God

Fear destroys me

What have I become

don't know myself

I have lost myself

no longer have self

What have I become

my self is totally lost

my soul is dying lost

mind completely lost

What have I become

I DO NOT KNOW

May 3

Isaiah 17:4 “In that day it shall come to pass That the glory of Jacob will wane, And the fatness of his flesh grow lean.

What is meant by:

In that day

it shall come to pass

Who is Jacob?

What does the waning of their glory have to do the leanness of them?

I turned from God

I lost my glory

I do become less

I shrink in myself

Fed by storms clouds turns wind

quickly forming rotation of wind

faster and faster rotates the wind

Soon rotating wind forms a funnel

touching down see tornadoes funnel

mindless movement dangerous funnel

Funnel ripping bringing devastation

homes, towns, people face devastation

praying, hiding, fearing devastation

Carefully look to see what left behind

weep seeing what tornado left behind

loss, destruction and grief left behind

Lives lost by storm families do grieve

loss of physical memories we do grieve

storm rips from us safety and we grieve

May 2

Isaiah 17:3 The fortress also will cease from Ephraim, The kingdom from Damascus, And the remnant of Syria;

Meditate on this verse.

Who are these nations?

Why are they being punished?

Define

fortress

kingdom

remnant

I will punish your enemies says God

I will punish each based on their sin

I will punish as only I can says God

I will punish if you do it is your sin

Dealing with addiction

Triggers
H ungry    recognize your physical, spiritual and emotional needs.
A ngry      am I angry at others, myself or God?
L onley     am I cut off from others and/or God?
T ired       recognize weariness leaves me open to temptation.
S hame     have I been shamed by others or even myself?

{Recognize these triggers are not an excuse or reason to fail but I still have responsibility for my actions or inaction!}

Helps
R ecognize         what is happening and take the opportunity to respond with God's strength.
A llow                 life to be as it is and seek to deal with my addiction, not life's situations.
I nvestigate inner experience      see how your emotional and spiritual opened you to your
with kindness                                  addiction.
N on-identification/Natural         build and strengthen your self and situational awareness.
awareness                                      while called natural this awareness must be strengthened.

May 1

Isaiah 16:14 But now the LORD has spoken, saying, “Within three years, as the years of a hired man, the glory of Moab will be despised with all that great multitude, and the remnant will be very small and feeble.”

Who is Moab?

What does this prophecy mean?

What is the difference between three years and as the years of a hired man?

Why are my enemies strong

Will God defeat me enemies

God's plan is never wrong

In His time to defeat enemies

War

There is no honor in war but only destruction

a generation dies murdering later generations

lives are sacrificed on the altar of human lust

death becomes honorable taking life’s place

killing becomes an act of bravery and honor

those honoring life are persecuted as cowards

But war imposed imposes death on peace

people of life must use death to protect life

those who die for life should be honored

those who sacrifice for life should be honored

war only has meaning when defending life

April 30

Isaiah 14:18 “All the kings of the nations, All of them, sleep in glory, Everyone in his own house;

Meditate on this verse.

What does this verse mean?

How does Jesus fit with this verse?

Born in a stable

To Egypt He fled

Nazareth His home

on hill Jesus bled

My enemy has fallen

should I lift my voice

My enemy has fallen

should I at fall rejoice

My enemy has fallen

should I live in fear

My enemy has fallen

My own fall is near

My enemy has fallen

should care for them

My enemy has fallen

who cares if I'm them

April 29

Isaiah 13:19 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, The beauty of the Chaldeans’ pride, Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.

Discover who Babylon was and where they were located.

Discover who the Chaldeans were and where they were located.

Discover the story of Sodom and Gomorrah.

The history of humanity

is His-story beyond history

of God punishing our sin

so we can begin again

 

Memorial Day 2020

I saw men die                              and I died

I saw through propellers                and I was shredded

I held another's skin                     and I became raw

I pieced person parts                     and I shattered

I drank to live                             and I drank to die

I hid the pain                             and the pain festered

I hid who I was                           and lost who I am

I lied to myself                            and became a lie

I was supposed to die                  why didn’t I

I was not able to have children     why did I

I was not to live long                  why didn’t I

I was supposed to forget                  why didn’t I

I have failed my wife

I have failed my children

I have failed my God

I have failed my life

April 28

Isaiah 10:18 And it will consume the glory of his forest and of his fruitful field, Both soul and body; And they will be as when a sick man wastes away.

Why does God allow the consuming of forest and fruitful field?

What does Both soul and body mean?

Where on earth do you see people who like a sick man wastes away?

Why in those places and not others?

I am wasted away

Both soul and body

Field and forest bare

Sick and wasted away

April 27

Isaiah 10:16 Therefore the Lord, the Lord of hosts, Will send leanness among his fat ones; And under his glory He will kindle a burning Like the burning of a fire.

What does it mean the Lord, the Lord of hosts, Will send leanness among his fat ones?

Why would God do this?

And under his glory He will kindle a burning Like the burning of a fire. Does this mean sin is the reason of climate change?

From times of plenty

to times of great need

to burning like a fire

sins punishment seed

Prayer is

Prayer is my breathing You in my Heart and then You breathing out.

Prayer is a friend enjoying time with a Friend.

Prayer is God finishing your sentence and beginning the next one.

Prayer is unloading my guilt, fear and sin onto He who already bore it.

Prayer is "bringing the pains of earth to heaven’s door." (Wayne Watson)

Prayer is at its best when you run out of words.

Prayer is when You hug me and I can make You smile.

Prayer let's God peel the scales of self from my eyes to see others and their pain.

Prayer opens me to see the glory of God rather than the power of evil.

Prayer let's me touch people around the world with the power of God.

Prayer makes me homesick for heaven, a place I long to be.

Prayer is telling God before anyone else.

Prayer is releasing Gods' holy power into a fallen and broken world.

Prayer is the source of power, grace, love, faith and hope in Jesus Christ.

Prayer is humbly admitting I can't and that I need God.

Prayer is God's way of helping us to love our enemies. It is hard to hate someone you are really praying for.

Prayer is God's attempt to remind me everything He did was so He could walk with me again.

Prayer is despair seeking hope and joy expressed to He who is the source.

Prayer is revealing your heart to He who knows it best.

Prayer is how God makes you more like Him.

Prayer is how you touch the glory of God!

Prayer is sitting in your Daddy's lap!

Prayer in not something a Christian can do but something we must!

Prayer is more than what you do, it is who you are!

Prayer is freedom for the prisoners, healing for the sick, love for the lonely, and life for the dying.

Prayer is our introduction to God and who we really are.

Prayer is how we discover who God wants us to be.

Prayer is my attempt to reach God who already reached out to me.

Prayer is when the Trinity is experienced as I pray to the Father, by the Holy Spirit in the Name and authority of Jesus Christ!

Prayer unites me with those I pray with in an intimate way.

Prayer is not long Distance because God is with and in me.

What is prayer to you? Is it hard to do?

Does God speak to you? To be as well as do?

This too shall pass

God's promising word

Let by all be heard

All that is shall pass

This too shall pass

Times of plenty pass

Times of health pass

All that is shall pass

This too shall pass

Times of want pass

Times of sickness pass

All that is shall pass

April 26

Isaiah 10:12 Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Lord has performed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, that He will say, “I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks.”

Meditate on this verse.

What work is God performing on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem?

What work is God performing on you?

Why is God going to punish the King of Assyria?

Why in this way?

God is working on me

working to set me free

don't judge my enemy

God is working on me

April 25

Isaiah 10:3 What will you do in the day of punishment, And in the desolation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? And where will you leave your glory?

What is the day of punishment?

What is desolation which will come from afar?

To whom will you flee for help?

And where will you leave your glory?

Where will I go

when troubles near

Where will I flee

in time of great fear

My enemy is merciless

raping and pillaging

killing and destroying

in the name of their God

My enemy is merciless

tearing down the walls

laughing at fearful calls

in the name of their God

My enemy is merciless

my strength is failing

my soul is drying up

where are You my God

April 24

Isaiah 8:7 Now therefore, behold, the Lord brings up over them The waters of the River, strong and mighty—The king of Assyria and all his glory; He will go up over all his channels And go over all his banks.

Does this seem similar to another Old Testament story?

What if any?

Who were the Assyrians?

God calls our enemies

to destruction are called

God is our loving LORD

to love Him we're called

Holy 06944 קֹדֶשׁ‎ qodesh ko’-desh AV-holy 262, sanctuary 68, (holy, hallowed, … ) things 52, most 44, holiness 30, dedicated 5, hallowed 3, consecrated 1, misc 3; 468

1) apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness

1a) apartness, sacredness, holiness

1a1) of God

1a2) of places

1a3) of things

1b) set-apartness, separateness

From Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

1. Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!

   See definition oh Holy above – Shaddai God almighty
   Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee.

   Begin the day by singing of God's holiness and grace
   Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty,

   See definition oh Holy above – God is the perfect balance of power and mercy
   God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

The Trinity is The Lord our God is one, in three persons of Father, Son and Holy Spirit

2. Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee,

   See definition oh Holy above – Saints who are, were and shall be
   Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;

   We will receive crowns which we will lay at the feet of Jesus who enabled us
   Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,

   Angelic beings protecting Eden and God's Throne – Angelic beings with six wings and human voices who protect God's Throne
   Which wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.

Time which was created by the Triune God is also a Trinity. God is beyond time

3. Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide Thee,

   See definition oh Holy above – God has placed a veil (like in the Temple) to protect us from seeing Him directly
   Tho' the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;

   If we see God directly we will die
   Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,

   God alone is holy and is above all of Creation
   Perfect in power, in love and purity.

God is even perfection in trinity

4. Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!

   See definition oh Holy above – Shaddai God almighty
   Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee.

   Begin the day by singing of God's holiness and grace
   All Thy works shall praise Thy name, in earth and sky and sea.

   Again we see the trinity this time of Creation – All Creation joins in worship
   Holy, holy, holy, Merciful and mighty,

   See definition oh Holy above – God is the perfect balance of power and mercy
   God in three Persons, blessed Trinity.

   The Trinity is The Lord our God is one, in three persons of Father, Son and Holy Spirit

Author Reginald Heber