Looking Back, Lessons Learned

I asked people to share what they had learned from praying for our country for 40 days.  Here are some of the comments I have received back about what God is teaching us:

 I feel Prayer is the only thing that will heal our country.  We Christians MUST stay in Prayer.  – V.

Praying for our country and its leaders over the last 40 days has made me less cynical towards people and decisions I don't like being made. It has driven me to pray more often for those who need God as their foundation. Why should I expect people to make decisions that don't line up with Scripture when they don't give heed to Scripture or the God I love and serve? They need Him first! God can and does work around their blindness to do His will but I want to be a person who cares for those I find tough to love (ex: someone who thinks differently than me) instead of only those who are like-minded. I see no way our country will be unified without God's people standing for what God says and praying for those who don't, without giving breath to hateful and sarcastic remarks.   - L.

I feel that we as a country have been more united in praying regardless of the outcome.  I believe that a spiritual turnaround will not happen without true repentance.  I believe that we as a country need to pray for true repentance and not tolerance.  – E.

 Conviction: to pray daily for President Obama, Michelle, and their daughters as I pray for my own family.  – K.

As we have prayed for our country and leaders, we were reminded of the many times God intervened for Israel but only when they repented. We began to realize it is not easy to repent as a Nation. As individuals, we need to encourage people to turn to God and to depend upon HIM not our feelings.  – M&J

While praying for our nation during the past 40 days, I was often confronted with the thought of what happens if my candidate doesn't win.  And then I received some amazing blessings through His word.  Old verses I have read many times like Eph 3:11-14, Phil 4:1-7, John 14:27 and Col 3:15 opened a new truth for me.  This truth is that no matter how much I may want the peace of this world, it cannot and will not ever give me the eternal peace of God.  World and human peace can never exist in conflict and there will always be conflict.  However God's peace is given to me as a free gift through the blood of Christ.   His peace exists in all times, good and bad, in fear and trouble.  I learned that if I will let the peace of God rule my heart by allowing the word of God to dwell in me, then this election is no longer a worry for me.   I choose to live in God's peace and not depend on this world for my peace. – G.Forty days of prayer for our country--we need to continue it for the next 325 days.  The USA prayer from Max Lucado really touched my heart.  I will continue to use it each day I pray but with the last line revised.

 My version:

Unite us!

Strengthen us!

Anoint our now appointed president, abundantly!

 Thanks for all the memory verses. We do know who really reigns!!

 My God reigns, my God reigns!!

- M.

Thanks to all of you who responded,  We do need to continue to pray for our country.  Our country needs it.  We need it.

For the Journey...

Tim