Prayer and Fasting.
Greetings everyone,
Happy New Year to each of you and your loved ones!
During his time in office, President Abe Lincoln called for three national proclamations.
The first of these proclamations was during our Civil War, and President Lincoln called the nation to fast and pray for two main areas.
#1 national peace
#2 national unity
President Lincoln knew how important these areas were back then, so he combined them with fasting and prayer.
My friends, we still have a deep need for both of these important areas today as well!
These treasures of peace and unity can truly and only be found in the Prince of Peace.
We can see this encapsulated in Ephesians 2:14-16.
14 He Himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,
15 by setting aside in His flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in Himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace,
16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which He put to death their hostility.
The Word of the Lord reveals to us that Christ is our peace, and that through Him we can have a humanity that has oneness instead of having walls of hostility.
I am thankful for many of our presidents and local leaders who have called us all to fast and pray for unity and peace.
Also, I do believe a key group that should be calling for prayer and for fasting, should be the people of Faith.
My friends, are we calling for unity and peace, and are we leading by example in these areas?
In the military (comprised of so many wonderfully unique and different people) it would not be uncommon to hear the saying “One Team, One Fight” whenever we faced challenges. This was a strength for us to live in that oneness daily! Knowing that no matter what we were facing, we faced it together.
I challenge each of us to fast and pray for these same and vitality important areas, even at this very moment.
Let us all pray and fast for both peace and unity in our homes, our workplace, and across all of Spokane County:
Over the next few days and weeks, I ask for us to take some time and think about what we can do to build peace and to build unity in each other in our community, as well as in our hearts and our families. Take a moment to remember why we receive all our blessings and every liberty in this life and in our country.
Every good and perfect gift comes from above from the father of heavenly lights.
Look with me, at our final scripture selection today out of 2 Chronicles, chapter 7.
2 Chronicles 7:11-15 (The Lord Appears to Solomon)
11 When Solomon had finished the temple of the Lord and the royal palace, and had succeeded in carrying out all he had in mind to do in the temple of the Lord and in his own palace,
12 the Lord appeared to him at night and said:
“I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices.
13 “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people,
14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.
Spokane County Family: this is a step-by-step process to heal our land, to heal our families, to heal our community, and heal our hearts.
Will we follow God’s clear teaching and leading? I pray so, please join with me in a time of prayer and fasting for a deep peace and strong unity in all we do together.
Close in prayer…
Lord God, we cry out to You with hearts that need Your blessings of peace, patience, unity, and so much more. Please grant us wisdom to make right decisions that will bring honor to You and will purify our hearts. Let the words that we speak draw us closer to You, the Prince of Peace. We recognize, O Lord, that You are in control of all things. Help this nation/state/county to hear Your voice, protect us from evil, and lead us in the path of righteousness for Your name’s sake.
In The Name of the King of kings, Your Son, Amen.
Blessings from Above, Chaplain Robert Kinnune