I Prayed have prayed
Father, we pray for the church in America. Encourage every Christian in this nation to pray, God, for Your will to be done in the United States.
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Behind the greatest evangelist of the Second Great Awakening — Charles Finney — knelt a man of intercession: Daniel Nash.

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Finney, through his passionate appeals for people to come to God, saw hundreds of thousands of conversions happen all over New York and beyond in the early 1800s. Unknown to most, this move of God contained a secret weapon. Nash.

Weeks in advance of an outreach by Finney, intercessor Nash — along with Abel Clary — would come, praying within the community, crying out and asking God for His intervention in the hearts of men.

Nash had been a burned-out pastor. But through prayer during an illness had found personal revival with God. And through prayer would go on to fuel a national revival.

History belongs to the intercessors — we are the ones who are really stirring up national revival and change.

A Nation in Crisis

We are now in 2022 — a long time past the days of Charles Finney and Daniel Nash. But our nation is in more need now than even then.

It has been 246 years since 1776 when our republic was born. The founders of this republic gave us a gift, and we have a responsibility to protect it and keep it.

In 4 short years, America will be 250 years old — the only democratic republic in history that has survived this long.

This is a pivotal moment, and we all know as Christians with discernment that America is at a crisis point. Will we make it to America’s 250th birthday?

When we think about America right now — the decay in our educational systems, media, entertainment, government, business ethics, and more, we must look ourselves straight in the face and realize that we, as believers in Jesus, are not having the greatest impact on our culture.

Why is that?

National Prayerlessness

I believe the root of this failure is our individual loss of a daily connection with God.

We don’t pray. We don’t spend time with Jesus.

We have many weaknesses in the American Church, but none is as glaring as our national prayerlessness.

If we are honest, the last few years has been an eye-opener within the Church. We have been exposed by fear and unbelief and have seen our personal tendencies to run to anything but God in the middle of national crisis.

If God doesn’t awaken the Church in this hour in history, we are in trouble.

And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed (Romans 13:11).

Back to the Basics

Prayer. It is the first spiritual discipline that we all think we know and understand — but really, few of us do.

If we truly understood prayer and realized the value of it, we would prioritize it in our lives and in our local churches. Unfortunately, in our American Church culture, our prayer meetings are the smallest gathering on our weekly or even monthly calendars. They are obviously not sexy or entertaining enough.

A woman told me the other day that she is a member of a church with over 3,000 members and their weekly prayer meeting has only 2 people attending it.

Let’s take a moment to think about prayer in our local churches.

Does your church have a corporate prayer meeting? How often is the prayer meeting?  How many people come to it?

Just those questions alone are exposing to the modern church. But when we pile on thinking about the reality of our own devotional lives, we can all see the weakness.

Prayerlessness is rooted in a key problem: We don’t really believe prayer works. 

If we really believed in prayer, the effectiveness of prayer would absolutely change everything in our lives. Our calendars, our priorities, and our goals. Everything!

E.M. Bounds — the famous 19th century Methodist Episcopal pastor — said this:

God shapes the world by prayer. The more praying there is in the world the better the world will be, the mightier the forces against evil…. The prayers of God’s saints are the capital stock of heaven by which God carries on His great work upon earth. God conditions the very life and prosperity of His cause on prayer.

Prayer is a Real Commodity

Have you thought about prayer being a commodity of heaven before? It is tangible and real.

Let’s read this:

Now when He (the Lamb) had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints (Revelation 5:8)

Look at this powerful picture of the golden bowls full of incense — holding the real tangible prayers of the saints.

When we pray, God hears us, and He collects those prayers. This is an incredible picture of prayer that is something that we can get our heads around.

Prayer is a real commodity.

Just like we go to the bank and deposit a check — prayer is a deposit. Just like we look at our investments on our phones and buy and sell stock — prayer is a stock purchase. Just like we invest in our marriage by spending time with our spouse — prayer is an investment in relationship.

If America is going to see revival — and better yet, another Great Awakening — we need to cry out to God. We need to ask Him to grow faith in our hearts to believe that when we talk to Him, He hears us. And that when we petition Him, it changes hearts and lives.

This is what America needs in this hour of history.

America needs a praying Church.

Prayer is Action — Not Just a Spiritual Buzz Word

This is my personal mandate from the Lord for this season: “Go find the awakening church and plug them into simple habits of prayer, voting, and engagement.”

When our little team of politically active Christians started Christians Engaged a few years ago, we identified three areas of weakness in the American church that we felt called to strengthen:

  1. Habitual prayer for our cities, states, and nation including our elected officials.

  2. A call for believers to vote in every election and to vote biblical values, and

  3. Encouragement for Christians to engage in our culture and take action to be “salt and light” in every space of influence.

Prayer wasn’t just a spiritual buzz word that we picked to talk about something spiritual. No, prayer is the only thing that really matters!

What America Needs Most

In reality, prayer is the only thing that can change our nation.

Hearts are only open to God through prayer. Cities are truly impacted through prayer. Systems can only be reformed by people of wisdom who are covered in prayer.

What does America need in this important moment in history?

America needs YOU! Your participation. Your heart. Your care. Your prayers. Your votes. Your engagement in the culture.

Your intercession.

What is an intercessor? We answer that in Part Two of our History Belongs to the Intercessors series.

Were you encouraged by this article? If so, share it with your friends and family to encourage them!

Bunni Pounds is president of Christians Engaged. She is a former congressional candidate, 15-year political consultant and motivational speaker. Check out Bunni Pounds’ full message called History Belongs to the Intercessors from the Christians Engaged Wake UP! Conference in 2021. Photo Credit: Fa Barboza on Unsplash.

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Leigh Ann
July 23, 2022

I’m a teacher and am disheartened by how corrupt public education is. It’s very difficult to be a Christian and see all the evil surrounding me. We are in a critical situation with such a teacher shortage, but regardless of what I see or hear, I fervently pray for God to move all over this nation in the human heart of the American people. I won’t stop praying!

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Vicki
July 20, 2022

Amen to this message. Appreciate the ministry of IFA for leading prayer for our nation.

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Theresa Ricklefs
July 19, 2022

I do not know about you, but I pray for hours, its enjoyable…………I mean real prayer….there is a REMNANT…………….

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Elaine Delafield
July 18, 2022

Thanks for this word of encouragement. We all need to pray more and more often. Through the day.

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Shirley Jones
July 18, 2022

This is a Day that the Lord has made! Let us rejoice and be glad in it! Let us pray that through the blood of Jesus all generational ties to Satan be removed from all people, that Satan be bound and that God’s will be done in this country and throughout the entire world!! Our God is all powerful and He placed Jesus Christ over us as Savior, Intercessor, Guide and Protector! In the Name of Jesus, I pray that the people of this country be lifted to Jesus for redemption, forgiveness, love and Grace so that we may know Law and Order prevail and God’s Will is welcomed in our lands, In Jesus Precious Name, I ask this prayer to be affirmed and any who wish to join with me in asking!! Praise our Precious Lord!! Thank your our Blessings! AMEN

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John Harves
July 18, 2022

Prayerlessness is a major problem in the church today, which should also include genuine repentance. The Christian Church in this country has been diluted with sin because we do not confront so many young people who have been living, unmarried together. Sin of church leaders in pornography, hidden sexual misconduct, acceptance of the evil of abortion – on and on. Daily repentance and strong preaching is needed calling out the error of acceptance of sin that was unthinkable only a generation ago. I believe that God will not move mightily again until we as a church all genuinely get on our faces in genuine repentance. Lord Jesus Christ, son of the living God have mercy on us.

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Ernest Victor
July 18, 2022

Very parical indeed. Lord teach me to pray.

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Darlene Estlow
July 18, 2022

Father, thank you for calling Christians to pray, for bringing us to life to serve you and pray. Bless Christians Engaged and use them to bring all Christians alive to pray and act.

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Priscilla Meyenburg
July 18, 2022

Anytime you’re looking for promotion from God, He will first bring you back to your present reality before He promotes you into His reality—the place where His truth and your promotion reside.

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Elaine
July 18, 2022

I am so heartbroken over the church today! My old church got rid of 24/7 prayer room & no Chior! It’.s like a rock band now . The music is so loud you got to use ear plugs. 😥

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    Jessica Renshaw
    July 19, 2022

    So sad! You say your old church so I assume you have found a new one that is alive and does have an active prayer ministry and godly music. If not, may you be the one faithful light that keeps shining in the darkness until others join you and there is revival.

Irina Murashova
July 18, 2022

Amen! Amen! Amen!

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Dorothy Haynes
July 18, 2022

Prayer is communion with God. It is an individual thing and it is also corporate, but it flows out of the person’s individual relationship they have with God. If there is no prayer in the home of believers there will be no prayer in the church. We come together as a community of believer to join our forces together, but if we have not spent individual time with God there with be nothing to give. Those of us who know God need to start praying at home, starting by repenting of the lack of prayer in our lives while we are at home, and invite God’s presence to be in our home. This will ignite Holy Spirit fire in our lives and help intercession to increase in the church. I pray that God would stir up his people to begin seeking him while they are at home, to turn their hearts toward him throughout the day and help us to be conscious of His Presence that is always with us. When we draw near to God He will draw near to us (James 4:8).

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Allena Jordan
July 18, 2022

Lord, You are moving in and among Your people in our country. I lift up those who have lost heart, lost courage, lost hope, lost vision. I ask You to speak to each of them individually. Draw them near to Your heart and show them Your plans for this country. Inspire them to believe that You are working and that each one of Your people is needed at this critical time in our country. There are those of Your people who are completely backslidden and not engaged with You at this time. Convict them of their sins; in mercy draw them back to Yourself, revealing Your great love for each one. Then, Father, those pastors who have remained true to Your Word, please strengthen and encourage them to speak about how to engage the culture with Truth. Thank You for those pastors who preach Your Truth. Bless them and pour out Your Spirit afresh on them. For those pastors who have left the barn, so to speak, Lord, discipline them; return them to their first love. If they never knew You in the first place, then drive them away or save them. Let the fire of Your Spirit fall upon all Your people in this country once again. Draw us to the cross. Draw us to that place of prayer. Oh, how great is Your love for all people. Thank You for keeping Your own safe and secure in Jesus. Amen.

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Yvette
July 18, 2022

Holy Spirit by the power of Jesus Christ draw us nearer to the Cross where our relationship will become stronger and communicating with you will make our prayer life strong.Hallelujah Hallelujah Amen!

“but you shall hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have done to this day. For the Lord has driven out from before you great and strong nations; but as for you, no one has been able to stand against you to this day. One man of you shall chase a thousand, for the Lord your God is He who fights for you, as He promised you. Therefore take careful heed to yourselves, that you love the Lord your God.”
‭‭Joshua‬ ‭23:8-11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

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Catherine Seybold
July 18, 2022

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. James 5:16

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Christine from Kentwood MI
July 18, 2022

Holy Spirit, Awaken our passion for the revival of our nation, Israel and other nations. Make that burning desire a priority in our lives, that we will see You high and lifted up over America and Israel first and all over the world. Jesus, Father, Holy Spirit, be glorified. Be our one desire. Be our Hope, Light and Life. Breathe upon us and make our prayers anointed, full of the Spirit, Wisdom, Counsel, Power, Might, Knowledge, Understanding, and fear of the Lord. Let Your Word in our mouths be like a hammer smashing a rock to pieces as we come against every high thing that exalts itself against knowledge of God today. Shred the works of evil established to take over the minds and hearts of our people, young and old and in-between and replace those works with Your Word and a tender responsive heart and a deep and abiding love of and desire for God and mobilization to do Your will in our lives and to have godly men and women in every elected and appointed office in this land and Israel. I pray this in Jesus’ name, believing for it to be done, starting with me and my family and my circle of life, and my city and my state and my nation and for Israel.

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Mildred Hall
July 18, 2022

I was saved in the gospel mission in Canada with Sister Collins preaching, the Bible comes alive in the sermon and happens to us in prayer. I visited a church here and was touched by the sermon and disappointed that there was no prayer time.

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