"May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice." Psalm 141:2 There are no greeting cards, that I know of, designed to celebrate today. There are no gifts to purchase or meals to prepare. But it is a day to honor our God and to humbly stand before him in prayer on behalf of our nation, our leaders and the world. This isn't a new tradition, as I first thought, but began in 1775 when the first Continental Congress called upon the citizens of the first colonies to pray for wisdom in forming this nation we now call home.
As much as modern society would like to claim that mentioning God or any form of religious act like prayer, in government is a breach of our Constitution whereby there should be a separation of church and state, it is evident that faith in God was ingrained in every aspect of the forming of this United States. Lest this become a political rant or a history lesson that you can read at the website http://nationaldayofprayer.org, let me stop.
Unlike other Hallmark-profiting holidays like Halloween, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Grandparent's Day, Children's Day or Love Your Pet Day, today is a sincere call not only to petition God on behalf of our nation but a call to posture ourselves humbly before THE Sovereign God.
Today, we put aside our political party and religious differences to unite as "one nation, under God" to thank Him for our liberties, our freedoms, and to ask for His wisdom for our nation and more personally, for his people. May God be lifted up with our lips and may our lives show it is Him in whom we trust.
"I will say of the Lord, he is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." Psalm 91:2
"The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." James 5:16b
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