Tag: Prayer

The Best Way to Pray for Your Community is to Pray for Yourself

On By Archie L. GilmerIn Culture & Conviction, Faith & Discipleship1 Comment

As disciples of Christ, we are to be in the world in such a way that we are exposing our communities to the love of God. It is the “great commission”! Everything we do and everything we are about should indicate that not only does God love us but also that we love God!

We have a powerful resource available to us that provides a pathway to success in this mission. Prayer! It is my belief that praying for someone is the most powerful thing you can do for a person. After all, prayer is entering into the presence of God by way of the blood of Christ who opened the door for it. We are invited into conversation with the Father. It is His will that the believers go into the world and make disciples. So, it would make perfect sense that we would start off by calling on Him for guidance, wisdom, and strength. I mean, otherwise how can we proclaim His will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven?

Over the time of my existence in this world, I have heard many who lament over the condition of our world or our nation and sometimes even the condition of our own communities. I submit to you that it is not proper to cry out for God to do something to make the world a better place without realizing our role in how He wants to do that.

Take a moment to think about it. When we cry out to God to bless our community or our nation, even the entire world because we see the condition of society and are concerned. But are we concerned about what God is concerned about? Do we want God to bless our communities for the reason He wants to bless them? If we are about making disciples and exposing the world to the Love of God, then Yes. Yes, we are in line with His plan!

Let us look at Paul’s ministry for a moment. As Paul traveled the world teaching and preaching the gospel message and loving the people, he often told them that he would be praying for them. However, the most powerful thing he ever did for his ministry effort was to pray. I mean that he prayed for himself.

That’s right. He prayed for himself. Yeah, I know. That sounds so selfish. But maybe the selfish prayer is asking God to bless our nation or community because it is not the way we like it. No, we must understand that the life of the disciple of Christ is a life that is about the mission of going into the world and reaching others with the gospel.

We can see in scripture that Paul understood the importance of praying for himself so much that he called on others to pray for him as well.

“and pray on my behalf, that utterance my be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel.” – Ephesians 6:19

“praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak.” – Colossians 4:3-4

“Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you;” – 2 Thessalonians 3:1

If we really want our world to be better. If we really want people to suffer less and have more joy in life, then we must pray for ourselves! We must pray for ourselves because we, the Church, are the tool with which God is using to answer the prayers that we lift up for our Nation and our communities!

The bottom line is that God sees the condition of the world and the condition of our community! He also wants us to see it! So, when we cry out, please pray for our nation, or please pray for our community, just know that if you are in Christ, you are the answer!

Therefore, if we really want God to bless our community then we must pray for ourselves. In fact, I believe that praying for ourselves in the same way that Paul was asking other believers to pray for him, is the most powerful way to pray for others!

How will the lost ever know truth if we do not boldly live it in front of them?

I will be praying for all of you brothers and sisters and asking you to pray for me. That our witness will be bold and genuine for the sake of the gospel. For the sake of the lost!

To God be the Glory!

When a Nation Calls on the Name of the Lord

On By Archie L. GilmerIn Culture & Conviction, Faith & DiscipleshipLeave a comment

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.”

– Psalm 33:12

Just one week prior to today, on July 14, 2024, I published a blog post entitled, “The Call for Prayer for Our Nation”. The purpose behind that blog post was to point out the real need. That need would be to encourage the Body of Christ to get busy about the Lord’s business. That is the business of making disciples. That is how I believe that any nation, including the United States of America, will be in line with the blessings of God.

As we all have been paying attention to the goings on in our nation and around the World, it is hard not to miss the obvious. That being, that many in society seem to be fading away from God or any idea of God in their lives. It seems to have become socially and politically unacceptable or at least undesirable to speak about personal faith in God let alone to claim to have anything to do with Christianity. In fact, it has been the impression for many, that Christianity of any form has been painted to be the enemy of today society today.

Franklin Graham speaks on the fourth and final day of the 2024 Republican National Convention (RNC) at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wis., July 18, 2024. (Photo by Anthony Behar/Sipa USA)

As I mentioned in the last blog post, “The Call for Prayer for Our Nation” the best hope for this nation is for the body of Christ to be busy making disciples. It always has been the will of God to bring His loved ones to Himself. It has been His plan to use those who believe in His Son Jesus as Lord and Savior to help others to find Him. It is true. God does not hide Himself from those who genuinely are seeking Him.

The same is true for any group of people around the world. Any nation who pursues God will find Him. There is plenty of evidence throughout the history recorded in Old Testament scripture of God’s people being close to Him and then finding themselves away from His blessings. Each time this happened it is because they began to compromise and ultimately reject Him and His Lordship over their lives. When that did happen, the Israelites found themselves suffering at the hands of their enemies as well as suffering consequences from their sinful behavior. This did not happen because it was God’s will for them, it happened because it was their own will for themselves.

We can see, if we study the history of God’s people, that each time they strayed from Him, they would eventually come to face the truth and cry out to the Lord in repentance and He would restore them once again into His blessing. Some refer to this as the sin cycle. This sin cycle is evident with the Israelites in Old Testament scripture as well as every generation of people since Adam and Eve. Yes, even in today’s society. We individually as well as a people group or nation have been caught up in this sin cycle.

God has never changed. Sadly, neither has the human race. We still battle with sin and wrestle with the existence of God. We can have a few generations who draw near to God and surrender to His lordship and His presence is evident as peace is evident. But then there are generations who get too comfortable with His presence and all that it affords and begin to compromise. Compromise leads to neglect when it comes to our relationship with God. Ultimately, rejection is where we find ourselves. God is no longer welcome.

When a society arrives at this place of rejecting God, the peace and security is gone. Life is full of darkness and fear. Everyone begins to do what is right in his own eyes. Total chaos. All of the unthinkable ideas and acts suddenly are the norm. What has always been wrong is now right. What has always been right is now wrong. Anything that has to do with God and His will or His ways becomes the enemy of society. And it gets worse and worse as the generations come and go.

This is why it is urgent that the Body of Christ be busy about proclaiming the gospel to the lost! It is not until people start crying out to God that we as a people or a nation will begin to feel God drawing us into His presence again.

The Psalmist wrote this: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.” – Psalm 33:12

This was originally written about the nation of Israel. Israel is who God chose to be His people for the purpose of bringing our Savior into the world! Then we read in the New Testament that since Jesus was crucified and resurrected completing the law, there is grace. We read in Romans that the blood of Christ is for all who will believe, Jews and Gentile. We also have plenty of evidence that it is God’s desire that all would be saved.

The Word of God is clear about who will be saved. Who will be called His children. Those who believe and call on His name. And, since God is the same yesterday, today, and forever more, I believe that the truth of Psalm 33:12 is still true and applicable to any nation whose God is Lord!

Now I do not spend a lot of energy talking about politics. However, without promoting any party, agenda, or idea, I will point out that as I watched the Republican National Convention, I heard a lot of people talking about God and praying in Jesus’ name. Some even shared the gospel before all who were tuned in! Now, I do believe that there are people who believe in every political party. What stands out to me lately is when those who are in leadership of this nation have the courage to speak about God or even say the name of Jesus publicly is a big deal. And yes, it is true that I do not know if these politicians are saying these things as a political stunt or ploy. I figure that is between them and God.

One thing I will say about it all. It is obvious to me that there are some who call on His name and some who do not. That speaks loudly to me. Mostly, because as we all have been praying for our nation, I cannot help but wonder how God will draw us back into His blessings. Because, if we look into the book of Romans again, we will see that no one gets into leadership roles without God allowing it.

So, whether or not I approve of anyone who is on the political stage or not does not much matter. God has all the authority and sovereignty to use anyone whom He will to do His work to get the attention of not only this nation but the entire World! And, because He does not answer to me or anyone else, I suggest that those of us who are part of His church should stay busy making disciples and surrendering to God’s will being done on Earth as it is in Heaven!

I pray that God will continue to show our nation the way back to Him. Whatever that looks like and whatever that takes. Meanwhile, I will make every effort to help as many as possible to have the opportunity to know Jesus and call on the name of the Lord!

To God be the Glory!

The Call for Prayer for Our Nation

On By Archie L. GilmerIn Culture & Conviction, Faith & DiscipleshipLeave a comment

As I was working on the last bits of my Sunday morning sermon work on Saturday afternoon, July 13, 2024, I received a text informing me that President Trump had been shot.

I then turned on the news to see what was happening. It was indeed true. Yet he seemed only wounded, thank God.

What I had been praying against but also had been expecting had indeed taken place. It was only a matter of time before someone would resort to wicked violence against some politician in the midst of this political and social unrest in our nation.

While many are crying out in the streets and on social media that now is the time to pray for our country, I say it is long past time for that! I, one of many, have always prayed for our nation in many ways and for many reasons.

However, it has been made clear throughout the history of God’s people that it is when God’s people draw near to Him and turn away from their wicked ways, that is when God heals any nation. Including these “United” States of America!

Because of that fact, I believe the more urgent outcry would be that which Jesus Himself commanded us to go into the world and do!

That would be, get busy about the business of sharing the Gospel of Jesus to this hurting and chaotic world! If we the Church had been about doing that as expected, we may not be so far away from Him as a nation!

We should repent of our sluggardly approach to the command of our Lord! We are taught that as the world turns, things do not get better before our Savior returns! Therefore, the work of the Kingdom of God is urgent! There’s nothing new here. It always has been.

It seems as though many, yes even we believers, have more passion about politics and this nation than we do about the Kingdom of God and our Savior who shed His blood on the cross for true freedom!

We all seem content with tolerating the Godless nonsense that has taken a stronghold on society! As long as it doesn’t interfere with our comfort and entertainment filled lifestyles.

This is not a movie or some video game! This is life! It is time we all wake up and realize we are living in realville! In realville, wicked things happen because people do wicked things. That is why we all need Jesus!

Bottom line, the only hope for any kind of peace and joy in this world is to be a part of a great movement of revival among the body of Christ and get busy making disciples as we continue to pray for our nation and our leaders!

Yes! Pray for our nation. But pray that the Church would get busy and that the lost would be saved according to God’s Will! And that God would bless our nation again!

To God be the Glory!