During the Civil War, a friend of Abraham Lincoln was a visitor at the White House. "One night I was restless and could not sleep.... From the private room where the President slept, I heard low tones. Instinctively I wandered in, and there I saw a sight that I have never forgotten. It was the President, kneeling before an open Bible. His back was toward me. I shall never forget his prayer: 'Oh, Thou God that heard Solomon in the night when he prayed and cried for wisdom, hear me.... I cannot guide the affairs of this nation without Thy help. Hear me and save this nation.'"
When the leaders of our country assembled to write the Constitution, Benjamin Franklin proposed that each session be opened with prayer. Franklin said, "I have lived a long time, and the longer I live the more convincing proof I see of this truth--that God governs the affairs of men."
Our nation is great because it was founded upon God's Word and prayer. But today prayer has been replaced by political intrigue, materialism, and a mistaken notion that our private and national affairs can be run without God. But here and there throughout America, voices are heard as individuals and groups begin to call on God in prayer. But this whole nation must be moved to prayer. So great are the dangers, so grave the perils, so tremendous the problems that it is imperative that we lay hold upon the Lord God in prayer for His will.
Prayer can save America. There is only one way out, and that is up! If we do not turn to God, we will be overcome by the godless. It is either revival or ruin! It is now or never! The answer will not be found by the UN or NATO. The answer will be found only when we call upon the Lord God. Spiritual values must be restored. We must return to the faith of our fathers and to family prayer and the Bible.
But we cannot really lay hold upon a holy God until we come to know Him as our Father. The Bible says that we have all sinned and are separated from God (Romans 3:23). By His death on the cross, God's Son Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sins. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
Christ's death and resurrection make it possible for you to have victory over sin and a vital relationship with God. Only then can He hear and answer your prayers... both for America and your own personal needs. Receive Him today. "But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name" (John 1:12).
Then you can claim God's promise: "If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14).
