GC2012–Anglicans United prayer request #1

Cherie Wetzel at Anglicans United is reporting from Indianapolis. She requests:

In preparation for the beginning of this Convention, we ask you to pray for three things:
1. Pray for righteous judgement by all voting members involved.

Our Father in heaven,
We bless all of the voting members of General Convention. You have numbered the hairs on their heads, and You know their needs even better than they know themselves. Bless them in every dimension, seen and unseen. Open their eyes to see You and their hearts to love You and their spirits to embrace the way of Jesus, incarnating humility and purity in their voting decisions. Amen.

2. Pray for Mercy from God himself. Pray that the Spirit of God will not depart this Church.

We have turned our backs on You.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

3. Please pray for the Anglicans United meeting for the Communion Partners bishops and deputies. They don’t know each other and are usually segregated from each other in the House of Deputies. They need to know that they are not alone. Sixty people are expected at our gathering from 5-7:00 PM. It is the Fourth of July and we have planned this party for nearly a year.

Oh, that you would bless the Communion Partner bishops and deputies and enlarge their territory! Let your hand be with them, and keep them from harm so that they will be free from pain. Bless their party. Amen.
1 Chronicles 4:10

More prayers may be found by typing GC2012 in the search box to the right.

On praying and fasting for our nation

This excerpt is taken from Paul Davis’ book “Holy Ghost Fire or Hellfire? The inescapable choice.”

The good prayer and fasting has done cannot be underestimated. It has often both thwarted evil and moved God in heaven. It is terribly unfortunate that very few know the truth about American history and the great influence that praying men who lived fasted lives had upon this nation.

The Continental Congress made their first official act a call to prayer on September 6, 1774, after just receiving news that the British troops had attacked Boston. The first prayer in Congress was uttered on September 7, 1774, in Carpenter’s Hall, Philadelphia.

The Library of Congress, from the collected reports of the various patriots, recorded on a famous historical placard the effect of that first prayer upon Congress:

“Washington was kneeling there, and Henry, Randolph, Rutledge, Lee, and Jay, and by their side there stood, bowed in reverence, the Puritan Patriots of New England, who at that moment had reason to believe that an armed soldiery was wasting their humble households. It was believed that Boston had been bombarded and destroyed.

They prayed fervently ‘for America, for Congress, for the Province of Massachusetts Bay, and especially for the town of Boston,’ and who can realize the emotion with which they turned imploringly to Heaven for Divine interposition and – ‘It was enough’ says Mr. Adams, ‘to melt a heart of stone. I saw the tears gush into the eyes of the old, grave, Pacific Quakers of Philadelphia.'”

Fasting is a means of humbling ourselves individually and as a nation before God. The Israelites were taught by Moses to “afflict their souls” by means of fasting (Lev. 16:31). Devout Jews interpret this as a command by God to fast and strictly adhere to do so (Acts 27:9).

The founding fathers of the United States of America, the pilgrims, attributed their success to God through fasting and prayer. Setting aside special days of fasting and prayer was an accepted part of life in the Plymouth Colony. A law was passed on November 15, 1636, allowing the Governor and his assistants “to command solemn days of humiliation by fasting, etc. And, also, for thanksgiving as occasion shall be offered.”

The assembly of Virginia passed a resolution on June 1, 1774 as a day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer. George Washington, our first president, set a pattern for leaders of this country to fast and pray. Washington’s diary records, “Went to church and fasted all day.”

Our country has precedence to fast and pray to avoid war. John Adams, our second president, proclaimed May 9, 1798 as a day of solemn humiliation, fasting and prayer. The United States was on the verge of war with France.

Under our fourth president, James Madison, when engaged in war with Britain, both houses of Congress passed a joint resolution desiring a day of public humiliation, fasting and prayer on January 12, 1815.

Abraham Lincoln, the Savior of the Union, the country’s greatest president, proclaimed three fasts. During the Civil War, Lincoln called the nation to prayer and fasting for national peace and unity. Lincoln’s second call on March 30th, 1863, was to repent as a nation through prayer and fasting. Honest Abe’s third proclamation was the first Thursday of August, 1864. He made a special plea for those in positions of authority to seek God with fasting and prayer.

The might that prayer and fasting exerts cannot be underestimated, as petitioners humble themselves before the throne of grace and unlock the arm of the Almighty to intervene in the earthly affairs of men. Indeed, we “have not” because we “ask not” (Jas. 4:2). Could it be that we are so engulfed in responding to the demands of our flesh that we cannot hear from our spirit? If we were not so quick to indulge our flesh in all that it is asking for, we might have time and attentiveness to do some asking for the spiritual blessings that ultimately affect the natural world in which we live.

Father,
We thank You for the blessings You have bestowed upon our nation. Amen.

Matt. 21:33-46

“Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them. Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?” They said to Him, “He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.” (Matthew 21:33-41)
      Holy Spirit, please help all the bishops and deputies attending the General Convention take this parable and Jesus’ words to heart and yield up the fruit of righteousness.

Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.” (Matthew 21:42-44)
      Jesus, please help the leaders and teachers of the Episcopal Church read and hear what the Scriptures are saying to them. If they will not repent, then take their office from them and give it to another. (See Acts 1:15-26)

Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them. But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet. (Matthew 21:45-46)
      Father, please give the chief priests of the Episcopal Church a hear t submit themselves to Jesus. Their hearts are so filled with fear of what is politically correct. Set them free to follow Jesus. Let this truly be an Independence Day for them.

Wednesday: 119:145-176 * 128, 129, 130; Num. 22:41-23:12: Rom. 7:13-25: Matt. 21:33-46
Thursday: 131, 132, [133] * 134, 135; Num. 23:11-26: Rom. 8:1-11: Matt. 22:1-14

      Notes from the Front Line

Prayers for the Church (pages 816-17, BCP)

7. For the Church
      Gracious Father, we pray for thy holy Catholic Church. Fill it with all truth, in all truth with all peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in any thing it is amiss, reform it. Where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of Jesus Christ thy Son our Savior. Amen.

10. For the Diocese
      O God, by your grace you have called us in this Diocese to a goodly fellowship of faith. Bless our Bishops Bill, Dan and David, and other clergy, and all our people. Grant that your Word may be truly preached and truly heard, your Sacraments faithfully administered and faithfully received. By your Spirit, fashion our lives according to the example of your Son, and grant that we may show the power of your love to all among whom we live; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

***** Remember the cost of your freedom.

Albany Intercessor