Wednesday, May 01, 2013

Should Greg Laurie Be Allowed To Pray?

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Tomorrow is the 62nd annual National Day of Prayer.

The events of recent days underscore our need for prayer and God's intervention on our behalf as a nation.

The Human Rights Campaign, the largest homosexual advocacy organization in the country is calling, no demanding, that Pastor Greg Laurie be removed from the prayer event.

The reason?

"His blatantly anti-LGBT message."

HRC says, "Pastor Laurie's message is out of step with what the majority of people of faith across the country believe."

They say, "In greater numbers than ever before, people of faith are feeling compelled to speak up and organize for equality---because of their faith."


That statement alone profoundly underscores how desperately we need God's intervention.

Laurie, a true and proven Christian pastor and leader, is acting co-sponsor with Jim and Shirley Dobson, Pat Boone, Vonette Bright, Congressman Frank Wolf and others at tomorrow's event.

What disqualifies Laurie in the mind of the HRC is that Laurie believes and teaches the Bible. He believes and advocates that marriage is between one man and one woman. He advocates the biblical model of marriage.

This same kind of attack was launched toward Pastor Louie Giglio earlier this year in regard to the Presidential Inauguration---for the same reason. Pastor Giglio stepped aside.

The prayer event this year is reminding us of the words of Mary Washington, mother of our first president, who said, "Remember that God is our only sure trust."

Indeed.

The theme tomorrow is about praying for America, asking God to forgive and heal our land. It emphasizes the need for individuals, corporately and individually, to place their faith in the unfailing character of the Creator, who is sovereign over all governments, authorities and men.

The emphasized verse is Matthew 12:21, "In His name the nations will put their hope."

The leadership is asking Americans all across the nation to pray the same prayer simultaneously at 12 noon EDT.

That is of course, 9 AM PDT, the time my radio program comes on the air live on stations in Washington State and across the country by this link on the Internet. Or by a free app for your phone.

I'm asking everyone who reads this blog and/or listens to the radio program to join me as we read this prayer together. I will publish it again tomorrow morning in our Blog.

This is the prayer millions of Christians across America will pray tomorrow:

Prayer to be prayed for the National Day of Prayer by Pastor Greg Laurie, honorary chairman for the NDOP in Washington, DC, May 2nd, 2013:

Father, we come to You to pray for our nation, the United States of America.

How You have blessed us through the years, Lord! We rightly sing, "America, America, God shed His grace on thee." Yet we see trouble in our culture today. We see the breakdown of the family, crippling addictions, and random acts of horrific violence.

Lord, we need Your help in America. In recent days, we have done our best to remove Your Word and Your counsel from our courtrooms, classrooms, and culture. It seems, as President Lincoln once said, that we have "forgotten God." But Lord, You have not forgotten us! You can bless and help and revive our country again.

Scripture tells us that "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people" (Proverbs 14:34). Lord, in Your mercy, we ask that You would exalt our country again. We have had a number of great awakenings in America. We have experienced times of refreshing, and revivals that changed not only the spiritual but also the moral landscape. As the psalmist said, "Will You not revive us again, so that Your people may rejoice in You?" (Psalm 85:6).

That is our prayer for America today, Lord. Send a mighty spiritual awakening that will turn the hearts of men and women, boys and girls, back to you. You have told us if we will humble ourselves and pray, and seek Your face and turn from our wicked ways, that You will forgive our sins and heal our land (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Forgive us today, Lord, and heal this troubled land that we love so much.

We ask all of this in the name of Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Yes, Greg Laurie should be allowed to pray tomorrow. I'm asking each of you to join me, as we together, join him and millions of other Christians to pray this prayer together.

Remember: Tomorrow--12 Noon EDT. 9 AM PDT. I will publish this prayer again tomorrow morning in my blog. I'm asking you to join me live on the radio through stations in your area in Washington State or by live link here on this website or by the free app for your phone. We will join millions of people in a united, simultaneous prayer for our nation.

God bless you.