Oh, God of heaven, Lord of all the earth, hear the prayers of Your people today. We are a people who are in need of Your great mercy. We have gone so far from You and Your righteousness and we are deserving of Your judgement.

You gave us this nation. You gave us a land of freedom to worship You. But now, the ungoldy rule in our government, in our culture, and in the marketplace. We, your people, are like grasshoppers in the sight of the giants of unbelief. You established our nation as a light to the world, and that shining light has become a flicker. Those who hold to Your righteous precepts are being overtaken by the onslaught of the proud and haughty who laugh in the face of the One who created them.

Where is Justice, Oh God? Where is justice for the unborn? Where is justice for the children? Where is justice for the innocent?

The land is filled with ravenous wolves, who, if allowed, would devour the sheep of Your pasture until it was laid bare. The filth of sin and perversion flows like open sewage in the streets.

Honoring Your name is not allowed in our military, yet, when we are attacked, people pretend to pray. To whom do they pray?

Some say they love You, but they don’t even know You. They do not know of Your sorrows, they are not acquainted with Your wounds. They speak Your Holy Name without reverence, in rebellion, and they mock the One who holds their very breath in His hand.

So, Lord, we cry out to You, our Hope, our Joy, our Life. Forgive Your people, Lord, for our sins. Forgive the indifference of Your church toward those that are currently on the road to everlasting destruction. Forgive us, Your people, for neglecting to honor You in our ways.

Many houses of worship are cold with no fire of God. No repentance, no brokenness for our sins and for a dying world. Your word speaks of those that have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof. The saints are in a dangerous place, for the more they allow their hearts to be repeatedly exposed to this form of religion, the colder they grow. 

It seems that in our day, some people gather in the sanctuary to see and be seen, to be honored themselves. They forget Your admonition to sit at the foot of the table.  (When Jesus noticed that all who had come to the dinner were trying to sit near the head of the table, He gave them this advice:  “If you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t always head for the best seat. What if someone more respected than you has also been invited?  The host will say, ‘Let this person sit here instead.’ Then you will be embarrassed and will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table!  Do this instead — sit at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place than this for you!’ Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests. For the proud will be humbled, but the humble will be honored.”)

In our gatherings we sing songs about what God can do for us. Songs that have no convicting power, no anointing to break the stony heart. We think worship is singing the same words over and over and making a certain sound on the instruments. Ha! I have heard a bird’s song with more anointing.

We preach about how great we can become, as if the God of heaven were created for us, instead of us acknowledging Your awesomeness. In some circles, You have been reduced to some effeminate, earthly type father, who runs around playing silly games and speaking silly things to delusional minds. It’s like being in the land of magic, with fairies and sparkles all around. Where is the Great God Jehovah?

When do we take the time to be silent before You? And wait. Wait. Wait. Upon YOU. Wait for Your Spirit. How many leaders actually step back and wait long enough for God to touch His people? How many lead by example through humility? Sadly, it seems, many think of themselves as celebrities, although most are not well known. How many put aside their clever sermons to say nothing in Your Presence unless it is the Spirit speaking?

Is the New Testament pattern old now? Are the gifts of the Spirit outdated? There is no time, and no anointing for the word of prophecy, especially from the layman. Lord, I thought the saints were supposed to be trained to do the work of the ministry. Those that lead are responsible for the condition of the flock. Are their leaders training them to grow up, get up and get out of the house and take the gospel into all the world, or are they more concerned about keeping them in the house for their own purposes?

Oh, how selfish and ungrateful we are! We want, want, want. We have forgotten to be content with what we have. The world allures us to have more of what is passing away. We are, it seems, an “All About Me” generation of believers. Many believers in this nation have no idea what it is like to do without. We are rich and increased with goods and have no need of anything. We need a fresh baptism of love for our Savior, of humility and of  gratitude. You said, “Don’t rejoice that devils are subject to you, but that your names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”

Oh, Lord, do not let us go down in history as the self righteous generation  who ‘seeing did not see and hearing did not hear.’ We need You, Lord, more than ever before.

“Lord, I have heard of Your fame. I stand in awe of Your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day. In our time,  make them known.                                  In wrath,  remember mercy.” Habakkuk 3:2