Hear my prayer, O LORD, Give ear to my supplications! Answer me in Your faithfulness, in Your righteousness! Psalm 143:1 NAS
Greetings!
These past few days have caused my heart and lips to overflow with gratitude as God has heard and answered our prayers; decades of prayers, night and day, travailing prayers filled with tears and repentance. Over the years we have mourned every life taken whether from the womb, the classroom, workplace, at the hand of a stranger or that or a person of trust or even love. Murder and violence must be replaced with the value and preserving of every life. Throughout the decades as we have prayed to God, the Author of life, we have interceded for Him to protect the most innocent, the helpless heartbeats of the unborn and He has answered our prayers! Pause to praise and thank Him in prayer.
It is vital for us to respond to God in this moment with thanks and with a commitment to seize the opportunity to share and show the love of Jesus to all of those who now think the Church is their enemy; a group of religious people who have fought to take away what they saw was a right of their body and not stopping the heartbeat of another person. If Jesus can cry out for forgiveness on the cross for those who “know not what they do,” who are we to call down judgement or walk away in victory and leave them to fend for themselves? It is not time to just celebrate, but to participate in what God is doing.
In the victory there is a glorious assignment being handed to the Church, an opportunity to obey Jesus’ call of love in the character and conduct of our lives. We now must commit as the Church to help women choose life and walk with them through the fears and needs that might have otherwise caused them to run to a state where abortion is legal. This is a beautiful opportunity for the Church to open its doors, time, talent, and treasure to equip men and women to become parents or to help others who have always wanted to become parents through adoption. There is much work to be done and God is waiting for His people to respond to His great answer to our prayers with great love even to those who consider themselves our enemy. I realize it is a lot to take in, but I hope you will pray with us as we seek God’s mission in this moment perhaps you never thought you would see happen in your lifetime.
There was another Supreme Court victory that happened on Monday that did not get much media coverage. This case involved as high school coach who for years went to the 50- yard line to pray after every game and was sometimes voluntarily joined by some his players until one parent complained. The Supreme Court has now decided that “separation of church and state does not prohibit public school employees from praying aloud on the job near students.” Please make sure you tell every public school employee you know about this decision. You will hear much more from us leading into and throughout the school year, but for now pause and thank God for pulling down the strongholds that have fought to keep Christians silent in schools and children from the Word of God and prayer.
As we celebrate the declaring our independence on July 4, 1776, remember that this happened in the midst of the war that had begun April 19, 1775, and that independence was not secured until September 3, 1783. The battle is not over, we must commit to fight the good fight; to contend for the souls of our neighbors and nation as we continue to celebrate and participate in God’s answers to our prayers.
Let’s respond together now in prayer.
Lord, we rejoice and give You praise as You have heard and answered our travailing prayers. We thank you now not just for the victory in the court but in the lives of our nation and for the glory that these decisions will bring Your Great Name. Open our ears to hear Your instructions, open our eyes to see the opportunities before us, open our hands and hearts to help those who cannot help themselves. Let Your people, Your Church, bring hope and help to those who feel angry and afraid. For those who say they feel, “unloved by their country” lead us to show them the love of their Creator. Strengthen us for the good works that You have prepared for us each day as we aspire to exalt You and give You glory.
Serving Him with Gladness,
Kathy Branzell
President, National Day of Prayer Task Force