Response to Email: Where Are All The Christians Praying?

Posted by Bishop Susan Storm Smith

I received an email that asked some interesting questions, and also the sender requested that it be sent as a "Prayer Chain". Let me state for the record, I seldom if ever forward things to other people. Most of the time it is not researched and a lot of misinformation is sent along as factual. But this particular email caught my attention. It was sent to me by a friend, from a friend, from a friend … you get the drift. It deals with why Christians are allowing the Obama campaign to railroad Christians into dismay and giving up. I highly disagree. The following is a quote from the email:"Why are we Christians settling and not issuing a battle cry and falling to our knees and taking our country back? We allow ourselves to be stripped of the right to pray at school functions and in school, we have the 10 commandments removed from government places and are told we cannot pray in school; all the while providing public prayer places for Muslims. What in the world is going on and why are we being apathetic? Why aren't we praying? Our God is a mighty God who is waiting patiently for us to raise our voices to heaven to stop the tide of the ant i-Christ actions in our world today. Now we find we have a charismatic candidate for president who does not respect our flag and refuses to wear one on his lapel except when it becomes politically expedient and whose own wife and pastor that he loves, profess to have strong anti-white feelings, and we sit back and say "it is a given, we can do nothing." There has never been a time in 2000 years that we can do nothing, never a time that we must sit back and allow the evil in men's and women's hearts to take over our world. We should be very afraid because our apathy is leading us to perdition."Let's take this step-by-step for enlightenment and hopefully empowerment to the Christian community.· Where are the Christians falling on their knees… taking back our country?o Where have the Christians been who are complaining when the church held weekly prayer intercession for every issue on the planet?o Where were the moral majority when the pastor has said prayer this week, please come and join us for intercessiono Where have the Christians been when the prophets have said, we need solemn assembly so that we can stave (keep off) the judgment of God before it is too late?o A person needs relationship in order to have a conversation of any length of meaning· Ten Commandments and School Prayer:o How many times have Christians said in church and out that we don't live under the "law"; consider the Ten Commandments to be Old Testament and therefore not part of today's New Testamento School Prayer was in another generation, so this generation of parents don't even know the value of ito After all they don't even come to church for weekly prayero And if the prayer goes too long on Sunday feel that it is just another sermon· Our God is a mighty God who is waiting patiently for us to raise our voices to heaven to stop the tide of the anti-Christ actions in our world todayo The spirit of anti-Christ has been in the world since the Garden of Eden, it is not new and different to this erao The truth of the matter is most Christians internationally and in the States do not believe that they have any power or authority over the enemyo Why? Because they don't know their Bibleo Why? Because the churches are empty, opting for other types of entertainmento Entertainment? Yes, church has become watered down, feel good, jump up and down, Goosebumps experiences or it isn't a good serviceo Try teaching the consequences of sin and watch the next week when people stop coming to church—too much to handle, all that responsibility for self stuff· Obama does wear a flag pin; McCain wears a flag pin (I have proven it on social sites claiming Obama does not and McCain does—I have shown pictures of both with and without) That isn't even an issue!o Nor should it have been an issue over Obama taking the American flag off his plane except for the one that all American planes must haveo Guess what, McCain has the same smaller flag and no tail flago We are so into the small stuff that we miss the real pointso Christians have a moral responsibility against abortion; both Obama and Clinton believe in abortion; McCain believes that life starts at conceptiono I have posted on my blog and elsewhere that fact that Obama's pastor is a friend and probably a closet Nation of Islam believero Obama being in this Nation of Islam church with a mentor and friend for over 20 years says that he too is Nation of Islamo What is Nation of Islam? A black religion that says they can be Muslim or Christian, whichever is convenient at the moment. Even Islam proper disowns them as Muslim (do the research)o Unfortunately most of today's generation doesn't even know anything about this religious group. Think Malcolm X and Farrakhan· Do I believe we need to pray? Absolutely!· Do I believe that this nation (America) is going downhill in a handbasket? In many areas yes· Is it because we don't pray as a Body of Christ? Absolutely· Is it because we have watered down the cause of Christ to be of no meaning or little meaning in our lives and those of our family? Absolutely· Christianity is a lifestyle not a sermon· Christianity is living the life of a disciple, learning daily, putting off our former self for the mind of Christ· As to the original question where are the Christians falling on their knees? You determine where you are and do what you know to be truth and right. If you're not part of the solution, you don't get to ask the questions.If you feel strongly about the power of prayer, get into small groups in your home, senior centers, playground, wherever you can meet. The Bible says that where 2-3 are gathered … well, God apparently knew that it was going to be difficult to get a whole bunch of people together. But he has said, come together even in small groups and pray, turn from our wicked and self-centered way and turn our faces (and hearts) towards Him and His word .. then he will heal our land—physically and spirituallyIf you haven't been to an assembly of the faithful and righteous (that's called going to church) then please be encouraged to do so. If you don't know where to go, look for one that teaches the Bible. Don't go for entertainment and the thrill of singing—that is important but we must get the Word of God into our hearts so that we have a word in season.When we're in that place and need to hear from God, we have the Word of God, the scriptures in us, so that we can bring them forth for our own encouragement.Keep a prayer in your heart today. Pray for God to prune you first and get you into position for use by the Almighty. Stop looking at others until you are willing to get on the altar of sacrifice and submit all of you, totally everything about you before the Lord and allow him to prune you. Then you are in position to go into the Holy Place, and you will be led to pray for others instead of the bless me club of most prayer. You will become an intercessor for the world, and give praise and worship from your heart not the minister of worship on Sunday only.Be much encouraged today, seek the Lord with all of your heart, mind, soul, and spirit. Be willing to be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Be willing to offer all of you (body, mind, and spirit) unto the Lord for assessment. Ask Him to change you, to prune you, to make you a worthy vessel of honor in His service.We can't "fall on our knees" if we are not willing to submit to the Almighty. Crisis praying is only for a season; intercession is a daily walk and talk.

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