Posted on 11/04/2008 6:36:49 PM PST by joanie-f
When I was a very young child, maybe two or three years old, my Dad hung the painting pictured above on the wall at the head of my bed. Through the years as I grew, I decorated my room with many photos, pennants, pictures, and the like, but that small painting always remained in place.
Many years later, for our tenth anniversary, my husband, Rick, had it re-framed for me (the frame had come to know its share of bumps and bruises over the years), and now, thirty-one years hence, it still hangs on the wall at the head of our bed.
My Dad passed away seven years ago last month. I miss him terribly, but I am thankful that he has not had to witness the devastation of his beloved country that has occurred since his passing. His heart would be heavy with grief and mourning.
Somehow, despite its long nearly sixty-year history, and the loving memories that history rekindles, the message that my Dad's painting portrays -- of the power of prayer, and the need to turn to His Word for guidance and direction -- has intensified in significance for us over the past few months.
Heavenly Father, forgive us for what we have done.
You have prospered our nation for more than two centuries. You have strengthened us when we were weak, provided for us when we were without provision, directed us when we were willing to follow your guidance, blessed us when we were undeserving of blessings.
We have walked far from the path you laid out for us. We have betrayed those who sacrificed so dearly for our benefit. We have become lazy, allowing ourselves to be easily ensnared by carefully-crafted words and empty promises, delivered by men who worship self, who seek to oppress and control their fellow man, and who place no value in truth and goodness.
We have transformed prosperity into decadence; allegiance and duty into indulgence and complacency.
We have taken the gifts that only you can bestow (Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you ... 2 Tim 1:14) and placed them in the hands of men whose will is arbitrary and whose agenda is tyranny. The road ahead is dark, and steep, and fraught with danger –- made intentionally so by those who intend to ‘lead’ us, deceptively, through the fog they have created, and over the minefields they have laid.
Help us to continue to have faith in our own individualism, to insulate ourselves from the cacophony that surrounds us, and to listen for your gentle whispers. For we know that it is in heeding those whispers that our future security lies.
We cling to the knowledge that you work in miracles, when it is your will to do so. We pray that, if it not be praying against that will, you would help us to acknowledge what we have lost, muster the courage to reclaim it, and look to you once again in that endeavor for the strength, wisdom, and guidance and that only you can provide.
Amen.
prayer bump
Thank You Lord for Your love.
Thank You for watching over
us since our country began.
May our country look up to
You again.
Forgive us our sins.
Your will be done.
In Jesus’ Holy name.
Amen.
Prayer ping.
Pray for your soul and don’t blame the rest on yourself cause you tried your best.
I’m here, Cindy....we have SO failed our Lord...
My prayers have been answered.
I get free health care, free food, and other people's money! I hated this hard work. I'd rather stay home, drink beer and be a deadbeat and surf the internet all day. This is a great day for me.
Hide Your Word in our hearts, O Lord, that we might stand for You in the midst of a wicked and perverse generation.
The America I have known for over 70 years is now gone !
Thanks for that post,Joe. It’s a keeper for me.
prayer is power
I concur...
I told God I would praise Him if he saved us from this defeat....
..but if not ...I would praise Him still....and will throughout eternity.
God is sovereign....His Will be done.
His ways are not our ways....His thoughts are not our thoughts...He is Almighty God.
I bless Him for allowing us 6 weeks of hope with Sarah Palin & her precious family...
I still have hope....that God will do mighty things in these uncertain times...
...they are uncertain to us....but not to God...
Don't be afraid of tomorrow.....God is already there.
Thank you, Joanie. Beautifully said as always.
God help us.
AMEN AND GODBLESS!
“For my strength is made perfect in weakness.”
- 2 Corinthians 12:9
A primary qualification for serving God with any amount of success, and
for doing God’s work well and triumphantly, is a sense of our own
weakness. When God’s warrior marches forth to battle, strong in his own
might, when he boasts, “I know that I shall conquer, my own right arm and
my conquering sword shall get unto me the victory,” defeat is not far
distant. God will not go forth with that man who marches in his own
strength. He who reckoneth on victory thus has reckoned wrongly, for “it
is not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.”
They who go forth to fight, boasting of their prowess, shall return with
their gay banners trailed in the dust, and their armour stained with
disgrace. Those who serve God must serve him in his own way, and in his
strength, or he will never accept their service. That which man doth,
unaided by divine strength, God can never own. The mere fruits of the
earth he casteth away; he will only reap that corn, the seed of which was
sown from heaven, watered by grace, and ripened by the sun of divine love.
God will empty out all that thou hast before he will put his own into
thee; he will first clean out thy granaries before he will fill them with
the finest of the wheat. The river of God is full of water; but not one
drop of it flows from earthly springs. God will have no strength used in
his battles but the strength which he himself imparts.
Are you mourning over your own weakness? Take courage, for there must be
a consciousness of weakness before the Lord will give thee victory.
Your emptiness is but the preparation for your being filled, and your
casting down is but the making ready for your lifting up.
“When I am weak then am I strong,
Grace is my shield and Christ my song.”
C.H.SPURGEON
SOLI DEO GLORIA!
I love that prayer!
Last week, I sent an email out to about 50 friends (including our pastor who is a devout/Bible preaching Christian) and asked them to pray for this type of preaching from the pulpits again. I don’t think we’ll see revival until people see their need to repent, and those who warm the pews on Sunday mornings looking for another cozy sermon on “relationships” start hearing again about what God sees as sin and the consequences of sin, in this life and the next! Our culture has become so filthy and dirty that people don’t even know what sin is (oh, they know deep down in their hearts, but it is so covered over and approved of by the outside pop culture that they can make themselves forget.)
God is gracious and merciful but only when we are truly repentant, and I don’t think the church as a whole has been, other than a pretty small part of it. (as mentioned above 29% of so called evangelicals voting for this man - they cannot see the truth because they are living Satan’s lies every day!)
Pray for revival, and pray for pastors to start preaching the hard truths again, BOLDLY, along with God’s mercy and grace, and pray for people’s hearts to be softened so they will hear and repent, and not just get more stubborn and rebellious! Maybe God will use the hard economic times that are in store for us to soften people’s hearts.
Jeremiah 29:11
Psalm 146
1Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul.
2While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.
3Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.
4His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.
5Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:
6Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever:
7Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The LORD looseth the prisoners:
8The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous:
9The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.
10The LORD shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the LORD.
Consecrate yourselves.
Get your households in order.
Purify yourselves and the Church – casting out apostates, wolves in sheep clothing, and those living in unrepentant sin in your midst.
Wake up – Bride of Christ – cease living as though tomorrow is just the same as yesterday.
Tell everyone of the coming wrath. If they will not listen, shake the dust off your sandals and move on quickly. Leave the “calling out” to the LORD.
Do not fear; be of great courage and boldness.
Pray for there to be ears to hear and eyes to see….the Truth. Thy Word is Truth.
Prepare the way of the LORD.
Praise the Worthy Lamb, for His Kingdom is near.
Those words are incredibly true ~ I feel God has directed me to these verses, and wants me to share them:
2 Timothy 3:1-9
1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.
2 People will be lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,
4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God --
5 having a form of godliness but denying it's power. Have nothing to do with them.
6 They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires,
7 always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.
8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth - men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned are rejected.
9 But they will not get very far because, as in the case of these men, their folly will be clear to everyone.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Normally, I am a bit fearful of witnessing to others, because I can't take the rejection if given. But the 2nd coming of the Lord *may* be at hand (no one knows the time), and the Word of God needs to get out there now more than ever:
If you have never had the opportunity to know Jesus Christ and begin a personal relationship with Him, let me share with you one of the greatest gifts you will ever receive. He offers it to you for free, although the price He personally paid was great. You can have this gift this very moment by simply accepting it.
If you would like to begin a new life, and a relationship with Jesus Christ, simply say this prayer from your heart. Jesus is anxiously waiting to meet you! His arms are open wide!
Jesus I know I am a sinner and you are my only hope for restoration. I ask you to come into my life and to direct it. I surrender myself to you completely. I thank you for the great sacrifice you made for all the things I have done wrong. I accept the gift you are offering to me. I desire to have a relationship with You. Come and live within my heart today. Amen.
If you have prayed this prayer today, I would like to suggest that you find a church in your area where you can grow, learn and find fellowship with others who have accepted the gift also.
~ PRAYER ~
St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle
Be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the devil;
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
Thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits
who wander through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen
+
Someone suggested that we all copy this off and start saying it everyday. Yes, it is a Catholic prayer, but it fits the need right now!
This has been haunting me for weeks, also. I just don't get it.
"Not everyone who says to me 'Lord, Lord' shall enter the kingdom of heaven..."
This is all I've been able to come up with. Thanks for the thread, also.
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