Christians are rightly concerned about the state of things in our country today. We seem to be further away than ever from the founding principles of our nation. Can anything be done? Today’s reading from If Men Will Pray is from pages 23 and 24:
“Over the past generation evangelical Christians in every communion of the Body of Christ have been wringing their hands over the state of American morality, culture, and society. Wringing them, but not sitting on them. Evangelicals have devoted themselves and their time, strength, and treasure to arresting the nation’s drift into godlessness and relativism. Calls for renewal have been accompanied by the creation of organizations, the publication of literature, the flooding of airwaves and cyberspace, and the spawning of movements of various kinds, all devoted to recalling America’s founding virtues and to decrying the present dire state of affairs.
“Christian men have preached, written, worked, organized, led, testified, and spent in order to restore the nation’s values and roll back the unwelcome tide of unbelief that is threatening to inundate the land. We have bent our backs and lent our hands to every conceivable form and attempt at changing the culture and arresting our society’s downward spiral into immorality.
“And the result is that, today, the nation is worse off and has slipped farther down that dark watershed than before all these efforts began a generation ago.
“I believe this is because nothing we might do will restore peace, civility, godliness, dignity, and a welcome reception for the Gospel if Christian men will not pray.”
For reflection or discussion
1. Why do you suppose Paul puts such emphasis on men praying?
2. What can you do to help the men in your church begin to pray more?
Let’s not undervalue the work of prayer. In prayer we demonstrate our honor for God and trust in Him. In prayer we unite hearts in common supplications. In prayer we call on the Spirit and Jesus to intercede for us. Seems so important and so easy. Why is it so hard? Share today’s podcast with a friend, then get together to discuss it. You can order If Men Will Pray from The Ailbe Bookstore.
T. M. Moore
