National Day of Repentance

Tomorrow, April 30, believers in our nation, The United States of America, as well as around the world, will be joining together to pray and repent for the healing of our land

Yes, it is true we are able to pray, to fast and to repent any time, any hour and any day of any week we may choose; And yes, the Holy Spirit is certainly capable of moving at any time and in any place he chooses.

However, as Esther called on her people to fast and pray, "for such a time as this" in Esther chapter 4, and as Hezekiah called his people to sanctify themselves and cleanse the temple in Chronicles 29 and 30, if we are wise, we might choose to look around and take notice of what is going on around us and within our own selves, and even in our churches.

We might then consider the words we have hopefully hid in our hearts, and recall how in the past, our God has responded to such arrogance from His children, with wrath, withholding His hand of protection and grace until such time that His people listened to the prophets He sent, and the words He spoke through them, and responded with prayer, fasting and true and complete repentance.

This kind of turning back to Him by His people is just what He promises to honor in 2 Chronicles 7:14: "if my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

It is with this promise in mind, as well as the examples provided throughout our Christian history, that I choose to join with those who are answering the call to "The National Day of Repentance", tomorrow, Wednesday the 30th of April, followed by "The National Day of Prayer" on Thursday, the 1st of May.

I believe, as He did in 2 Chronicles 30:20, "and The Lord hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people", when we join together as one, our Lord will hear and move on our behalf.

I hope and pray those of you who share my faith, and are adopted into that most Holy family with Almighty God as our Father, will join with me.