Day 32

Forty Days of Prayer for Our Country- Day 32
We continue to pray for the presidential election and state elections and storm relief efforts.

Scripture:
 May the peoples praise you, O God;
    may all the peoples praise you.

 Then the land will yield its harvest,
    and God, our God, will bless us.
 God will bless us,
    and all the ends of the earth will fear him.  Psalm 67:5-7

Praying through the Ballot
:
President/Vice-President
Mitt Romney/Paul Ryan
Barack Obama/Joe Biden
Gary Johnson/Jim Gray
Jill Stein/Chen Honkala

Justice, Supreme Court, Place 6

Nathan Hecht

Michele Petty

Mark Ash

Jim Chisholm

Presiding Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals

Sharon Keller

Keith Hampton

Lance Stott

Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 7

Barbara Parker Hervey

Mark W. Bennett

Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 8

Elas Alcala

William Bryan Strange, III

Prayer: 

Father, help us to know those who fear your and will make right judgements in places of authority.  We pray that our land would produce a harvest of righteousness in our judicial system and in the hearts and lives of your people.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Prayer Points for Today:
- Pray that we would have wisdom in following up on the contacts from last night's Family Fall Festival.
- Seek God's guidance in praying for the names above so that we may elect those who will seek justice and righteousness.
- Pray for those who have lost loved ones and property during the storm.  Also pray for Baptist Men Disaster Relief units and workers from several states who are working with these victims.

Memory Verse for the Week:
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.  Jeremiah 29:13

Challenge:
Prayerfully consider setting aside a time to fast and pray between now and the election.  It can be a day or it can be just a meal but let me encourage you to take that time or an extra time to pray in the next few days.

Also, please pray for Texas Baptist Men Disaster relief efforts, here is a portion of the email alert they were sent 10/31:

“Due to the widespread damage caused by hurricane Sandy, Texas Baptist Men have been asked by Coy Webb, the Kentucky Baptist Men Disaster Relief Director to be ready to provide volunteers to work with Kentucky Baptist Men feeding units in Orange County, New York. The Kentucky feeding units are en route now to Orange County, New York to set up feeding operations to support American Red Cross in feeding the population affected by the storm.
 

There are few details at this time. TBM has just been asked to stand ready to supply volunteers to support the Kentucky teams if and when needed. We expect to know more in the next 72 hours. Due to the distance and expense of sending teams this far this will be a 14 day call out.”

Day 31

Forty Days of Prayer for Our Country- Day 31

Over the next few days, along with the presidential candidates, we will be praying for elections on the state level.

We will also be praying for storm victims.
Scripture:

May the peoples praise you, O God;
    may all the peoples praise you.
May the nations be glad and sing for joy,
    for you rule the peoples justly
    and guide the nations of the earth. Selah   Psalm 67:3-4

When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone,
    but the righteous stand firm forever.  Proverbs 10:25

Praying through the Ballot:

President/Vice-President

Mitt Romney/Paul Ryan

Barack Obama/Joe Biden

Gary Johnson/Jim Gray

Jill Stein/Chen Honkala

Railroad Commissioner

Christi Craddick

Dale Henry

Vivekananda (Vik) Wall

Chris Kennedy

Railroad Commissioner, Unexpired Term

Barry Smitherman

Jaime O. Perez

Josh Wendel

Justice, Supreme Court, Place 2

Don Willett

RS Roberto Kolesch

Justice, Supreme Court, Place 4

John Devine

Tom Oxford

Charles E. Waterbury

Prayer: 
Heavenly Father who guides the nations, give us guidance for our decisions.  There is so much we do not know but nothing is hidden before you so show us your way, rule over us and our nation in the days to come.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Prayer Points for Today:

 -Pray for tonight's Family Fall Festival - the Evangecube will be presented to children, pray for them to really hear the message and pray for a deepening of connection between the church and families.
- Ask the Father to provide protection to little ones on this night that the world often uses to celebrate darkness.
-Pray for Texas Baptist Men Disaster Relief workers who are answering the call to work with the Kentucky Baptist Men Disaster Relief units in Orange County, New York.  Pray for their witness after this storm.
- We are now seven days away from the election, pray for the American people to have wisdom and guidance as you pray for those listed above.

Memory Verse for the Week:

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.  Jeremiah 29:13

Challenge:
Prayerfully consider setting aside a time to fast and pray between now and the election.  It can be a day or it can be just a meal but let me encourage you to take that time or an extra time to pray in the next few days.

Day 30

Forty Days of Prayer for Our Country- Day 30

We continue to pray through the ballot this week.  We also pray for much of our nation impacted by Hurricane Sandy.

Scripture:

May God be gracious to us and bless us
    and make his face shine upon us, Selah
 that your ways may be known on earth,
    your salvation among all nations.  Psalm 67:1-2

It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain.  Isaiah 4:5-6

Praying through the ballot:

Mitt Romney/Paul Ryan

Barack Obama/Joe Biden

Gary Johnson/Jim Gray

Jill Stein/Chen Honkala

United States Representative, District 27

Blake Farenthold

Rose Meza Harrison

Corrie Byrd

Bret Baldwin

 

Prayer: 

Father of goodness and grace, we pray that you would bless us with the light from your face - your truth and wisdom.  May your ways be known in our nation in this week.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Prayer Points for Today:
- Praye for those impacted by Hurricane Sandy, pray of the decisions of those in authority and responsibility in disaster relief.
- Ask God to guide Baptist Men Disaster Relief and other relief agencies as they seek the best way tor respond and heip those in a time of loss.
- Pray for the people above and their campaigns in these final days that they would share the truth of their positions and plans.
- Pray for tomorrow's Family Fall Festival at our church and for other churches as we seek ways to reach our community at a time many celebrate that which is dark.

Memory Verse for the Week:

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.  Jeremiah 29:13

Challenge:
Prayerfully consider setting aside a time to fast and pray between now and the election.  It can be a day or it can be just a meal but let me encourage you to take that time or an extra time to pray in the next few days.

Day 29

Forty Days of Prayer for Our Country- Day 29

This week we will begin to pray through the ballot that we will see here in Victoria so the forrmat of these posts will change slightly.  The presidential candidates will be there each day.  Other races will be presented one day at a time.  You will see all the names as they are listed on the actual ballot without mention of party affiliation

Scripture:

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.  Jeremiah 29:11-13

Praying through the ballot:

President/Vice-President

Mitt Romney/Paul Ryan

Barack Obama/Joe Biden

Gary Johnson/Jim Gray

Jill Stein/Chen Honkala

United States Senator

Ted Cruz

Paul Sadler

John Jay Myers

David B. Collins

 

Prayer: 
God who makes your plans stand firm among the nations, help us to seek you with all of our heart.  Let our hearts not seek another way other than your way.  Help us to keep seeking you with all of our heart and may we come to know your good plans that give us hope.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Memory Verse for the Week:

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.  Jeremiah 29:13

Challenge for This Week:
Prayerfully consider setting aside a time to fast and pray between now and the election.  It can be a day or it can be just a meal but let me encourage you to take that time or an extra time to pray in the next few days.

Day 28

Forty Days of Prayer for Our Country- Day 28

Our task today is simple, take a moment to go this link and pray for the troops that are serving our country and have Northside family connections.  Pray for their safety, courage and strength.  Ask the Father to help them and all of our service men and women as they cast their votes.

http://youtu.be/0CeVAigse4s

 

Memory Verse for the Week:
"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."  Jeremiah 33:3

Challenge for Today:
Look up and read Psalm 91 in your Bible and use it to lift those serving our country in the armed forces to the Father.
Do you know of an update we need to make to our "serving in the military"list?  We will be glad to pray for any service member with a family connection to Northside.  Call the church office at 361-578-1568.

Day 27

Forty Days of Prayer for Our Country- Day 27

Scripture:
 I have given them your message. But the world has hated them because they don’t belong to the world any more than I belong to the world.   I’m not asking you to take them out of the world but to protect them from the evil one.  They don’t belong to the world any more than I belong to the world.  “Use the truth to make them holy. Your words are truth.  I have sent them into the world the same way you sent me into the world.  John 17:14-18 (GWT)

Thought for the day:
Here are some more states and moral issues on ballots before them:

The definition of marriage is on the ballot in four states—Maine, Maryland, Minnesota and Washington State. Measures in Washington and Maryland attempt to repeal same-sex marriage statutes passed by the legislature. In Maine, voters will be asked to allow same-sex marriage, while in Minnesota a measure would amend the state constitution to only permit one-man, one-woman marriage. To date, all 32 times the question of defining marriage has been on a state ballot, voters have affirmed it as the union of one man and one woman.

Colorado voters will decide whether to legalize marijuana as a "recreational" drug, allowing adults to possess an ounce or less of it without penalty. Centennial State voters rejected a similar measure in 2006. Opponents say the ballot question is the latest push to legalize marijuana across the nation.

Prayer: 
Heavenly Father, you have called us to be salt and to be light to this world.  You have given us great freedom, help us not to use our freedom to enter into spiritual bondage.  Helpus to live in this world as light.  Lead us to be in the world but not of it.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Prayer Points for Today:

 - Pray for the voters in the above states to follow God's word as they vote on those issues.
- Ask the Father to help us as a nation as we make decisions on what things are legal and what are not.
- Pray that God's truth will be known through his people to bring spiritual light in a growing spiritual darkness in our country. 

Memory Verse for the Week:

"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."  Jeremiah 33:3

Challenge for Today:
Do you know any one who lives in the states mentioned above?  Pray for them.

Day 26

Forty Days of Prayer for Our Country- Day 26

The last few days we have read some of the daily essays that Dr. Jim Denison publishes.  You can read more and subscribe to his daily email about faith and culture at  http://www.denisonforum.org/  I read it daily and can recommend it.

Our challenge at the bottom of today's post involves reading something else he wrote about the presidential candidate's faith.

Scripture:

I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.  

 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.  As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.  John 17:14-18

Thought for the day:

Across our country, people will not just be voting on candidates.  Several states have key moral issues before them.  Today and tomorrow, we will focus on them.  Here are today's issues to pray over:

The question of whether doctors can participate in a patient's suicide is on the ballot in Massachusetts.  Oregon and Washington State are the only two places where this is currently legal.

Voters in Montana will consider a measure to require that parents be notified before their minor daughter has an abortion. In Florida, efforts to ban public funding for abortion and clear the legal path for the enactment of parental-consent and notification laws for minor abortions are on the ballot.

Protection from religious discrimination for churches and religious groups that provide social services, such as adoption agencies, is before voters in Florida.

Prayer: 

Father, so often we do not understand why people in the world want to do the things they do.  Your son asked that we not be taken from this world but instead he prayed for us to be sent to the world.  Help us to accomplish your purposes of righteousness in our country, in our day.  In Jesus name, Amen.

Prayer Points for Today:

- Use the information in today's "Thought" above to pray for the states with key moral issues on their ballots.

- Pray that we, as God's people, would take the stands we need to but also show love of Christ to the "world."

Memory Verse for the Week:

"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."  Jeremiah 33:3

Challenge:

The link below is to a 30 page guide to the candidate's faith written by Dr. Jim Denison.  It is neither a condemnation nor an endorsement of either candidate.  Dr. Denison often uses the candidates own words to help us see where each of them stand.

http://assets.denisonforum.org/pdf/denison-forum-faith-of-the-candidates.pdf