How to Pray for America | Part 1

Our nations and across rooms and we can take it like this into Adrian Rogers is a God blessed America of hours that a crossroad we are in crisis but I'm not going to bring a pessimistic message, but we're going to get serious. It is prep time in America we are facing a coming election. Now are you on playground James chapter 2 in verse 18 says the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availed much and welcome to Leavenworth by as we just heard from Pastor Bible teacher Adrian Rogers. America is at a crossroads of morality and spirituality and we cannot afford to take it like in times of crisis. We remember our greatest resource prayer in our only hope for this country is Almighty God himself. We need to understand how to pray for America because only prayer can hold back the judgment of God. How are we supposed to pray for our country. If you have your Bible turn to Daniel chapter 9 is Adrian Rogers offers insight for how to pray for America Bibles and turn them in Daniel chapter 9 when you found it.

Look up here, let me tell you that this God blessed America of hours that a crossroads.

We are in a crisis. Francis Schaeffer said one of these days soon. We do not change. We're going to wake up and find the America that we once knew all now I'm not going to bring a pessimistic message where going to disabuse ourselves of pessimism when we are going to get serious this morning I'm talking to you about prayer for America. A revival prayer our greatest resource is prayer. Our only hope is God Bewley that I hope you believe that with all of your heart. Now the Scripture, that we going to look at this morning I made the background for God's people had been taken captive by the Babylonians. By the way. Babylon was the ancient name for modern-day Iraq women taken And Daniel and I was praying to the Lord and asking God for deliverance is I want is that have to do with America. Ladies and gentlemen, this God blessed nation of ours has been taken By the world, the flesh and the devil. And we need a national moral and spiritual revival, and without that there is no only pray can hold back the judgment of God.

The raging waters of God's wrath are seriously beating up on the dam of his mercy, I got is a merciful God. But if we do not pray we going to get exactly what we deserve.

I want you to notice the kind of prayer that God answers. First of all where to pray with serious concentration look in Daniel chapter 9 verse three Daniel says and I set my face under the Lord God and set your face ever said dear God, I'm going to pray with every inch every ounce.

Every nerve ever said you I set my face to seek by prayer and supplication with fasting and sackcloth and ashes that we pray, but much of our prayer has little effect because is not the arithmetic of our prayers. How many is not the rhetoric of our prayers. How eloquent is not the geometry of our prayers how long it is not the emotion of our prayers. How sweet it is not the logic of our prayers. How argumentative branded is the fate and privacy of our prayer and when we talk about the nation we must talk first about the house of God, but the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God. We as a church need to repent churches across America are playing church. We pray without fasting we witness without tears we give without sacrifice, is anyone that was so without reaping. We need God in America again. And prayer is the order of the day, but not just any prayer. Listen to me, prayer and fasting, prayer and fasting.

Does that seem odd to you is that seem like somehow it is fanatical that we in this 21st century should pray and fast.

Jesus said when you pass not if you fast, but when you fast Matthew chapter 6 and verse five. Jesus is talking about prayer and he says and when thou prayers that should not be as the hypocrites are, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the street that they may be seen of men. Verily I say view they have their reward. Jesus is saying don't pray to be seen amid but then he says in verse 16 of the same chapter moral dialects prayer and fasting.

Moreover, when you fast remount is the hypocrites of the said accountant for they disfigure their faces that they may appear on to amend the pass. Verily, I say view they have their reward.

Our Lord didn't say if you pass a says when you fast Leonard Raven Hill said that the church is gone from its upper room with its fire to its supper room with its smoke.

I'm not against fellowships matter-of-fact if you study the history of the Bible you go to find out that God had his great feast day when we meet together at the throne of God were going to come to the marriage supper of the Lamb. Dialogue is constantly saying to his children, nine, nine but I wanted to is also fasting that is mentioned in the Bible. Now we are to pray. What is fasting. Fasting is not merely going without food. Fasting is going without food and water, sometimes for a spiritual purpose. It is not dieting is not cutting down on her eating well say that we ought to do that.

Somebody said we live off of half of what we the doctor lives off the other half. What is fasting. Fasting is giving up food and water and certain pleasures for a spiritual purpose that hunger pain is a reminder to pray and to see the face of God.

God always links fasting with spiritual activities.

The Bible speaks of fasting and prayer, fasting and watching fasting and worshiping. Now why should defendants what is the motivation for fast.

Why should I as a pastor call you fasting and prayer will Daniel prayed his prayer was a concentrated prayer.

It was a prayer with fasting and sackcloth and ashes sackcloth and ashes speak of humility before God. Now what is the motivation fasting, but why is as important as the one it is possible to fast for the wrong reasons. Know what I told you before why Jesus said don't fast to be seen a man now there's certain things that you have to be aware of when you pass number one is self centeredness that you want to boast about the fact that you are fasting. Jesus warned about getting money in public to be seen, the man Jesus warned about praying in public to be seen amid an Jesus warns about fasting to be seen amid it doesn't mean that we can operate public does not mean we cannot give in public.

He does not mean that we cannot fast in public as a matter fact in the Bible there were public fasts that were called for but don't be like a Pharisee. Remember the Pharisee and the temple stuck out his chest and began to brag about himself and said I fast twice a week, but he did know anything about justice and mercy and forgiveness all boy exhibitionism avoid self-centeredness avoid legalism don't get the idea that you can buy a blessing by fasting many of us have a blessing is going to be because of God's grace God's mercy. I know that the devil has abuse this thing fasting. That's the reason we don't hear much about it. In the modern church anymore. We are fasting but for the role motivation fasting is to be done on to the Lord put this in your margin Zechariah chapter 7 verse five when he fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month.

Even these 70 years?

Did he fall fast on me, even on the main with fast all that I said America is in crisis Christianity today, modern American Christianity is at a crossroads. What can fasting do will fasting will strengthen your prayer life put down Joel chapter 2 verse 12 therefore also announced that the Lord turned me even to me with all your heart and with fasting and with weeping, and with morning we will return to God. One of the ingredients of turning to God is fasting putdown Jeremiah chapter 29 in verse 13 and ye shall seek me and find me when you shall search for me to listen to this with all your heart, halfhearted prayer is an abomination to God in heaven bends in the air when we pray without fasting when we fast radiating heaven notice that was serious that we are seeking God with all of our listen. Fasting strengthens prayer and because it does it holds back judgment.

I've told and preachers across America telling us we are ripe for judgment.

But if we fast and pray God will hold back the judgment we deserve. Put in your margin.

Jonah chapter 3 verse five so the people of Nineveh believed God and proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest of them even to the least of them that Jonah had come to Nineveh and he preached judgment, but the people had rather have forgiveness and so they proclaimed a fast they humble themselves before God and God stayed in the judgment that Nineveh was due. Jonah chapter 3 verse 10. And God saw their works that they turn from their evil way to listen and God repented of the evil that he had said he would doing to them and he did it not got sentimental to never said no. We will fasting for God's is very well then, I will not now Nineveh was the capital of the series.

It was ripe for judgment put this in your heart and your mind. God had rather show mercy and judge. God wants to forgive God wants to show mercy and we crossed the deadline in America is too late. Carnation, no, absolutely not. Jeremiah chapter 18 verses seven and eight. Listen to this God says at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation and concerning the kingdom to pluck up and pull down and destroy it.

If that nation against whom I have pronounced turn from their evil.

I will repent of the evil that I thought doing to them, God says if I prophesy judgment.

I'm going to bring judgment, but that nation will turn that nation will seek my face, then I will turn from the judgment that I sought to bring them putdown Exodus chapter 2 verse 14 Bible says here and the Lord repented of the evil repented of the evil which he thought to do unto the people, the people of Israel needed judgment.

But God repented of the evil now.

Repentance means a change of mind God changed his mind. Putdown the Scripture Psalm 108 in verse 23 therefore he said that he would destroy them and not Moses is chosen, stood before him in the breach to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy. May God give us a more like Moses, who will stand in the gap will stand in the breach who will pray until God.

God have mercy upon America brand. We are in a cosmic battle in our weapon is prayer.

I love what Ron Dunn had to say about prayer. He said prayer is like a missile, it can fly at the speed of sound. It can reach any target anywhere, and there is no anti-ballistic missile that can shoot it down. We need to understand that God is prayer.

How then should we fast.

First of all examining motivation why you do ask God about your fast, no, let me tell you to fast and that settles pray to God and ask God Isaiah chapter 58 verse six is not this the fast that I chose you pray about mascot what he would have you to do prayerfully choose your fast avoid extremism. Don't say well I'm in the fast for X number of days if you not used to fasting set aside a day set aside just one day to fast and find a day when you activities alike. Plan ahead of time that you're going to fast a one day fast is a good beginning manicure sick or on the medication are if you are pregnant, but I would talk to the doctor before you fast, but don't strut don't brag, but don't be ashamed of the fact that you fasting what I'm trying to say is this. We are to pray concentration to many of us have a take it or leave it attitude toward prayer.

Many of us rattle off our prayers and could not now or later. Tell you what we were able buyers a second way that we can bring the learn from Daniel. Not only are we to pray with serious concentration, but we ought to pray with steadfast confidence. Confidence in him and Almighty God. Face your problem but focus on your God. Daniel set his face with sackcloth and ashes and fasting, but he did it with a great confidence look in Daniel chapter 9 verse four. And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession and said, oh Lord, the great and dreadful God keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him and to them that fear his commandments. Daniel knew that God was dreadful but it was great and full of mercy, then skip on down the Daniel chapter 9 verse nine to the Lord our God belong mercies and forgiveness that we have rebelled against him. Isn't that wonderful is that wonderful that God belong mercies and forgiveness. You see Daniel pray and he prayed a prayer that he believed in God.

The basis of our prayer is the greatness of God and the mercy of God. It is impossible to see the greatness of God and the mercies of God, and not pray with confidence the basis of Daniel's prayer listen was the shed blood of Jesus Christ is a will. I don't see that there read verses 20, 21, and while I was speaking in praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of God. Yay while I was speaking in prayer. Even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly. What's this touched me about the time of the evening oblation_that he touched me about the time of the evening ablation. What was the evening oblation.

It was when a sacrifice was made in the temple of God, not pay attention when Daniel prayed this. There had been no temple for 70 years. The temple distraught and yet Daniel is looking back to a sacrifice that was made 70 years ago and about the time of the evening oblation when was this evening.

Oblation anyway. Well the evening oblation was the same time that Jesus died upon the cross evening oblation was about from 3 to 4 PM in the New Testament is call the ninth hour.

Here is Daniel he's he's looking back to the time of the evening oblation I remind you that he's looking backward to a sacrifice. When we pray today, we look backward. Apply to Calvert because when Daniel prayed, not only was he looking backward. He was looking forward every Old Testament sacrifice was a picture in a prophecy of the Lord Jesus Christ who would one day hang a negative blood upon the cross. The play messages this that it is the blood of Jesus Christ godson the claims of us from all iniquity, but we must pray with confidence. You have confidence that God can save us as a nation do you have confidence that God can change your life and you have confidence that we can have that victory in Jesus that we sing about or is it just us all.

All of the Old Testament offerings pointed to Jesus by those that are stammer when I tell you that pray pray with concentration. Pray with confidence. Number three pray with sincere confession, sincere confession looking chapter 9 verses four through seven, and I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession_that and made my confession and said, oh Lord be great and dreadful God keeping covenant and mercy to them that love him and then they keep his commandments.

We have sinned and have committed iniquity and have done wickedly and have rebelled even by departing from my precepts, and from thy judgments me that we hearken unto my servants the prophets, which spake and I named our kings, our princes and our fathers and all the people of the land or Lord.

Righteousness belongs under the but unto us confusion faces as if this day, the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and not all Israel that are near and that are far all through all the countries whither thou has driven them because of their trespass they have trespassed against the sin brings judgment. Confession brings forgiveness.

Sin brings judgment.

Confession brings forgiveness which would you like today maybe is your listing right now you have questions regarding what faith in Jesus Christ is all about.

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Call 1877 love God and request the title how to pray for America. This message is also part of the powerful series. Whatever happened to the American dream for the complete collection all seven insightful messages. Call us at 877 love God or go online to LWF.org/radio or you can write us at love worth finding box 38, 600 Memphis, TN 38183 thanks for joining us today and remember our greatest resource is prayer. We need God in America today and prayer is the order spent some time praying for a nation and we hope you wonderful and safe Fourth of July weekend and join us next time more profound truth of faith that cannot be tested cannot be trusted profound truth.

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