National Day of Prayer 2022

Every year, Christians all over the nation gather together on a day like this, in order to pray for our nation. Christians in every state, or all ages, gather together and lift up prayers to our Father, for our nation. This year in particular, the passage that was selected as the “theme” is Colossians 2:6-7.

“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”

The “theme” this year is is, “Exalt the Lord who has established us.” But it is not just the Lord who has established us; it is the Lord who continues to uphold us. Every good and holy thing is from Him, and apart from Him is nothing that is good. We are able to pray to Him because of the work of Jesus, who, being born a man, humbled himself, and then suffered and died on a cross for our sake, paying the price for our salvation. He then rose again, and ascended into heaven, where he presently sits at the right hand of the Father, advocating for us. We are able to pray because of Christ.

I am now going to read a passage to you that explains who this Jesus is. It is from Isaiah 9:6-7.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.”

This is the Jesus who we follow. The Jesus unto whom we pray. The Son of God, upon whose shoulders the governments of the world rest. The one who is wonderful, mighty, everlasting, peaceful. The one whose rule will know no end. The one who defeated the devil on the cross, is reigning in heaven, and will one day return to make all things right.

It can be so easy to look around us and see the status of the world, and to become disheartened by what we see. It appears more so every day that darkness is prevailing. The world asks us, “if your God is so good, how could He allow such injustices?” I ask you, how much worse would this world be if not for God holding it all together in His hands. I do not pretend to know all of the answers to all of life’s questions, but I do know that nothing happens apart from the word of the Lord. He holds all things together, and one day he will return, and all darkness will be no more.

Revelation 22:4-5 “They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.”

This is the Jesus whom we serve, and the Jesus unto whom we pray. Now, please pray with me.