
it is
TO PRAY.
TO FAST.
TO MOURN.
time.
08.20.2020
JOIN US ON 8.20.20
Joel a prophet from the Old Testament, writes that Israel had been ravished by a locust plague. It had devastated the land to the point that even the fig tree had splinters and its branches had become white. The fields and grain were ruined, the wine dried up, and even the fresh oil disappeared.
In the United States, we are seeing a devastation of our dear land. We have a virus pandemic, rioting and anarchy in the streets, a tearing down of historical monuments—and worst of all—no fear or love of God or His Word.
"
"
spare
your
people,
O Lord!
Yet even now,” declares the Lord,
“Return to Me with all your heart,
and with fasting, [with] weeping and mourning;
and rend your heart and not your garments.”
Now return to the Lord your God,
for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger,
abounding in lovingkindness and relenting of evil.
Who knows whether He will not turn
and relent and leave a blessing behind Him,
even a grain offering and a drink offering
for the Lord your God?
Blow a trumpet in Zion, gather the people,
sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders,
gather the children and the nursing infants.
Let the bridegroom come out of his room and the bride out of her bridal chamber. Let the priests, the Lord’s ministers, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say,
“Spare Your people, O Lord,
And do not make Your inheritance a reproach,
a byword among the nations.
Why should they among the peoples say,
‘Where is their God?’”
JOEL 2:12-17
what shall we pray for?
I.
The United States to repent and return to righteousness, our government, and the upcoming election.
1 Timothy 2:1-2
"First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity."
Proverbs 14:34
Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.
II.
Our churches to repent and not go into apostasy.
Jude 1:4
For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness (moral anarchy) and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 2:1-3
But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
III.
Believers to repent.
Revelation 3:15-16
I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.
Titus 2:11-14
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.
IV.
The unsaved to repent and believe.
Mark 1:14-15
"Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, prea-ching the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
Luke 24:45-47
"Then He (Jesus) opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem."
A PRAYER
IN HISTORY
On June 12, 1873, farmers in Minnesota looked to the sky and saw what seemed like a snowstorm coming towards their fields. They heard the roar of beating wings of locusts—in a matter of hours—fields of grass and wheat were eaten to the ground by these hordes of grasshoppers. This locust plague continued on for five years. Many of these pioneer families were on the verge of starvation.
Governor John S. Pillsbury called for a statewide day of fasting and prayer on April 26, 1877. All schools, shops, stores, and offices closed on that day. A continual stream of burdened people solemnly went to churches to pray to God for His mercy.
The next day was unseasonably warm and these starving pioneers were horrified to see these dreaded insects come out of the warm earth. How could this happen after this day of pleading with God?
God did answer their prayers. After three days of warm weather, God brought a cold spell that froze these horrendous locusts. The next summer green fields of wheat and grass waved in the wind. Our all-powerful God again showed His strength when believers prayed on that momentous day.
Dear Believer,
Join us for a day of fasting and praying as we plead and rend our hearts in sorrow over our sin.
Send this to other Christians across the nation. We must seek God’s face!