O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified... hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray... hear thou in heaven...and when thou hearest, forgive. 1 Kg 8:26-60Dear Praying Friends,
Our hearts go out to the people of Japan in the aftermath of such incalculable devastation and untold suffering. I am sure you will join me in praying for rescue and relief efforts as well as for the efforts to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.
The Lord Jesus used a tragedy and a disaster to point people to the need to cry out to God in repentance (Luke 13:1-5). Devastating earthquakes, tsunamis, nuclear threats, massive hurricanes, revolutions, wars, terrorism, mass murders, uncontrollable borders, epidemic drugs, abortion, bankrupt nations, family breakdown, societal disorder, union mobs, abandonment of natural sexuality and the God-given institution of marriage: previous generations would have understood all of these to be signs, warnings and temporal judgments from Almighty God -- instructive not only to those immediately affected, but to all of us. Unless we repent, we will all likewise perish, just as Jesus proclaimed.
On April 15, 1775, amid escalating conflict with Great Britain, the hastily formed Massachusetts Provincial Congress issued a call to prayer. Read the careful wording and consider our need for such prayer today:
Whereas it hath pleased the righteous Sovereign of the universe, in just indignation against the sins of a people long blessed with inestimable privileges, civil and religious, to suffer the plots of wicked men on both sides of the Atlantic, who for many years have incessantly labored to sap the foundation of our public liberties, so far to succeed that we see the New England colonies reduced to the ungracious alternative of a tame submission to a state of absolute vassalage to the will of a despotic minister, or of preparing themselves to defend at the hazard of their lives the inalienable rights of themselves and prosperity... In circumstances dark as these, it becomes us, as men and Christians, to reflect that, whilst every prudent measure should be taken to ward off the impending judgment... all confidence must be withheld from the means we use, and repose only on that God who rules in the armies of heaven, and without whose blessing the best human counsels are but foolishness, and all created power vanity.In 1775, honoring God was of preeminent importance in America! After the Boston Tea Party and the British Parliament's passage of the "Intolerable Acts," the Massachusetts legislature was stripped of power. Its members, including John Hancock, Joseph Warren, James Warren, and Samuel Adams, quickly reconvened to form the Massachusetts Provincial Congress. The First Continental Congress was formed a month earlier. Both congresses carefully acknowledged our fledgling nation's dependence upon God.
It is the happiness of the church, that when the powers of earth and hell are combined against it, and those who should be nursing fathers become its persecutors, then the Throne of Grace is of the easiest access, and its appeal thither is graciously invited by that Father of Mercies who has assured it that "when his children ask bread, he will not give them a stone." Therefore, in compliance with the laudable practice of the people of God in all ages, with humble regard to the steps of Divine Providence towards this oppressed, threatened, and endangered people, and especially in obedience to the command of Heaven, that binds us to call on him in the day of trouble:
Resolved, That it be, and hereby is, recommended to the good people of this colony, of all denominations, that Thursday, the eleventh day of May next, be set apart as a day of public humiliation, fasting, and prayer; that a total abstinence from servile labor and recreation be observed, and all their religious assemblies solemnly convened, to humble themselves before God under the heavy judgments felt and feared; to confess the sins they have committed; to implore the forgiveness of all our transgressions; a spirit of repentance and reformation; and a blessing on the husbandry, manufactures, and other lawful employment of this people; and especially that the union of the American colonies, in defense of their rights (for which hitherto we desire to thank Almighty God) may be preserved and confirmed; that the Provincial, and especially the Continental, Congresses, may be directed to such measures as God will countenance; that the people of Great Britain and their rulers may have their eyes opened to discern the things that make for the peace of the nation and all its connections; and that America may soon behold a gracious interposition of Heaven for the redress of her many grievances, the restoration of all her invaded liberties, and their security to the latest generations. John Hancock, President, Provincial Congress (Benjamin F. Morris, The Christian Life and Character Of the Civil Institutions of the United States, 1864, p.p. 242-243)
Today, God's people hold the keys to our nation's revival and survival in our hands. God promises to heal our land, if we will but humble ourselves, pray, seek His face and turn from our wicked ways (2 Chr 7:14). On July 3rd, the Call2Fall will give us another opportunity to do so together in our churches.
Call2Fall is an opportunity to pray in concert with believers of all denominations and a reminder of the path to Awakening our nation. We can pass on a free society to our children, where God and the Constitution are honored, where civil government protects and defends the innocent and punishes evildoers, and where public servants labor to produce moral and healthy public policy (see Rom 13:1-7).
Why is FRC leading this effort? Obedience! The Holy Spirit spoke to FRC President Tony Perkins as he studied the life of Samuel Adams. Tony knows that repentance and revival in the Church offers the only hope for reversing the godlessness that now characterizes our laws and government, a trend that is spiraling out of control. Tony read in Ira Stoll's biography of Samuel Adams concerning James Warren's report about the impact of a day of prayer and fasting called by the First Continental Congress for July 20th, 1775:
"This fast," he wrote, "has been observed as you could wish; with that deference to the authority that appointed it; with that devotion that our circumstances require. It is a grand solemnity. Three millions of people on their knees at once, supplicating the aid of Heaven, is a striking circumstance, and a very singular one in America. May the blessings of Heaven follow in answer to our prayers!Tony envisioned millions of believers in America on their knees today, crying out to God for our nation's deliverance!
Please visit our website, take advantage of the resources there, pray for us as we update the site, and join us in using Facebook and Twitter to promote Call2Fall. We have no budget for promotion and are depending upon those who know us and who are similarly moved by Scripture and the Holy Spirit to join us in making the Sunday nearest Independence Day a day to seek God's Face for our nation!
- Father, please stir believers and churches across America to join Tony and all who have said "I'm in" to launch a "Call2Fall" on our knees. May in not just be symbolic but a catalyst for churches across America to become "Houses of Prayer for all people," fellowships whose prayers will usher in Biblical revival and reformation that reverses our nation's decline and turns us back to You. May tens of thousands of new churches join us. May God give our children an America where Christ is honored as Savior and Lord, and where His light is a light to the nations (2 Chr 7:14; Jer 3:12; 4:1-4; Joel 1:13-15; 2:12-19; Mal 3:7a; Mt 4:5-6; Acts 3:19; Jas 4:10; 1 Pet 5:6).
Sincerely,
Rev. Pierre Bynum
National Prayer Director
Email: pbynum@frc.org
Family Research Council
801 G Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 202-393-2100
Fax: 202-393-2134
Web: www.frc.org
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