National Day of Prayer - May 3

On Thursday, May 3, – the National Day of Prayer – we have an excellent opportunity to lift up our Nation and its leaders in prayer.

It's a day when our whole nation can join together in God’s Name in prayer. This is especially welcome, given the tenuous state of our economy, along with our ongoing fight to snuff out terrorism in Afghanistan and throughout the world by retaining our troops in foreign lands.

We at Immanuel would like to invite people in the Palatine area to drop by our sanctuary to pray and mediate at any time on May 3 (200 North Plum Grove Road.) Can’t make it?  Connect via our online prayer wall (submit prayers or pray for others) or Twitter (hourly prayer petitions).

The power of prayer is a mighty and strong weapon against evil in our world, and is a tool that every follower of Christ must take up and arm themselves in battle every day. Ephesians 6:10-20 reminds us of the importance of the ‘taking up the full armor of God.”  Verse 18 , in particular,  speaks about the importance of prayer:

“…praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.” Ephesians 6:18

As St. Paul tells us, prayer takes perseverance. While we dedicate this day to prayer, he reminds us that prayer takes work and requires a discipline. So even after today, we should ‘pray without ceasing and give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.’ Praying without ceasing simply means to pray continually every day, because it is the will of God to hear from you. Our Heavenly Father desires to hear from his children, just as other parents want to hear from their children about the details of their day.

So I too encourage you to come to God in prayer throughout your day, each and every day, and bring him all your concerns, challenges, joys, thanksgivings, and sorrows. And if we ‘don’t quench the Spirit’ in prayer, we are promised that the Holy Spirit will intercede in our behalf to our Father in Romans 8:26: “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” This is an amazing gift we receive from our Lord, who understands that there will be times when we can’t even form the words to pray to describe our needs, experiences, and emotions.

This truly shows how intimately God knows us and cares for us. Even when we are anxious about situations in our lives he reminds us not to be “anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God”. The beauty of casting our anxieties upon God in prayer brings forth yet another promise from Him. He promises us the peace of Christ, in Philippians 4:7 – “And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus.”

This is yet another example of the amazing love of God, who will cover us and guard our hearts in the peace that comes only from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This is the peace that Jesus spoke of when he said in John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

So as you pray for our Nation, a land where your freedom is defended, seek peace in a troubled world. Despite, and because of, all that is going on in our land that would cause us to become anxious, I encourage you to bring your prayers for our nation, our leaders, and for your life, to God and he will grant you peace.

God bless you on the National Day of Prayer, and may you pray without ceasing.

Pastor Warren
847-359-1549
PastorWarren@ilcp.org
twitter.com/PastorWarren14
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