ARE WE FORGETTING SOMETHING?

Memorial Day weekend is upon us, isn’t it? Time to go to the beaches, backyard barbeques, picnics, the Indianapolis 500 race and don’t forget the parades. Family get-togethers are important. All this sounds like fun to me, but are we forgetting something? Welcome everyone to your 24/7, week long online church service. Everyone is welcome in this place.

The question posed, are we forgetting something, is just not a rhetorical question, my friends. The holiday we are celebrating is Memorial Day, isn’t it? A day set aside to remember the wonderful men and women who have given the ultimate sacrifice for us. Yes, through all the fun and frolic, a serious obligation lies before us. You see, originally Memorial Day was a day of remembrance and prayer. A day for us to thank God for our blessings as a nation. A time to pray for our country, our military overseas and stateside.

Oh, by the way, don’t forget to pray for our leaders, our President, Vice President, the cabinet and our senators and congressmen and women. God has blessed us with a country that proclaims freedom for all. We must pray that is not just a proclamation but a fact. Let’s look at I Timothy 2: 1-4. This scripture is an instruction to us, so let’s read it together. I Timothy 2:1-4 states:

“Exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”

Now, this scripture covers a lot of ground, doesn’t it? I’m going to comment on some of these Bible verses in two sections. The first section will relate to us as a nation. Why we have an obligation to always remember our soldiers who have fallen in battle and why we must always pray in good faith for – not against – our Presidents and men and women in authority. The second part will be about the importance of prayer. Not only on Memorial Day but everyday. You ready? Stay with me, church, you will not be disappointed.

All right, let’s look at verses 1-3 again – How does this relate to Memorial Day and our duty to our nation? The apostle Paul here is giving instructions to Timothy but also to us. Paul starts out by saying “I exhort you first of all.” So you see, there is a priority list here. Paul basically is saying “Pray people, pray!” Pray for supplications which is personal needs. It’s not wrong folks for us to pray for our own personal needs. You see, as our own personal needs get resolved, it is easier to pray and help meet the needs of others. So in fact, praying for our own needs is not selfish but helps us to be more giving. Have you ever looked at it like this before?

Paul also says “Keep praying and making intercessions.” In other words, don’t stop praying but pray even more for the needs of others. What are the needs of the people surrounding you? You know, your family, friends and even strangers that God puts in your pathway. Understand folks, what God is saying through the apostle Paul is that we should pray about everything including ourselves, others and as you will see even our nation and its leaders. Okay, let’s continue. Verse 2 says “Pray for kings,” or in our case our President and for all that are in authority. Paul is talking here about civil government. Now, why is he saying this? The answer is exactly what the apostle Paul talks about next. So we may a lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. I don’t know how that sounds to you, but it sounds very good to me. And that is why we should pray for our government leaders.

This may come as a surprise to some, but God is not a Republican or Democrat. He is not a Libertarian or Tea Party Member. I suppose it could be argued he is an independent, because he is sovereign, which means he can do anything he wants to. The point is, regardless of what party we belong to, our obligation is to pray for our government leaders and our nation. We must pray for their salvation. We must pray God’s blessing and direction for them. We are not to pray for harm to come to them. We should petition God to reveal himself to them so they can be changed spiritually and become the leaders we can follow with pride. Not false or selfish pride, but pride in our leaders and our country.

So I pray and ask you to pray with me “Father, in Jesus name bless our nation and our leaders. Lead and guide them, Father, so our country will be a blessing to you.” Verse 3 states “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior.” And, this is what we want, isn’t it? Of course it is.

Prayer is so important, church. Basically when you communicate with God by voice, with song or even thought, you are praying. Prayer by definition is communication with God. I’m not a great believer in preachers of the gospel teaching formula praying. I say talk with God. Tell him your needs. Speak from your heart. I guarantee you, God will understand what you are saying to him. Feel free to tell God you love him. Feel confident when you call out to God he hears you. I must tell you this though, to be truly heard of God you must be one of his. The exception would be if you are calling out to him in prayer for salvation.

God made a way for you to always have his ear and that is by your belief and acceptance of his son, Jesus Christ, into your heart. Once you have received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you can say confidently as the psalmist says in Psalm 18:1-2:

“I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation. And my high tower.”

Now, is that not a prayer you would love to pray? In the Book of I John 5:12-14, John makes it clear to us what it means to have Jesus as Lord and Savior. The scripture reads like this:

“He that hath the son hath life; and he that hath not the son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the son of God. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will he heareth us.”

Well, there it is, my friends. What a great God we serve! Now one last thing before we conclude this week’s service. Church, as believers we now know God hears our prayers and if we pray according to his will we will have the petitions we desire of him. I John 5:15, verifies this. Your homework is to read that scripture.

So, I am asking you to join with me this week in praying for all the prayer requests at the right side of this message. There are some serious prayer requests here. These people are counting on you and me to pray for the healing of their bodies, mind and spirit. So on this Memorial Day weekend, I am asking you to remember them and their needs.

So let’s summarize. This Memorial Holiday, pray for yourselves. Lift your needs up to God. Pray for the needs of others. Pray for our President and all the government leaders and pray for our nation and our troops. Also, do not forget to pray for the prayer requests mentioned above. Let the answer to the question – are we forgetting something? – be a loud No, a thousand times No, Brother Bob, we do remember!

God Bless You,
Bro. Bob