Ronnie Floyd

Archive for January, 2018

January 8th, 2018

We’ve Decided to be United: Keeping the MLK Dream Alive

Martin Luther King, Jr. was a dreamer. He saw what others could not see. He heard what others did not hear. He felt what others did not feel. Therefore, he did what others were not willing to do.

Any form of racism defies the dignity of human life. That is why, in the midst of racial injustice and division in America, MLK dreamed about a day in our nation when “justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.” His quote of Amos 5:24 resounded the heart of the prophet. In the full context of King’s 1963 speech in our nation’s capitol, he said it this way, “No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

He could have turned his back from this moment in history, but he stood when few would. He made a decision to dream of a day that was unlike the day in which he was living. His courage and his message cost him his life. But, his dream still lives on today.

When reflecting upon this history, it moves me to humility and repentance.

When I look upon today, there are moments when I think we have come so far. But then, there are other moments that happen far too many times, when the evil of the human heart reminds me that we still have so far to go.

It is with deep regret that I can do nothing about this stained past against our African American brothers and sisters. But with all I am and with all I can, I join you in creating a future together that binds up the nation’s wounds and always marches ahead knowing we will not be satisfied until “justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

WE’VE DECIDED TO BE UNITED

Pastor Arthur L. Hunt, Jr., Governor Asa Hutchinson, and I, along with hundreds of pastors in Arkansas, are choosing to stand and be united publicly at the Arkansas State Capitol in Little Rock on Monday, January 15, from 12:00 noon until 1:30 p.m. I want you to join us.

We cannot change the future of America by ourselves or with our own group. It is time that we unite to send a strong and clear message that, as pastors and church leaders, we believe in racial unity. The past five years, we have seen demonstrated that our negative past regarding this issue is not fully behind us, and reminds us how far we still have to go.

Pastors and church leaders, regardless of the color of your skin, join us on January 15 for this 90-minute gathering at the Arkansas State Capitol. Surely we can stand together in racial unity and in prayer for our state and nation, both of which are in desperate need. Silence is not the answer to our racial issues in America, and hope is not a strategy. Pastors and churches cannot sit passively on the sideline. This is one moment when the church of Jesus Christ should lead by exemplifying a strong commitment to racial unity.

This is a time when the church of Jesus Christ must rise together as one. We are not black churches. We are not white churches. We are not Latino churches. We are not Asian churches. We are the church of Jesus Christ. We are members of the same body. In the true church of Jesus Christ, the walls of racism and injustice come down.

Pastor, I do hope to see you in Little Rock on January 15. I am thankful for men like Pastor Hunt, who keep the dream of MLK alive. He reached out to Governor Hutchinson and he responded affirmatively. He reached out to me and I am responding affirmatively. I hope that you will do the same.

The goal is not racial or political, but biblical. We must not be satisfied until, as Amos said, “justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.” It’s time, past time, for racial unity in America. We’ve decided to be united.

Now is the Time to Lead and to Pray,

Ronnie W. Floyd
Senior Pastor, Cross Church
President, National Day of Prayer

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Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the Senior Pastor of Cross Church, President of the National Day of Prayer, founder of the Cross Church School of Ministry, and host of the Ronnie Floyd on Life and Leadership Today podcast.

To request an interview with Dr. Ronnie Floyd
contact Gayla Oldham at (479) 751-4523 or email gaylao@crosschurch.com.

Visit our website at http://ronniefloyd.com
Follow Dr. Floyd on Twitter and Instagram @ronniefloyd

Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.

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January 5th, 2018

January 2018: Three Prayer Priorities for America

America, National Day of Prayer, Prayer

As we enter this exciting year of 2018 together, only God knows what is before us. We do not know what the future holds for us personally or for America; but we do know who holds our future.

UNIFYING in prayer for America is powerful. As we discern what is before us right now in our nation, as well as listen to the Lord and His voice to us through His Word, we lift up these three prayer priorities for America this January.

Please share these with friends, pastors, churches, denominations, networks, ministries, and Christian media. The more people we have praying together about the same things in our nation, the more we will see God move us forward together.

We are going to be praying for unity in America for the next several months. We revealed in November that Pray For America: UNITY is our 2018 theme for the National Day of Prayer. We chose this theme because we strongly believe this is God’s heart. Therefore, from now until and even beyond our Thursday, May 3, 2018, National Day of Prayer, we are going to call for, forward, and pray for unity in America.

Millions of Christians in our nation need to enter the throne of grace with boldness in this time of great need in our nation. If we do not unify soon, I believe our nation’s future will be jeopardized.

Whether you pray daily or weekly for our nation, please join us in praying with the authority of the Scriptures for these three priorities for America. This week, we are four months away from Thursday, May 3, 2018, our National Day of Prayer. Now is the time to pray for these three prayer priorities for America:

1. #PRAY4UNITY IN THE CHURCH OF AMERICA

“Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, and that there be no divisions among you, and that you be united with the same understanding and the same conviction.” 1 Corinthians 1:10

God is calling His church in America to unify upon the authority of the Bible and the centrality of Jesus Christ, the only Savior of the world.
Ask God for thousands of local churches to unify as one body of Christ, agreeing together that God is our greatest need in America.
Call upon God for Jesus’ Church in America to walk in unity, harmony, and oneness, so His Church personifies, calls, and leads America to unity.
Convict the church in America to wake up spiritually, agree clearly, unite visibly, and pray extraordinarily for the next Great Spiritual Awakening in America to occur in our generation.
Call upon God to bring spiritual awakening now in America, shaping the future of America, just as the Great Spiritual Awakenings in our history have shaped our spiritual heritage as a nation.

2. ASK GOD SPECIFICALLY TO GIVE OUR NATION’S LEADERS CLEAR DIRECTION TO LEAD THE PEOPLE IN OUR NATION THROUGHOUT THE YEAR OF 2018.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all ways know him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Lord Jesus, give our nation’s leaders a passion to lead by Your Word and according to Your will in all things.
Father, help our President, our Vice President, the Cabinet, and all the members of Congress, as well as the leaders in our state and in our region to know that God is able to reveal the path He wants us go to in our regions, states, and nation.
Spirit of God, move upon the leaders of our nation to work together toward resolving these critical issues:
- Personal credibility and the integrity of leadership among their own colleagues charged with leadership in our nation
- Divisiveness and vitriolic communication in our nation
- Tax reform implementation
- Healthcare reform
- Immigration reform
- Education reform
- National security
- Religious liberty
- Sanctity and dignity of human life
- Terrorism nationally and globally
- Drug addiction and overdose
- Other issues that may emerge this month

Sovereign God, we ask that You protect the leaders of our nation and their families, as well as the members of our military nationally and globally, and all the first responders in our nation.

3. APPEAL TO GOD PASSIONATELY TO INTERVENE SUPERNATURALLY ON THE NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER ON THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2018.

“Making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:3

LORD JESUS, we ask You to call all leaders of denominations, church networks, churches, government, education, business, cities, and all communities in America to create thousands of gatherings that will saturate their regions in prayer for unity in America.
Father, use all relationships, social networking and all forms of media to mobilize millions of people to prayer for America on Thursday, May 3.
Spirit of God, raise up all generations, all ethnicities, all churches, all denominations, all networks, and all languages to pray for America on May 3.
Great God in Heaven, please remove all obstacles that stand in the way of every gathering on the National Day of Prayer.
Now Lord, as the national organization of the National Day of Prayer Task Force leads in this national effort, please provide for the financial needs that exist as it forwards prayer in America.
Holy Spirit, as Dr. Ronnie Floyd, the President of the National Day of Prayer Task Force, provides direction and leadership over this national prayer movement, please give Him Your direction and will in all things.

Dear friends, prayer warriors, and anyone who loves America and believes in prayer: Let’s come together now, forward these prayer priorities in January of 2018 everywhere we can, and join in agreement daily or weekly over these needs before the Father in Heaven.

We believe in the power of prayer. Therefore, let’s pray for our country like we do.

Now is the Time to Lead and to Pray for America,