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National Day of Prayer
'Your Prayer Life?'
The subject chosen is concerning our National Day of Prayer. Better yet our "Prayer Life".
The following article was written back in August, 1974 by "M. Basilea Schlink".
Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary Inc. "Canaan in the Desert" Phoenix, Arizona
Published by: The Evangelical sisterhood of Mary, Darmstadi, West Germany.
I thought it was very relevant for today and needed to be looked at again.
The International Day of Prayer and Repentance proclaimed for August 17, 1974 was indeed a day of prayer and repentance on a world-wide scale. In over forty countries on all five continents Protestant, Roman Catholic and even Orthodox believers gathered in their churches and prayer fellowships for intercession. As we have heard, over a thousand prayer groups met on this day in Western Germany alone. At Canaan we were a large gathering of five hundred who had come together for prayer. Radio programs in Europe, Asia and North America, as well as articles in newspapers, church magazines and circular letters called people to prayer and repentance on that day -- and the summons was heard. Many different reports have reached us, describing how the Spirit of God descended mightily during those prayer services and meetings, how lifeless congregations came alive, how people humbled themselves and brought the Lord fervent entreaties.
But then from many sides the question arose, "What is the next step?" People wrote to us, saying that one single day was not enough, this could only be the beginning. They wished to meet again in the future to come before God with prayers of repentance and supplication. "Should not Christians continue to meet on a certain day in the month to unite in prayer?" they asked. This has also been very much on our hearts ever since August 17, and therefore we should like to pass on this urgent request, for as it says in one of our church hymns, "Oh, what then if all men join to pray before Him? Wondrous things will happen!" Tremendous promises are given for joint prayer! And if the Christians not only in one country but in over forty countries throughout the world come together before God in prayer every month on a specific day, humbling themselves beneath their personal and national sins, and entreating God for mercy, something will happen indeed.
But what should happen? What should we pray for? For a prolonged period of grace before judgment descends? Certainly. For many more souls to be rescued from the quicksands of sin and the diabolical deceptions prevalent today, as in the film "The Exorcist" and similar products of hell? Such fervent entreaties are indeed according to the will of God, for God expects Christians to erect a dam against the advancing powers of darkness through their prayers. In order to do so, we must stand on a firm foundation against which Satan cannot prevail -- and that is the blood of the Lamb, which has redemptive power. With the banner of victory -- victory in the name of Jesus -- in our hands and the trumpet, which is His Word, at our lips, we may sound the clear note of testimony, call souls to Jesus, the redeemer, and spread the warning against the wiles of Satan.
One prayer in particular should sound louder than all others in the present hour of darkness. It is a powerful prayer. It is the prayer of the Early Christians at a time of darkness and dire distress -- a prayer that caused the place where they were gathered to shake. With this particular prayer His own besieged heaven, even gaining access to the throne of God -- and His answer came mightily as related in the Book of Acts, chapter four. Though it was such a simple prayer, it must have pleased God greatly and contained much power. It was a prayer in adoration of the omnipotent Creator and immortal God.
Significantly enough, the Lord is calling us to a similar prayer during the last times. The end is like the beginning. At the beginning of the Christian age it was a dark period in Judea; Jesus was blasphemed by His people, who also persecuted the Christians. At the end of time Jesus is blasphemed once again -- this time not only in one country, but throughout the world, in every nation and even within the realms of Christianity. Persecution against the true believers looms ahead. It is inevitable in view of the mighty advances of the Satanic powers, who hate Jesus and His own, kindling the nations with more an more of this hatred.
In those days the chief prayer of the New Testament church was not "Lord, protect us, help us." Amid the darkness of those times and under persecution a mighty anthem of adoration rose to God from the assembled believers. And this prayer of adoration transformed everything. "Sovereign Lord, who didst make the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them" (Acts 4:24). What power lies in this statement! It conveys the awe and wonder of praying men and women of the Old Testament times, which is also expressed in some of the Psalms. "O Lord, who is likeThee" There is no God like Thee!" Therefore, the believers in their affliction went on to pray. "Why so the heathen rage against the Lord, and the foolish nations plan their little plots against Almighty God?" (The Living Bible). For these Christians it was an established truth: God is always greater, even when "the kings of the earth unite to fight against Him, and against the anointed Son of God" (The Living Bible).
Shouldn't that be our prayer today? In this day and age there is a universal revolt against Christ. Behind it all are influential men who already have everything under control in most countries and are working to do away with Jesus and His followers. Numerous books, other publications and even films, some of which are still in preparation, are now presenting Jesus as the first Communist martyr and true rsociety today.evolutionary, who sought to overthrow existing governments in his day. They show how Jesus had to proceed against a repressive society -- and in their eyes it is the Christians who form the repressive society today.
Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, the innocent Lamb of God, who in His pure and long-surrering love gave Himself for us, even sacrificing His Life on the cross, and who rose again in triumph, is made to wear the sin-stained garment of the people of our times. Violence, riots, hatred, murder, terrorism -- every imaginable crime is attributed to Him. Indeed, action will soon be taken against the Christians in the name of this "revolutionary". A public exhibition is made of the Holy One of God, who is dishonoured before all mankind by such malicious distortion. As in a triumphal procession He is paraded throughout the nations in films, television programmes and publications, portrayed as a revolutionary and criminal. Man dares to attack God Himself. Man not only abolishes God's commandments, but blasphemes Him -- and according to His Word death is the penality (Leviticus 24:16).
Thus the mighty summons of the angel in the Revelation of John addressed to all the inhabitants of the earth, every nation, tribe and tongue applies today, for in the end times the world has become a family of nations, all of which are equally involved in the blasphemies against Jesus. This summons is like the last warning signal.
"Fear God and give Him glory, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the fountains of water" (Revelation 14:7).
In the present day when the whole world is to be turned into an anti-authoritarian society and man is to be made God, there can be no other summons to prayer than the trumpet call:
"Give God the glory!"
"Glory be to God! Glory to the Lamb!" This is the prayer God is waiting for today as He revealed in His Word.
If we unite in this prayer on further days of prayer, the results could be far-reaching and highly significant. The holy, immortal God and Creator, our Lord who is so blasphemed today, would once more receive before the visible and invisible world the honour that is His due as the Almighty. Since blasphemy will be the main cause for the coming judgment, this glorification of God and the Lamb will be able to delay the last stage of Satan's rule and thus defer the devastation that will come upon this world.
Such worship has yet another effect. In those days it made the Early Christians strong and courageous in the hour of extreme darkness and peril, for they went on to pray, "Grant to thy servants to speak thy word with all boldness" (Acts 4:29). Although Peter was in prison at that very moment, facing martyrdom, and although their own lives were now endangered, they prayed that God would make them witnesses, who would publicly testify to Him all the more. By worshipping God and storming heaven with a bold faith, they received the strength to continue to bear witness to the name of God under persecution.
Today we too are threatened by Christian persecution and therfore it is vital that we receive the strength to face it. And we shall become strong through worship and adoration. Therefore, let us unite in prayer services and prayer fellowships to praise the glory of Jesus' name and of His victory at Calvary, and to worship the love and omnipotence of the Father, the holy, eternal, immortal Creator God. What significance such united prayer on a world-wide scale would have! It would resound throughout the heavens and bring joy to the heart of God amid all the blasphemy. On earth it would be the last counteraction against the advance of sin and Satan. It would be a stronghold in the turmoil of the waves of demonism, which rise from the abyss, seeking to drag everything down below.
Now it is important to decide which day to set aside for common prayer in the future. People in various fellowships have already begun to observe the seventeenth of every month as a day of prayer. Therefore, we should like to suggest that whenever it is possible we meet in our various prayer fellowships every month on the seventeenth. But if this date should ever be inconvenient, it would naturally be possible to choose the next suitable day.
In these dark days at the end of time God is calling us to a specific kind of prayer, the prayer of adoration. Let us obey His command, for tremendous promises are given to prayers that are according to His will (1 John 5:14). Let us give thanks to God for having given us in the darkness of our times such a wonderful calling, which will also bring us strength and joy in our personal lives -- the calling to give God the glory!
M. Basilea Schlink