3 Prayer Priorities for America, September 2018
Dear Men, Women, and Students of Prayer,
We need to mobilize thousands of churches and ministries, comprised of millions of people who will pray for America this month. Our nation needs prayer beyond what it has ever needed before.
Join us in this grand effort to rally as many people as possible to pray for America this month according to these suggested prayer priorities. Just imagine how powerful it would be if each of us did this. Please join us now.
Share these prayer priorities everywhere you can and join us as we rally people in prayer for America this September.
PRAYER PRIORITY #1: ASK GOD TO BE A SHIELD IN AND AROUND OUR NATION AS WE PRAY ON SEPTEMBER 11 AND THEN EACH DAY THIS MONTH, FOR THE SECURITY AND PROTECTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
“But You, Lord, are a shield around me.” Psalm 3:3
- Oh Lord, we pray in humility for our nation to be secure and protected from anyone, any group, or any country who desires to harm us.
- Sovereign God, You are our Defender and Shield, so we pray for You to guard us from evil and harm within our nation and from outside our nation.
- Our Great God, we ask You even more specifically:
- Shield and protect all people in our schools and universities in America from all harm
- Shield and protect all people in our churches in America from all harm
- Shield and protect all people in any public gathering in America from all harm
- Shield and protect all the members of our military in America and beyond from all harm
- Shield and protect all of our first responders who serve across this nation from all harm
- Shield and protect all the leaders of our nation from all harm
- Father in Heaven, we ask You to lead, bless, and anoint all special gatherings of prayer for our nation on September 11, and hear the prayers of Your people as they cry out to You for the security and protection of the United States of America.
PRAYER PRIORITY #2: APPEAL TO GOD FOR HIM TO RAISE UP RIGHTEOUS LEADERS ACROSS OUR NATION IN EVERY SPHERE OF INFLUENCE IN AMERICA.
“When the righteous flourish, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, people groan.” Proverbs 29:2
- Gracious God, raise up righteous leaders who will lead every town, city, state, and in every area of government in the United States of America.
- Lord Almighty, raise up righteous leaders to go into our military and be placed in positions of influence.
- Lord of Hosts, raise up righteous leaders to lead and influence every area of education in the schools and universities of the United States of America.
- Sovereign God, raise up righteous leaders to lead and influence all private and public businesses and corporations in the United States of America.
- God, raise up righteous leaders to lead and influence all spheres and channels of media and communication in the United States of America.
- Holy Spirit of God, raise up righteous leaders to lead and influence Your local churches in the United States of America toward spiritual revival and awakening.
- Heavenly Father, raise up righteous leaders to lead and influence each member of every family in the United States of America.
IMMEDIATE PRAYER REQUEST
“Mankind, he has told each of you what is good and what it is the Lord requires of you: to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8
• Sovereign Lord of Hosts, since You channel the hearts of leaders, we pray for God’s will relating to Brett Kavanaugh as the next Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Lord, if You have chosen him for this role, may he be confirmed. Protect Judge Kavanaugh and the members of his family as he undergoes the confirmation hearings.
PRAYER PRIORITY #3: APPROACH GOD BOLDLY TO EMPOWER AND LEAD THE LEADERS OF ALL PRAYER MINISTRIES TO ADVANCE A STRATEGY OF PRAYER FOR AMERICA.
“When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God boldly.” Acts 4:31
- Holy Spirit, empower leaders of all prayer ministries to be filled with the Holy Spirit and anointed to lead their ministries toward advancing the gospel of Jesus Christ across the world.
- Lord God of Heaven, empower and lead these prayer leaders of prayer ministries to come together, walk in unity, and work toward advancing a strategy of prayer for America.
- Almighty God, empower and lead Dr. Ronnie Floyd and everyone leading the upcoming 2018 National Leadership Summit of the National Day of Prayer, which will advance a strategy of prayer for America. (Anyone interested in assisting in leading in prayer for America is welcome to come to this Leadership Summit. Sign up at nationaldayofprayer.com/summit)
- Spirit of the Lord, reveal Your theme to Dr. Floyd and his team for the upcoming National Day of Prayer on Thursday, May 2, 2019.
- Lord Jesus Christ, raise up every pastor in America to become a minister who believes in prayer deeply, practices it personally, and leads in prayer publicly and boldly.
Now is the Time to Lead and to Pray for America,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.
5 Important Questions to Ask Yourself When Making a Decision in Your Life
When you make a decision in your life, how do you know it is the right thing to do?
Quick decision making often results in poor decision making. Conversely, long and drawn out decision making can paralyze your life as well as others who look to you for leadership. Is there a way to know we are making the right decisions in life?
Preparation is really one of the important things about decision making. I believe that when you passionately walk with God daily, it prepares you for decision making. The power of Christ will see you through every decision you make.
Ask yourself:
Question #1: Do I have a word from God’s Word about this decision?
When the trucking magnate J.B. Hunt was alive, he used to read the Bible through about once every 18-20 months. As a former truck driver who founded the powerful company J.B. Hunt Transport, he would tell me as his pastor and friend, that the Bible was his roadmap for life. As he read it, God would make clear to him where he needed to go and what he needed to do.
The Bible is the GPS for your life. You do not have to walk in the darkness of decision making. Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.” God’s Word always shows us God’s way! Be confident, the Holy Spirit never leads you away from God’s Word. Some decisions you do not even need to pray about because the answers are already clear in God’s Word.
Therefore, get a word from God’s Word and stand upon it.
Question #2: What would Jesus want me to do?
The life of Jesus Christ always sheds light on your decision making. Jesus brings clarity. Through the lens of His gospel story, the will of Jesus becomes crystal clear. Stop and ask yourself: What would Jesus want me to do?
If the decision represents His character, then it is probably right; if not, it is wrong. Call upon Jesus to bring clarity in your decision making.
Question #3: Have I valued what others have told me?
Receiving counsel from godly and holy people can help confirm a decision or lead you to question a decision you are about to make. Godly counsel can help you if you are willing to listen to it. Ungodly counsel will never help you.
Therefore, seek only the counsel of people who are mature in the Lord, walk in His Word daily, are prayer warriors, and have a proven life of healthy decision making.
Question #4: Have I saturated this decision in prayer?
Go to God in prayer before you go to anyone else about it. Then, when you receive godly counsel from others, you will be more in-tune spiritually to hear it. Then take their counsel to God in prayer because ultimately, God must lead you regardless of the counsel you have received from others.
Pour your heart out to God in prayer. Plead before Him, asking Him for a word from God. Commit to honor Jesus through it all.
Question #5: Am I willing to trust the Lord through it all?
Is this really your prayer? May His Kingdom come and may His will be done on earth in our decision making, even as it is being done right now in heaven!
We must pray believing this and be more than willing to walk away, trusting the Lord with whatever occurs.
If the door closes or it becomes more than obvious it is not right when you hoped it would have been, refuse to ask why, resenting the decision and becoming discouraged.
God knows what is best for us even when we do not know what is best for ourselves.
I thank God He has not answered every prayer in my life like I thought He should have! My shortsightedness and selfishness would have limited God’s work in and through me.
When we really understand the words from Jesus below, we will trust the Lord Jesus through all of our decision making. Jesus said in Revelation 3:7, “Thus says the Holy One, the true one, the one who has the key of David, who opens and no one will close, and who closes and no one opens.”
Jesus opens doors in your life that no one can close.
Jesus closes doors in your life that no one can open.
Yes, you can trust Jesus in your decision making.
Now is the Time to Lead,
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, and founder of the Cross Church School of Ministry.
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.