Dear Christians in Illinois—let us humbly pray to God Almighty for our nation and our state.
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. – Psalm 145:18
Seek the Lord while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. – Isaiah 55:6
In just a few days, God willing, we will gather in many locations across our beloved state of Illinois to pray (Click HERE to find one). As a local pastor, I sincerely hope and earnestly ask that if you are a believer, you will prioritize this and beseech the Lord with us.
If you are a brother-pastor or faithful church member, please consider hosting a prayer event and invite your fellow congregants. There is no cost, and it can be held right at your church building during normal prayer time (with your pastor’s approval, of course).
To all fellow Christian believers in the Lord Jesus, please pray. Our nation is at a major and, in many ways, unprecedented crossroads.
Frankly, the enemies our nation faces are worse than we think. It is no exaggeration to say that apart from God’s radical mercy and generosity, it is a wonder our nation has not already imploded.
But rather than despair, we must depend on and cry out to our worthy and awesome God to graciously and powerfully intervene. We desperately need the Lord to pour out His mercy, grace, wisdom, and courage upon us and our fellow citizens.
So, brothers and sisters in Christ, let us join with other Christian saints to call upon the Lord in humble prayer (more details here).
As I heard one pastor put it years ago, I highly doubt any Christian gets to the end of his or her earthly life and thinks, “You know what I did too much of? I did too much praying.” Show me that Christian brother or that Christian sister! I truly don’t think they exist.
Communing with the living God and calling upon Him with confidence that He is good and faithful is an essential priority. Faithful prayer shows we believe God has supremely demonstrated His kindness towards us in the glorious grace of Christ our Savior alone.
Our prayer lives evidence our trust that God’s wisdom, righteousness, truth, and sovereign ways are better than all mankind’s! What a blessing and privilege to use our strength to call on the Lord! For most, if not all of us Christians, it is profoundly convicting to consider how little we pray.
And when we look at so many alarming and serious concerns in our country and the constant compromise, corruption, and scandal among our leaders, it is often easier for many of us to fret, despair, worry, or complain instead of praying.
Christian friends, let us repent of our prayerlessness and walk in growing, humble dependence upon the Lord together.
Throughout Scripture, we are called to pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17). Our Lord and Savior taught His disciples with the expectation that they and, by extension, we would be a praying people secretly and humbly calling upon Him (Matt. 6:6).
In the first-century church we read that Christians were “continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42). On September 25 and 26, let us come together with other followers of the risen Lord Jesus Christ to pray.
Read more about why we would humbly pray here and here. Find a gathering near your home.
Lord willing, these prayer events will continue up to and even past the election. One of the IFI Call to Humility and Prayer events is Will the Real Church Please Stand Up to Pray on Wednesday, September 25 @ 7:00 p.m. in Arlington Heights, IL. If you live nearby, join us!
If you are a pastor of a local church, I would again strongly plead with you to host a prayer event at your church. Pray together for our nation, our candidates, and for civil magistrates to do what is right and just and true under the fear of the Lord. Pray for God to convict and convert elected officials to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. Pray for corruption and evil to be exposed and for wicked laws and evil agendas to fail. All of these things can only be done by God’s mercy.
Let us pray for the kingdom of God and the gospel’s advance across the hearts and minds of our neighbors in our nation! Let us approach our heavenly Father in the risen Son Jesus Christ’s name, empowered by and filled with the Holy Spirit!
With so much unwarranted mudslinging and open lies all around us, we as Christians need to lead the way in calling upon the Lord, Who turns king’s hearts easily wherever He wishes (Prov. 21:1). Now is the time to come together as Christians across many locations to call upon the same one true and living Triune Lord of Heaven and Earth.
Don’t wait until September 25 or 26 to pray, but do come out and pray at a prayer gathering! Organize a prayer event or go to one and bring your believing friends. Before, at, and after the prayer events, read Scripture and pray, crying out to the Lord our God, the sovereign Creator, the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords. He is the only wise God (Rom. 16:27) who knows all things and is all-powerful.
In Jesus, our holy, holy, holy God has graciously provided a way for us to approach His throne room. In Christ and Christ alone, by God’s grace, we can boldly come and beseech Him in the Spirit (Eph. 2:18).
Read more here on why we must pray now, on practical steps for praying here, and how to pray with power here. Join one of these events and mark it down on your calendar! Humbly approach your pastors and leaders to ask if your church can also host a prayer evening or find and come out to pray with other God-fearing believers near you who believe God is who He says He is.
May the Lord be glorified by His children’s confidence in Him expressed in our faithful, humble prayer life together and alone!
Soli Deo Gloria!
