Auriesville Tubthumper

Day 17 of prayer for our nation, 23 to go.

We sing praises to You Lord!

“I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live:Praise, grace, honor, nation, election, candidate, vote, worship, song I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord”, Psalm 104:33-34.

Dear Lord we praise You on this Sunday. Thank You for granting us another day to breathe and to enjoy all you give us through your grace. May we honor You in all we do today. We adore your Holy name Father. We lift your name high dear Lord. We worship you Almighty King. We lift our voices and praise Your holy name!

We confess our sins Father and ask for your forgiveness. Forgive us Lord for leaving you out of our lives and our decisions. Heal our Land, Lord. Watch over our election as we draw near to the vote. You know O’God the clear differences in each candidate and the opposing directions for our land. Help us Lord to have the direction of Your desires. Help us to choose the one leader that will move us toward our intended path.

We sing praises to You Lord. May You forever be the center of our thoughts, which are that with all things we may lift You up in worship and song. Let the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be a sweet aroma to You, for You are our King. O’God our joy comes from You! Righteousness, love and justice are the foundations of Your throne. We praise Your holy name forever. We pray these things through your son and our Lord, Jesus Christ. AMEN.

Day 16 of prayer for our nation, 24 to go.

Appoint the leader to bring us back to our roots as a Christian nation.

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man… And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:14-16, 19)

Let us pray. Blessed are You, O Lord our God, Wellspring of all that is. You are the sea on which we float, You are the wind that fills our sails, You are the storm that buffets us, You are the calm that brings us peace. You are the Almighty King. We adore you, Lord.

Gracious God, our sins are too heavy to carry, too real to hide, and too deep to undo. Forgive what our lips tremble to name, what our hearts can no longer bear, and what has become for us a consuming fire of judgment. Our nation has turned from you Lord. We have pushed you out of public life in the USA. Forgive us O’God.

Lord, we bow before You in humble thanks. We thank you, as a nation, for your gifts of power and strength. We thank you, Lord for all of our blessings. For our freedoms, for our families, for our incomes and for our life. We acknowledge your presence and all you have done for us in the past. Father we know that all power, grace and wealth comes from you. We claim the riches of Your glory and the fullness of Your grace that come through the indwelling of Your Spirit within us. Lord, we praise and thank you today.

We pray for the election in 24 days, we pray for your guidance and protection and we pray You will appoint the leader to bring us back to our roots as a Christian nation. Father, set us free from a past that we cannot change; open to us a future in which we can be changed; and grant us grace to grow more and more in your likeness and image. We pray today for our nation to remain firm and steadfast in the knowledge of Your truth and the promise of the victory that is ours through Christ, who loves us. Heal our land, Lord.

We ask this through Jesus Christ, the light of the world. Amen

Day 15 to pray for elections, 25 to go

May Your love flow through and around us.

“And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ”, Philippians 1:9-10.

O’ Dear Lord in heaven, hallowed be thy name. You are the mighty King. You are the master of everything. We praise you God almighty! We love you dear Lord.

Father, forgive us. We have lost our way. We have strayed from your loving arms. Bring us back to you. Father, we bow our heads before You and we confess that we have too often forgotten that we are Yours. We have carried on our lives as if there was no God or some other god and we fall short of being a credible witness for You. For these things we ask your forgiveness and we also ask for your strength.

We thank you Lord for Your everlasting love which you show regardless of our infirmities. We thank you for your blessings.

Lord today we pray for our fellow man. Father please help us all to be of strong and clear mind as we approach the election decisions. Please help our people to recognize the right choice for our entire nation and not choose based on selfish and self-centered desires. Allow us to see that the enemy lies just beneath the shine and polish. We pray our people will not vote based on who looks the part, who has the most show or who is the most camera friendly. Help us to grasp, dear Lord, that looks can be deceiving. Help our people to seek the answers dear Lord and work to understand who they are voting for. Help them to know the person and to know your desire. Help the sheep to not go astray, O’ Great Shepherd. Father, we all need your help in this important issue.

Lord, help us to draw on your love. May Your love flow through and around us. Give us clear minds and open hearts so we may witness to You in our world. Remind us to be who You would have us to be regardless of what we are doing or who we are with. Hold us to You and build our relationship with You and with those You have given us. Speak to our hearts and open our minds that we may see You and the light of Your glory. Send your Holy Spirit, Father. Cleanse us, O’Lord, that we may stand before You without blemish. Help us as a nation to be a discerning people with moral voices to bring glory and honor to You, O’God.

We ask all these things through our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

Day 14 of prayer for election, 26 to go.

Thank you, Lord for your love for all the saints.

“We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints”, Colossians 1:3-4.

Dear Lord, We come to you with humility and prayer to the Father. All praise belongs to you, O’God and you are the Lord of all worlds and all creation. Father, you are the Compassionate, the Merciful and the ruler of Judgment Day. Dear God, It is You that we worship and to You we appeal for help. Show us the straightway, O’ God.

Father we confess our sins and ask forgiveness. Almighty and merciful Father, we have erred and strayed from Your ways like lost sheep. We have followed our hearts and our desires too much instead of following your heart, O’ God. We have left undone those things we should have done; and we have done those things which we should not have done; and there is nothing good in us. Forgive us Lord.

We thank you Lord for all you have given us. You have blessed us mightily, Father. Praise God, Praise God, Praise God Almighty.

We humbly come to You and ask for your Spirit to reach out and touch all who are hurting and all who are spiritually lost in the world. Lord, restore their hearts and restore our hearts. Give us the hope that is everlasting and comfort us all with Your loving outstretched arms. Lord, we pray that we would be sensitive to the needs of all our neighbors. We pray we would be attentive to physical and spiritual needs and willing to share Your love for them, just as you have bestowed your love upon is.

O Lord, have mercy upon us offenders of Your Word. Spare us, O God, when we confess our faults. Restore those who repent, Lord; according to Your promises declared unto men through Jesus Christ our Lord. We pray for our nation, O’God; that we would turn from our wicked ways and return to You. We ask for your protection and our guidance over the coming election. We pray, dear Lord, through Jesus Christ, that we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life; to the glory of His name. Amen

Day 13 of prayer, 27 days to election

And He shall hear my voice.

Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. (Psalm 55:17)

Father, we praise you this day. We exalt our praises and our adoration toward you Lord. You are the graceful and merciful God Almighty. You are the Creator of all and you are our Creator. We give you our devotion, Lord and we give you our prayers. We listen attentively Lord for your answers.

Lord, please forgive us for not always listening and forgive us for not giving you our consistent devotion. Father, we are sorry that we as a nation have forgotten you. We thank you Lord for not forgetting us. Your love is amazing. Your love is great. Thank you for Your blessings on each of us and thank you for blessing our nation. Please restore us O’ God and fill us with your spirit. Help us in our time of need.

Dear God please direct each of our leaders as they govern our nation. Please protect us and guide the outcome of this presidential election in November. You are the only one to protect us, Father. We pray for your divine intervention.

We pray this day for each of our government leaders both local and national. We pray this day for our people. We pray that minds would be attentive to the things of importance for our land and for the good of all mankind. We pray for minds that would protect our heritage and our constitution. Lord, give our nation the ability to see the splendor of Your holiness. Heal our land, O’God! Give us all ears that will hear the majesty of Your voice. Lead us all, and lead our nation to holy and righteous living.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Day 12 Prayer for election, 28 to go.

You are the rock and strength of this nation.

The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies. (Psalm 18:2-3)

You are our God. You are our King. You are our master. You are our Lord. You are God Almighty, The great I AM. We praise your Holy name. As the songwriters say dear Lord, “You are the Rock of our salvation. You are the strength of our life. You are our hope and our inspiration. Lord unto you we do cry. There is no rock, there is no God like our God; No other name worthy of all our praise. You are the rock of salvation that cannot be moved. You are the Rock of ages.”

Dear Lord we confess today that we have not trusted in you as we should. We have left you out of our lives Lord and we have gone our own way. We have left you out of our government and our decisions. Lord, forgive us. You are the rock and strength of this nation. You are the only one who can deliver us from our enemies. We thank you, Father for the protection and deliverance you have provided. We give thanks for all our blessings and the grace you have shown. We are thankful for your faithfulness.

Lord we trust in You and pray humbly for Your guidance. We believe in You, for your faithful love toward us. You have been our help in times of need. We pray today for your leading in the direction for this great nation, the United States of America. Father, please give us all the wisdom to make the right choices. Help us to live in a way that Your name will be honored in all things and that we may bring glory to You. We praise you, Lord! We ask all through your son Jesus Christ, Amen.

Day 11 of prayer, 29 to go

The Spirit makes intercession for us.

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. (Romans 8:26)

Dear great and awesome God, You are faithful and merciful toward those who love You. You are most high and all-powerful, great and glorious Lord. All our praise is Yours, all glory, all honor and all blessings are Yours. All strength and power come from You. To you alone our praises belong, and we are not worthy to pronounce Your Name.

Father, we bow our heads before you and we confess that we have forgotten that we and our nation are yours. We have gone on with our lives as if there was no God and we have fallen short of desires. We ask your forgiveness today Lord, and we ask for your strength, wisdom and protection.

We thank you Lord for all you have provided despite our lack of honor and commitment to you. We know Father; all we have is what You have provided. All our great nation has become is because of your grace. Thank you Lord for the presence of Your Spirit who continually helps us to conquer our weaknesses and our enemies. All things are possible through You, Father, Son and Holy Spirit and nothing is possible without You.

Father we ask today with open hearts and we pray to You Father through Your Son that we as a nation will humble ourselves in Your presence. We thank you for Your forgiveness. Dear Lord please strengthen us to live with purpose and please empower us to serve you. Father, please heal our land. Father, please protect and bless us on this election for our beloved nation.

We ask all these things through Jesus Christ our Lord, AMEN.

Day10 of Prayer for Election, 30 to go

In Everything Give Thanks

Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Dear Lord we praise you this day. We love you Lord and worship you. Forgive us Father for our sins against you. Dear Lord, our joy in you is our strength. Father, you have blessed our nation beyond all measure. We rejoice and give thanks, Lord for your grace and blessings on our country. Dear Lord, we pray for your divine guidance on all our days. Father, we pray that we would never forget Your benefits of power and strength, love and protection. Thank you Lord for welcoming us to Your throne of grace to receive your blessing. In Jesus name, AMEN.

A prayer from Thomas Jefferson from Washington, DC, on March 4, 1801. He prays, “Almighty God, who has given us this good land for our heritage; We humbly beseech Thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of Thy favor and glad to do Thy will. Bless our land with honorable ministry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord and confusion, from pride and arrogance and from every evil way. Defend our liberties and fashion into one united people, the multitude brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues. Endow with Thy spirit of wisdom those whom in Thy name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that through obedience to Thy law, we may show forth Thy praise among the nations of the earth. In time of prosperity fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in Thee to fail; all of which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Day 9 of Prayer for Election, 31 to go

O’Lord, Let Us Delight Ourselves In You.

The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord: but the prayer of the upright is his delight. (Proverbs 15:8) Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. (Psalm 37:4)

Dear Lord, You are glorious and all powerful, the almighty King. Father, we are each here in our place where we choose to worship you. We are in awe at the privilege. We look up at Your Face and the radiance of Your presence is beyond description. You are real and You are in this place accepting our worship and prayer. O Lord, great and awesome God, we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. We have not listened to Your word and we have not followed your commands. Lord, you are righteous, please forgive us and our nation for our unfaithfulness to you. O LORD, we are sorry Father, for we have sinned against you.

Dear Lord, Your Word says that if we delight ourselves in You, You will give us the desires of our hearts. Please direct our path Lord, both our individual path and the path of our nation and our leaders. Father we pray that Your will and Your way becomes our delight. Lord, fill us with Your spirit, Your power, and Your presence. Father, bind us together as a people of one nation under God. Lord, we pray that each day You will be the glory for all the goodness and blessings that come our way.

We close this prayer by asking for You to shower Your blessings on those with whom we serve. We pray for our national election and for our local government. We pray they will draw closer to You and draw upon Your almighty presence. We pray You would renew their commitment to serve by revealing Your desires to them. We pray they will have a season of a fresh, new awareness of Your beauty and Your ways, and that they will find they have a heart of worship that exceeds anything they ever thought possible. It is all about You, dear Lord and it is You we worship. You alone are worthy. You alone are deserving of our praises.

To You be all the honor and glory, now and for all the rest of our days. AMEN.

Day 8 of Prayer for USA Election

A prayer for election 2012 USA

“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (James 5:14)

For all Christians the verse above tells us what should constitute our prayer lives: We should pray properly, purposefully and persistently. When all three elements are a part of our prayer lives, they work. We are to align ourselves with God’s will. We are to ask for what we want; we are to be specific. We are to pray persistently. The apostle Paul tells us to pray without ceasing. Every time we pray, God’s mighty power is released and made available to bring victory and breakthrough into even seemingly impossible situations.

Dear heavenly Father,

We love you Lord. You are an awesome and amazing God. You are faithful. You have placed us in the greatest nation in the world. The land of the free! You have blessed us mightily. You are generous beyond anything we can imagine or deserve. We praise you Lord for you are worthy to be praised, you are the King of all Kings, you are above any authority in heaven or on earth, You are creator, redeemer and sustainer.

We confess that we have not bowed before You. We confess we have not acknowledged Your rule in our lives and over our leaders and our nation. We have gone along with the ways of the world and failed to give You glory. Forgive us and raise us from sin, that we may be your faithful people, obeying the commands of our Lord Jesus Christ, who rules the world and the universe.

Father, watch over us this day. Dear Lord, please guide us and strengthen us as we confess our sins to You. Fill us with compassion as we pray for one another and as we pray for the leadership of our great country. Please fill us as we pray for the needs of the world. Please help us to not be judgmental, condemning and prideful. Fill us dear God with your love. Draw us close to you Father; create in us a desire to come to you in prayer every day for Your leadership, love and protection to reign in our lives and throughout our land. We come to you once again and ask for you divine intervention and protection on our national election. Dear God, please heal our land.

Through Jesus Christ we pray, AMEN.

Prayer Day 7 for the Election, 33 more to go

Pray for the United States of America

“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.” (John 15:7-8)

Dear Lord we lift your holy name on high. Lord it is you alone that possess life within. You alone are the true source of everlasting, abundant life. We praise you, dear God.

Father we confess to you our lack of fruit-bearing. We as a nation and as a people have been self –absorbed and distracted with selfish activities that bring only temporal value. Forgive us Lord.

We thank you Father for your love and your life and we pray today that we may glorify you Lord. You are the true vine. Live through us that we might bear fruit. Father, even though we are over 2,000 years removed from the night you uttered those words, we know your work still marches forth. We know, Lord, You are still working to accomplish Your work and Your will in the world today. Work through us, Lord.

Help our nation to turn our hearts back to You and Your Word so the United States will bear the fruit of your righteousness and be set above all other nations. Dear Lord, may the fruit we produce be honoring to you and may we bear fruit in abundance for and by you. Father we draw our strength from You. Strengthen us today, Lord. Strengthen us with the power of Your Holy Spirit. Help us Father, as we strive to abide in You and continue in faith that You will do more for us than ever imagined.

God bless the United States of America.

We ask all these things through Jesus Christ.

Amen

Prayer Day 6 for the Election, 34 more to go

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28: 19-20)

Thank you for this day Lord. We praise your Holy name. You are the God of all blessings, the source of all life and the giver of all grace. You are the eternal, loving God.

Father, in Matthew you commanded us to make disciples of all nations and we need to begin with ourselves. Lord, please transform our lives and help us to be more like you. Forgive us Lord for our transgressions. You have promised to always be with us and we thank you. Lead us Lord and protect us, protect our country.

Help us to turn our hearts to you with sincerity and courageously spread your good news. Help us to take your message to the ends of the earth. Father we trust in You to fill us and use us for without You we can do nothing. Lord we ask that you place within us your vision for our nation. Open our eyes, dear Lord, so that we may see. Dear Father please help our nation (our people) to make the right choices. Surround us with your love, fill us with your grace, and strengthen us for Your service.

For all our blessings, we give you thanks and through Jesus Christ we pray.

Amen.

36 Days to the Election, Day 5, Oct. 2

A Prayer for our nation.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29: 11-13)

O, God most high, dear almighty Lord we praise you. How wonderful and marvelous you are. How marvelous your creations, the sun and the moon, the light and the darkness, the wind and the rain and all of life. Praise you Father and thank you for another day.
Father we know you are always thinking of us. It is us, Lord, who fail to think of you. Even when we come to you Lord we often come with just a fleeting half-hearted attempt for immediate help. Forgive us Lord for lacking commitment and not seeking you with all of our heart. Forgive us all for our passiveness. Forgive us for coming to you only in times of desperation, for your word says, “The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much”, (James 5:16). How many times have we as a people, as a nation been fervent? How many times has our nation been desperate for you? How many times have we come to you with all our hearts? Forgive us Lord and “Heal our Land”.
We thank you Lord for protecting us. We thank you for the way you have provided for us. We know O’God that all we have is from your blessings. We thank you for our founding fathers, our pledge of allegiance, our money, our form of government and the belief of our founding fathers. We know, O’God, your desire is for us to be at peace with you in love and to love and be at peace with those around us. Father we pray for the sound of your spirit. We search for you and ask that you open our eyes that we might see. We ask for help to see what is good, honorable and just for our country and for the protection, security, and success of the United States of America.
Father, we ask through your son, that you “Heal Our Land”.
AMEN

37 More Days, Prayer Day 4, October 1st

One Nation under God, with Liberty and Justice for All.

And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God. Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. Deuteronomy 28: 1-3.

Dear Father,

We come to you today with humble hearts so you will hear our voice. We praise you today and always dear Lord. You are the God almighty and the creator or all. You are the great “I AM”.

Father, Please forgive us as a nation for leaving you out. Forgive us for turning from you. Forgive us for no longer being a nation with the fear of the Lord. Dear Lord we love you and need you for our strength and protection.

Dear Lord we thank you for your grace. In days past Lord we have faced similar tests and you have brought us through. Our nation needs you guidance, Lord.

Dear Lord help our nation to hear your voice and to obey your voice in all we say and do. Help us all dear Father to discern clearly right from wrong. Father we pray that all will work for the good concerning our beloved country of the United States and we would glorify you.

We know your will for us Lord, and know we are held to a higher calling, we pray that our nation and our people will observe your commandments. We pray that we will be a nation under God and we pray that your mighty hand of direction and protection be on our nation as we elect leaders in November.

We ask these things through your son Jesus,

AMEN.

38 more days, Prayer #3, September 30

Day 3, September 30

40 DAYS OF PRAYER: “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)

Dear Father,

We praise you on this Sunday, September 30.

Today I will joyfully attend your sanctuary to worship you with others dear Lord. Praise your Holy name.

Father, please forgive us of our sins. Cleanse us dear Lord and fill us with your Spirit. Take our worries and cares Lord as we trust in You.

We thank you Lord for providing for us. Thank you for your many blessings. Thank you for sunshine, the wind, the clouds and the rain. Thanks you for all you provide.

Thank you for your comfort. While we are surrounded by concerns and fears of what is going on around us and our peace is threatened, we come to you for our comfort and needs. We come to you, Lord, seeking your guidance and protection. We are thankful for all you have given us as a nation and ask for your protection of what you gave us. We ask for your help in being good stewards of what you provided.

We come to you with faith father and ask that you guard our hearts. Surround us with your peace Father as we go through this day. We pray for our leaders this morning.

Lord God, we ask for your blessing on the lives of these leaders in our nation:

President Barack Obama U.S. Representative Dan Benishek

Vice President Joe Biden U.S. Representative Rick Berg

Attorney General Eric Holder U.S. Representative Shelley Berkley

Chief Justice John Roberts U.S. Representative Howard L. Berman

Justice Samuel Alito U.S. Representative Judy Biggert

Justice Anthony Kennedy U.S. Representative Brian P. Bilbray

Justice Elena Kagan U.S. Representative Gus M. Bilirakis

Justice Sonja Sotomayor U.S. Representative Rob Bishop

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg U.S. Representative Sanford D. Bishop

Justice Stephen Breyer U.S. Representative Timothy H. Bishop

Justice Antonin Scalia U.S. Representative Diane Black

Justice Clarence Thomas U.S. Senator Max Baucus (D-MT)

U.S. Senator Mark Begich (D-AR)

We ask that You turn their hearts towards You, Lord. We ask that You soften their hearts, Lord, to recognize and receive truth. Lord, we ask that you grant them the understanding and knowledge that come from the fear of You. We ask that you grant them wisdom and discernment, Lord, and that you make them bold to do what is right in Your sight. Lord, we ask that you direct their hearts to do Your will.

We pray the same for all of our local leaders dear Lord as we prayed for the national leaders. We pray Father for your guidance on the coming election and for the leaders You will provide for us. We pray these words through your son Jesus.

Amen.

39 More Days, Prayer #2, September 29

39 DAYS TO THE ELECTION

The Lord says to call on Him and He will answer.

“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” (Jeremiah 33:3)

Dear Lord,

We praise you and adore you on this day. You are the most high! Father, you are in control of all things. You allow or appoint our leaders and we come to you for protection.

Dear Lord, as a nation we have forgotten you. We have forgotten the grace that helped us in days past and allowed us to reach the greatness we have. Please forgive us. We thank you Father for the many, many blessings you have bestowed on our nation. We thank you for the prosperity we take for granted.

Dear Lord, help this nation to hear Your voice. Father, place a hedge of protection around our people and our nation and deliver us from evil. Help us, Lord to seek the path of righteousness.

You have asked us Lord to call on Your name and you have promised to answer when we call. Please guide our nation during this time of need. Fill us with your spirit and presence and guide us Lord. Father we need you. Help us to make the decisions that will honor you.

We call upon your name again today Lord and ask for your grace and blessing on this election.

You are the Glory and the Power forever. In the name of Jesus we call on your Holy name. Amen.

God bless all,

“The Tubthumper”

40 Days of Prayer, #1, September 28

40 DAYS TO A VERY IMPORTANT ELECTION

Day 1 of 40 days of prayer for our country.

In a daily devotional from this morning my pastor gave this interesting fact: John Jay, PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS; DIPLOMAT; AUTHOR OF THE FEDERALIST PAPERS; ORIGINAL CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE U. S. SUPREME COURT; GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK, “Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation, to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.”

I pray we can get back this providence and take hold of our duty as a Christian nation.

It is our duty to pray for those who hold elected office in our country. In fact, Scripture commands us to do so.

“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty”, (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

Dear heavenly Father,

We praise you and acknowledge you as the creator of our universe. We acknowledge the blessings you have bestowed on this land we call the United States of America. We confess our sins Lord and ask forgiveness for forgetting you during these times of need. Please forgive us and our nation for failing you. We thank you Father for allowing us to be born in the land of the free. We thank you for all the riches and grace you have provided throughout history. We come to you respectfully and humbly to give thanks for the blessing we receive daily. Lord, please protect our land and keep us free. Dear Lord, please heal our land. Draw us back to you Lord and allow your strength to restore our nation to a place where we serve and honor You. Father we thank you for the great leaders of the past and ask that you give us a leader on November 6 that will follow the calling You have given us. We thank you once again for all our blessings. In God we Trust. Through your son Jesus Christ we pray,

AMEN

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land”, (2 Chronicles 7:14).

God bless the USA,

“The Tubthumper”

Intercede for America!

I have gone easy on the number of posts over the last week because beginning this Friday I will be submitting a post every day for 40 days. During these 40 days (if you pray, and I hope you do) we need prayer, fasting and turning to God in obedience. We need to ask for God’s help in the selection of our nation’s leadership. If you don’t understand the fasting thing then please just be obedient to God and pray. I will be doing my own ting and I pray you will be doing yours. Let us all humble ourselves and cry out to the Lord with one united voice. We must repent and seek His face.

As Christians it is our duty to pray for those who hold elected office in our country. In fact, Scripture commands us to do so. In 1 Timothy 2, verses 1 and 2 it says, “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.”

It is also our privilege and our responsibility to vote. After 40 days of prayer, fasting and obedience to God we need to exercise our right and vote. We are at a crucial national, state and local election frontier. We are at a spiritual crossroad and we need to do all we can to elect people who will lead us with Biblical values and return us to our roots. Be sure to register and vote.

Pray for the future of America. We are seeing economic decline in unprecedented terms. We are seeing corruption, secular humanism and attacks on our religious liberties like never before. If you know how to fast do so for prayer and fasting together brings change through the power of God. If you need help regarding the issue of fasting you can seek this great website for guidance http://40daystosaveamerica.com/ . I am not asking you to fast as that is a personal issue. I am asking for prayer. I am asking for a focused daily and consistent prayer for our country. Will you join me for 40 days to lift our country before the creator?

While you pray please remember the presidential election will likely be determined by 7 states. As intercessors, we are to ask for god to move in a mighty way within these states. Please mention them by name as you pray for our God is organized and specific. Ask for Him to move on Wisconsin, Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Virginia and Nevada. Certainly do not forget the other states, particularly your own for God can make it happen from anywhere he wishes. I am giving you the human statistical probability as we know it and these states are called the “swing states”.

From the very beginning of America God has moved among us mightily because his movements were preceded by prayer. Over the centuries there have been witnessed triumphs over dark days. Throughout history the presence of God has been invited through our intentional and persistent prayer. The possibilities are endless when we pray! God placed an amazing power in our hands when he gave us the power of prayer and a way to reach the Father. When we humbly seek His face by praying he will answer us and will move to accomplish His desire for our land and for us. Please pray for the direction of our nation. Prayerfully seek His face on a daily basis. Intercede for America. Let us believe our prayers are heard and will make a difference. Let us claim the victory!

Ronald Reagan made a speech to America on February 6, 1986 when he said, “To preserve our blessed land we must look to God…It is time to realize that we need God more than He needs us. Let us, young and old, join together, as did the First Continental Congress, in the first step, in humble heartfelt prayer. Let us do so for the love of God and His great goodness, in search of His guidance and the grace of repentance, in seeking His blessings, His peace, and the resting of His kind and holy hands on ourselves, our nation, our friends in the defense of freedom, and all mankind, now and always.

The time has come to turn to God and reassert our trust in Him for the healing of America… Our country is in need of and ready for a spiritual renewal. Today, we utter no prayer more fervently than the ancient prayer for peace on Earth. The Lord bless and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace…And God bless you all.”

Humanly speaking… we are hopeless. Our only hope is in the mighty hand of God.

Dear Lord, we come to you humbly today and seek your blessing. Help us dear Lord to listen to you and to heed your instruction. Father, we rest in your presence for you are the anchor of our souls. It is You alone dear Lord that we desire and nothing else can take your place. Father we need you, we love you and we praise you. We pray these things through your son Jesus Christ.

Amen

“The Tubthumper”

The Pews are too Hard!

My mother dragged me down the sidewalk each Sunday to church when I was young. She really did drag me and sometimes it was by the ear. I remember each line and crack in that sidewalk on Washington Avenue. I remember the church too. It was a huge old stone Baptist church with massive stained glass windows and a gigantic pipe organ. The pews I had to sit in were just plain punishment. Those pews were solid oak with no pads on them and so hard. No way did I want to be there. I always made that known to all around me. When you see kids fidgeting in church none are as bad as I was. I even got the pastor to stop preaching one Sunday morning. He came down and moved me to the front row. The reverend told me if I moved before he finished I would be in trouble. That got my attention!

My mother made sure her kids got to church. She took us even when we didn’t want to be there. People used to do that you know. I am thankful she did that. I’m sad times have changed. All kids should have the pew experience.

I was exposed to the word of God early and I came to Christ early. I was only a young 10 year old boy but I came to Christ. I was born again! To be born again means that I exchanged my old life for a new life. I was born of the flesh in 1955 and then 10 years after being born of the flesh I was born of the spirit (The Holy Spirit) on August 8, 1965.

I was just a kid and I wasn’t interested in much other than having fun back then. I was probably no different than other kids. I could not sit still very well. I didn’t even have a Bible. Wow, those pews were so hard! There was evidence all around me that God existed. I knew in my heart that it was true and had no doubt. I knew right from wrong. I was just old enough to learn bout Hell and to understand I was a sinner. I understood I was lost and couldn’t save myself no matter how good I could try to be. “For by grace ye are saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).

My mother saw to it that Christian values were taught to us and we had the opportunity to meet God. Of course, those Christian values never saved anyone. It is Jesus Christ that saves us. It is the Gospel. To be born again a person needs to make a choice. I made that choice. I chose Jesus Christ as my savior. It didn’t make those pews any softer but it assured me I would be with Jesus and not in the lake of fire.

It was all very simple for me. In faith I trusted in Christ to save me. I believed!

I am much older now and 48 years have passed since then. I still like to keep things simple though. And for me, salvation is as simple as these two things:

1. We must believe God is there and Jesus was His son and was born the ‘Savior’, died on the cross for our sins and rose again. We must repent and call on Him for salvation and ask for a changed life in Him. Believe and live!

— When I was 10 years old I had no Bible but I knew in my heart God and Jesus existed. I wanted to be with Him and was sorry I was a sinner. I called on His name and was saved!

Don’t let anyone confuse you. Keep the first step of salvation simple.

2. Believe the Bible is the written word of God inspired by Him and delivered through man.

Which comes first? I don’t think it matters. I came to the Lord before I had a Bible and my wife came to the Lord after and through reading the Bible. He will make that choice. You just need to respond.

A tiny little booklet, the Gospel of John, was my Bible for a long time. I love John 3:16 and it is my saving verse. It was the verse I learned while on my knees calling to Jesus for salvation. It is forever burned in my heart, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

So 48 years later I can tell you that life has not been a bowl of cherries and being saved by the grace of Christ probably hasn’t made my life any easier, but I can’t imagine going through life without Jesus Christ.

God has done wonderful things in and for my life. He placed me in the presence of the people that I needed to mold me to the person I am today. He made me who I am. My life has been blessed and I am so very thankful. And He is still working on me.

I can still feel those oak pews on my buttocks.

Jesus Christ came to this earth over two thousand years ago for one purpose: “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). His life was an absolutely perfect life. “In him is no sin” (I John 3:5). Yet He went to the cross to pay the penalty of sin and die for me, a guilty sinner. “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6). “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). He died for the whole world, but He died for me. And He died for you.

It didn’t end at the cross. After Jesus died He rose again from the grave. “He is risen from the dead” (Matthew 28:7). “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us” (Romans 8:34).

“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3). This proved Jesus Christ is God, and through Him alone we are saved.

These days, each Sunday I sit in nice padded seats to receive the message from our pastor. I sometimes drift back to the day…

When those pews were so hard…

God bless your day,

“The Tubthumper”

Upon This Rock I Will Build My Church

What a promise!

Was Peter the rock that Jesus was referring to? Was Jesus saying he would use Peter to build His church? I don’t think so. I am aware that most Catholics believe that but it cannot be so. Let me share more and you should see it.

“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” ,(Mt. 16:18-19).

The basis for my saying I don’t think so is as follows:

Christ was giving Peter some instructions in this passage. Later on he gave the very same instructions to the other apostles. Take a close look at John 20:22-23 and compare it with the verse above.
Christ and Christ only is the foundation of his church. Evidence of this is strongly posted in Acts 4:11-12; 1 Cor. 3:11; and 1 Peter 2:4-8.
In the New Testament we see Christ and only Christ as the “Head” of is Church. For reference you can turn to Ephesians 1:20-23; 5:23; Colossians 1:18 and 2:18-19.
If we use our concordance to go to the Greek meaning of the words we find that Jesus said, “Thou art Peter [Petros, a little stone], and upon this rock [petra, a massive cliff or rock] I will build my church.” So the church was not built on the “little stone” which is Peter. The church is built on the “Giant Rock”. It was built on Jesus Christ.
We can see in 1 Peter 5: 1-4 that Peter in-fact denies it.
We find in Acts 15:13, 19 that James was the one that officiated at the Jerusalem church and not Peter.

So what, then was Jesus doing when he said that in Mt. 16:18? The answer lies in Ephesians 2:19-20, “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone”.

What about that statement regarding the gates of hell? What did he mean when He said the gates of hell shall not prevail against it? J Vernon McGee said it best, “The gates of hell refer to the ‘gates of death’.” The word used in this text is hades and sheol of the Old Testament, referring to the unseen world and it means death. The gates of death shall not prevail against Christ’s church. The event being referred to is the glorious rapture. As it is written, “Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit. But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more; And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing. But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words”, (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). You can also look at 1 Corinthians 15: 51-57.

The LORD gave the keys to heaven to Peter! A key unlocks a door and opens something once closed. Jesus is predicting that Peter will be given the privilege of opening the door of salvation to various peoples. Peter later did this: He opened the door of opportunity for any to join the kingdom from Israel at Pentecost, (Acts 2:38-42). And He did the same for the Samaritans in Acts 8:14-17. He ministered to the Gentiles at the home of Cornelius at Caesarea in acts chapter 10.

In the last of the original passage we are addressing Christ mentions the binding and loosing. We see in Mt. 18;18 and John 20:22-23, the authority to bind and loose was given to all the apostles and to all other believers. The actions of a spirit-filled believer, whether positive or negative in nature, will carry with them the awesome authority of heaven itself. As chuck Smith says “We have power as the children of God to bind the forces of darkness, and to loose the work of God. God has given us that authority over these spirit forces, these spiritual entities, that as children of God, we do have authority over them. We can bind these forces and we can loose the work of God.

UPON THIS ROCK I WILL BUID MY CHURCH!

My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus’ blood and

righteousness;

I dare not trust the sweetest frame.

But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

On Christ., the solid ROCK, I stand;

All other ground is sinking sand.

— Edaward Mote

ROCK of ages, cleft for me,

Let me hide myself in Thee;

Let the water and the blood,

From Thy raven side which flowed,

Be of sin the double cure,

Save me from it·a guilt and power.

Not the labors of my hands,

Can fulfill the laws demands;

Could my zeal no respite know,

Could my tears forever flow,

AII for sin could not atone;

Thou must save, and Thou alone.

–A. M. Toplady

God bless you,

“The Tubthumper”