Pray for America

Tomorrow is the National Day of Prayer. People in the Stanwood-Camano community will, once again, meet in the parking lot of Haggen from 12:00 till 1:00 p.m. to worship and pray together while people across the country will be praying in similar gatherings throughout the day, focusing on the injunction to "Pray for America," the theme of this year's National Day of Prayer.

We watch, stunned, as each day we see greater evidence of the need for prayer for our nation. It is impossible to listen to the news without recognizing that America is in distress -- economically, politically, spiritually, in our families, our schools, and our neighborhoods.

But I believe there is a need even deeper than our need for reform in our country. It is for revival.

Revival is what happens when men and women of God come to him in humility, crying out for God's forgiveness for sin, for his cleansing, and for his deep work in their lives. It comes when we acknowledge our desperation as individuals and as a church for God himself, when we realize that we cannot do the work of God without the grace and power of God. It comes when we throw ourselves completely on him, allowing him to fill and direct us.

The fruit of revival is manifold, but I believe the greatest evidence of revival is love. When we have met with God and he has revived our souls -- and our churches -- there will be such an outpouring of God's love within the church and into the community that everyone will know that we are his disciples (John 13:35). And we will work to end injustice; we will serve with joy; we will not bicker among ourselves; we will be clean vessels through which the light of Christ can shine.

When God's people are revived in this way, others will be drawn to the light. But until revival comes, we we will not experience the fullness of God's power in our lives or our nation.

I encourage you to pray for America, but don't limit your prayers to one day of the year. Let's make prayer for our nation a part of our daily lives. Let us pray from hearts that are seeking him for revival. Let us allow God to do his work within our own hearts and within the church. Until we seek his face and receive his cleansing we cannot really expect God to heal our land.

Hymn of the Month -- Revive Us Again

   William Paton MacKay (1839-1885) was  the author of the song, Revive Us Again.  His godly mother shared the gospel with him and prayed for him often, but he was unimpressed.  He lived his own life, and studied to be a doctor.

   One day a seriously injured man came to the hospital.  His case seemed hopeless.  Conscious, he asked the doctor how much time he had left to live.  The doctor responded cautiously, then asked if there was any relatives who should be notified.  No relatives, the patient said, but he did request that his landlady send him "The Book."

   The doctor visited the man daily and was impressed by the quiet, happy expression on his face.  After the man died, there were some details that had to be tended to in the presence of the doctor.  Here is the rest of the story as told in the doctor's own words*:

   “What shall we do with this?” the nurse asked holding a book in her hand.
   “What kind of book is it?” I asked.
   “The Bible of the poor man…As long as he was able to read it, he did so, and when he was unable to do so anymore, he kept it under his bed cover.”
    I took the Bible and-could I trust my eyes? It was my own Bible! The Bible which my mother had given me when I left my parent’s home, and which later, when short of money, I sold for a small amount. My name was still in it, written in my mother’s hand…

    With a deep sense of shame I looked upon the precious Book. It had given comfort and refreshing to the unfortunate man in his last hours. It had been a guide to him into eternal life, so that he had been enabled to die in peace and happiness. And this book, the last gift to me from my mother, I had actually sold for a ridiculous price…
   Be it sufficient to say that the regained possession of my Bible was the cause of my conversion.

* See story here

Among the hymns that W.P. MacKay wrote is Revive Us Again  Here it is, sung by a team from the Worship Network.  Yes, Lord, revive us -- as a church and as individuals -- again.