By: Kevin Jackson
@kevindjackson When most of the world thinks about prayer, they think about people gathered at church or families praying before a meal. In general, we think of a short, polite list of requests that ends with an “amen.” But prayer is far more than this. I invite you to think of prayer as the ultimate form of protest. While many people associate prayer with faithful conservatives and Sunday School, I believe prayer provides an opportunity for every person to lay aside their differences and come together. If we are being honest with ourselves, secularism and forces against Christianity and God are very prevalent in our everyday lives. If you listen to the news, music, movies and most people on traditional media, this world is going downhill and only WE have the ability to fix it. Global warming, racism, crime, school shootings, war, etc. are all over our news and in our society. Instead of going to God for help, we are encouraged to elect new government officials, stand up to injustice, take a knee, make your voice heard ..... PROTEST. But isn’t the most effective way to protest against this world's current issues is to ask God for help? Let’s protest against satan by telling God how wrong these things are and asking HIM for help. Although you may have never thought of it like this before, here are some reasons why prayer is the ultimate protest: Prayer admits that we have caused the problem. Every protest begins with a problem. When we pray, we’re acknowledging that God designed the world for order, but we have messed it up. When we see disorder in the world, it’s time for us to pray. Prayer admits we don’t have the answers. What if, for just one day, we were humble enough to admit we don’t have all the answers? For all our disagreements, we would begin to see one simple fact: we’re on the same team. Our universal goal is a flourishing and civil society. Prayer goes to the only one who can solve the problem. When you want to protest a city’s policies, you typically march in its streets. When you want to protest disorder in the world, you knock on heaven’s door. Unlike most of your government officials, you’ll never find God unavailable for a meeting or out playing golf. He’s available 24/7 to you and me, and He wants to listen. Prayer is about being heard. When my children ask me for a snack, I don’t give him a rock. Sounds silly and that I really wasn’t listening doesn’t it? Yet when we complain or protest, we often feel the frustration of not being heard. Scripture tells us God is not an unrighteous judge. He hears us and He desires to answer us. Prayer doesn’t require you to be an expert. Whether you’re a pastor or unsure of how things really work, God welcomes your voice, your problems and your concerns. Prayer works not because we’re perfect but because we’re calling out to someone who is. Prayer leads to action. Prayer is not passive. On the contrary, prayer is an active way to relieve our burden and gives us a renewed vision of a world worth fighting for—a world filled with self-giving love. Prayer is about letting go. When we pray, we’re handing the weight of our burdens over to God because we realize only He can bring the change this world so desperately needs. Prayer can change you. Prayer has a way of showing us our own heart. When we pray, we realize our greatest need isn’t changed policies but changed hearts. Prayer can change the world. I believe prayer can change the world. Flip through the pages of history and you’ll see prayer as the fuel for culture-shaping movements. From Civil Rights to historical examples of revival, the evidence is clear. When we pray, God moves. The United States Congress recognized 65 years ago when they established the National Day of Prayer, that prayer is a uniting force for the citizens of our great nation, not something exclusive to one segment of the population. So, why are we now running away from prayer in our schools, in our work place, in our government? Well, I believe satan is becoming more and more powerful. He has found a weakness in our society and has continued to exploit it to his benefit. It has always been there since the fall of Adam and Eve, but it seems lately our society is moving away from having a counter balance to him. We need God back in our government. We need God back in our schools. We need God back in our businesses. We need God back in our families. We need to pray hard, pray every day and pray everywhere. That is the most powerful way to protest what satan and evil are doing in our world. Can you join me right now in praying for your heart and the heart of others? Together, Christians are a powerful force in this world. If we band together in prayer “protest”, this world and satan is no match for us.
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