I Had to Post This!
The call to prayer for revival in our nation is gaining ground. Just in from my friend, David Patterson, is the following blog by Dr. Jack Hayford. In my last blog, I stated that the feel of another revival was with me and that I, along with others, was beginning to pray again with faith, and now, I am hearing the same from others who are more well known and respected than I. Here is what Pastor Jack has to say:
SOUNDING AN ALARM by Dr. Jack Hayford
Dear Friend,
Although I am not, by nature, an alarmist, I am
writing you today to sound an alarm. To alert you to a danger that has arisen
in America in this hour, and to encourage you to respond to it with
faith-filled action.
What I am about to say, I believe comes not just
from me but from the heart of the Holy Spirit. I am convinced He is speaking to
us these days with great urgency and intensity. As we move through this 4th of
July season, and are mindful of the blessings God has poured out upon America,
the Lord Himself is sounding the alarm
He is re-awakening us, as Christians in America,
to a call that is fundamental to the ministry of every believer. He is alerting
us to the danger we face and, for the sake of our country's future, He is calling
us to do the only thing that can avert it.
He is calling us back to the ministry of
intercession.
For the past 20 years or so, the church in
America has drifted away from this ministry. You may not be aware of it if
you're younger than I am (and, given my current age, most likely you are). But
from my vantage point the change is unmistakable.
In my early years when I began pastoring,
intercessory prayer was woven into the very fabric of the church. Our
congregation at Church on the Way, like many others, was very much "into
it," (as we might have said back then) not because intercession was hip or
popular, but because in those days it was considered foundational to the
Christian life.
Sadly, however, this is no longer the case.
Interceding congregations are scarce these days.
The praying church in our nation has declined.
We are considerably distanced from the intercessory pattern that characterized
the lives of believers 30 or 40 years ago. Although there are believers here
and there who still know a good deal about it, multitudes of Christians don't.
Even some of those who have been faithful intercessors in the past have let it
slip. Rather than continuing to watch and pray, some have drifted off to sleep.
I don't mean to be melodramatic, loved one, but
this is the unvarnished truth: Neglecting the ministry of intercession has cost
us dearly. It has taken a great toll, not just on the church, but on our entire
nation.
We see the evidence of it all around us:
Economic and governmental problems too numerous to mention, a disregard for
Biblical values in our culture, an absence of the fear of the Lord. As
believers, we are all disappointed and frustrated by such conditions and are
quick to voice our dismay. We call for political action. We talk about getting
out the vote and booting out of office the politicians and government officials
who got us into this mess.
But the scriptural reality is politicians and
government officials are not the cause of our problems.
America is in the condition it's in today
because of the prayerlessness of the church!
Our nation is spiritually and morally sick because so many Christians are
either unaware of God's call to intercede, or unaware of how to go about it.
I'm not suggesting that as Christians we shouldn't
vote and be active in government. But our votes alone will not make enough
difference. Political activism will not meet the need. No amount of human
energy or enterprise can save this country.
The only thing that will save America now is
prayer.
Some might consider this bad news, but it's
actually not. The future of America, though seriously imperiled, is
salvageable. If the living Church will rise to be the Church God intends, this
nation can be turned around. If believers will once again become responsible
and sensitive to the call to intercede, we will find God's Word is still good.
His power is still sufficient. In our day, as in the days of Solomon, He will
fulfill His promise:
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 heal their land. (2 Chron. 7:14-15)
"But Pastor Jack," you might say,
"the problems we face are so massive, I don't know what to pray. I'm so
disgusted and distressed by them I don't know where to start."
Then start with forgiveness. Forgiveness opens
the door to effective intercession.
Why? Because to intercede is to step in on
behalf of someone else. It is to do for another, through prayer, what Jesus did
for us. As the ultimate Intercessor, He stood before God on our behalf when we
were too unworthy, rebellious, or ignorant to stand before Him on our own.
"He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for them all" (Is.
53:12).
As believers, we're called to follow His
example, to go to God in prayer for those who cannot and will not go to Him
themselves. But we can't do it with anger and irritation in our hearts. We
can't intercede for people when we're mad at them. On the contrary, our
intercession must begin, as Jesus's did on the cross, with the cry,
"Father, forgive them for they know not what they do!" (Lk. 23:24, KJV).
That cry is not often heard in the church these
days. It seems we are better schooled in political judgmentalism, analysis, and
criticism than in being the first to forgive. This is one reason the ministry
of intercession has been crippled.
But you and I can help turn the tide. We can ask
God to forgive, not just the sinful and broken people around us, but everyone
in our society, no matter how grotesque, corrupt, or evil they've become.
Instead of calling for condemnation, we can say, "Lord, what's happening
in our nation is not worthy of You. It merits judgment but I ask You for mercy.
Father, forgive us, as a people, and breathe on us Your redemptive grace."
Can such simple prayers make a difference?
Absolutely. You are an anointed child of the Most High God. Even a brief prayer
uttered from your lips can change things.
What's more, you don't have to stop there.
You can do more. You can pray on-beyond yourself
and your own abilities because, as Romans 8:26 says, "The Spirit . . .
helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we
ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which
cannot be uttered."
Imagine a child trying to put together a puzzle
that's too complicated for him. Then envision a father taking hold of the
child's hand and helping him put the pieces in the right places. That's what
the Holy Spirit does for us. As we yield to Him in intercession, He helps us.
He takes hold together with us and gives us spiritual words and groanings that
are beyond our natural comprehension so that we can pray exactly the right
thing.
Oh, how good and how great is our God! I simply
can't fit in this letter all I want to say about Him and what He is calling us
to do in this hour. I would like to share more about it, though. That's why, as
a thank you gift for your gracious support this month, I want to send you my
two books, Ten Steps Toward Saving America and Prayer is
Invading the Impossible, as well as my new audio message on CD, Pray
Beyond the Limits. The books and the message will pick up where this
letter leaves off. They'll help further inspire you and equip you to fulfill
your intercessory calling as a believer. Find out more.
Beloved, America can be saved! You and I, as
Abraham's spiritual seed, can help bring God's blessing on this nation. So
let's do it. Let's change history by rising up and being the Church God intends
us to be.
Until I write again, I'll be thanking God for
you and counting it an honor to be-
Your Servant in the Lord,
Pastor Jack
and Your Friends at Jack Hayford MinistriesPastor Jack
