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We must urgently pray for our nation

Guidance notes for prayer and reflection. Please circulate and share with others.

What is my own personal standing before the Lord? For Almighty God to hear my prayer for the Nation, I myself need to be in a right relationship with Him. We come before God’s Throne of grace trusting not in our own righteousness but His Mercy.

Psalm 107v34 “A fruitful nation will become impoverished because of the wickedness of those who dwell in it.” Proverbs Ch14v34 “Righteousness will exalt a nation but sin will destroy any people.”

Pray most especially for the repentance of the Nation and that people may come to truly know the Lord and follow Him. May there be heartfelt repentance at the neglect of His Church and His Laws.

We have driven the Lord Jesus Christ out of our culture, out of our government and out of the education of our children. In the void we have replaced Him with idols, greed, carnality, materialism and immorality. We have polluted the land with pornography, profaned the sacred and sanctified the profane. No Nation that does this can expect God’s blessing of protection to remain.

Many people are increasingly frightened by events around them. This world and this Country is in turmoil. Nationally we are in a mess socially; morally, politically, economically and spiritually. Pray that people may humbly seek God’s guidance and help regarding these issues.

Pray for the protection of the Nation from acts of terrorism and that God may show mercy rather than judgement upon a Nation that has rejected His Laws and Commandments. We urgently need His blessing of protection from the threats around us and within.

A Nation or Society will reap what it sows. Ask that God may open the hearts and minds of the spiritually blind in order that they may see that the way of salvation, peace and safety lies in following Him.

Pray that the Lord may raise up Godly people to take on positions of responsibility and influence. The Church is a battleship and not a passenger liner which means that every devout “able bodied” Christian has a role to play in some way. Pray that Christians may recognise their responsibility to be a strong Christian witness wherever they are. Every Christian is a missionary and every unbeliever a mission field.

Pray for the Queen, royal family and political leaders. Pray that God will raise up more Christians to guide and direct the thoughts of the Nation. The harvest is plentiful but the labourers are few. For example, pray that the Lord may call more Christians to be pastors and clergy, politicians and journalists, judges, magistrates and law makers, teachers, councillors, school governors, nurses and doctors etc, in order that a Christian influence may extend throughout every strata of Society.

Pray for greater support for Christian run charities, missionary societies and organisations both at home and overseas.

Pray that while being bold in our Christian witness we remain gracious, kind and loving towards those with whom we disagree.

Pray for those Christians who have lost their jobs or livelihood because of their faithfulness to Christ.

Pray that the issues arising out of the EU referendum will drive us toward, rather than away from God. Pray that God in His Providence will overrule the events of these troubled times to advance His Kingdom.

In Conclusion, as Christians we seek God’s mercy, forgiveness, healing, restoration, protection and revival upon our Nation. A true spirit of repentance will result in such blessings. Let us be encouraged by the moving promise in 2nd Chronicles Ch7v14 “If my people who are called by My Name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sins and heal their land.”

Take heart and be of good courage. The Lord can save by many or by few. See 2nd Chronicles Ch14v11. Also remember the story of Gideon and his 300 (Judges Ch7) and the reassurance given to weary and distressed Elijah when the entire nation seemed all but lost. (1st Kings Ch19vs11-18).

The urgent need for national repentance

This year on St Georges Day (23rd April) many Christians attended prayer vigils across the UK, focusing in particular on the state of the Nation. Nationally we are in a mess, socially, morally, politically, economically and spiritually. We have driven the Lord Jesus out of our culture, out of our government and out of the education of our children and the result has not been peace and harmony but turmoil and discontent. Many people are frightened not just by world events but they are also frightened by what they see happening here on our own soil and in our own society. Each day, many watch the news with a certain sense of trepidation wondering “What has happened now?” It is against this backdrop that numerous Christians across the country met up to pray.

In Psalm 107v34 it states “A fruitful nation will become impoverished because of the sinfulness of those who dwell in it,” and in Proverbs Ch14v34 it adds “Righteousness will exalt a nation, but sin will destroy any people.” With this teaching in mind, they prayed that people in this Country would really come to understand why we are in such a mess and that this insight would then be followed by a spirit of true repentance.

Some time ago I came across a story which clearly explains this Biblical truth. Several years ago a certain woman had a strange dream. In her dream she found herself wandering around some shops in a large shopping centre. All of a sudden she noticed a particular shop which took her fancy. She wandered in and found the Lord Jesus behind the counter. Jesus then said, “You can have anything your heart desires.” Astounded, she immediately asked for “peace, joy, happiness, wisdom and freedom from fear”. Then she added, “And not just for me, but for the whole of the Country.” Jesus smiled and then said, “I think you misunderstand Me. We don’t sell the finished product, we only sell the seeds.”

In Galatians Ch 6v7 it warns “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows that he will also reap.” This verse could just as easily read, “For whatever a nation or society sows, that it will also reap.” God wants to bless our nation and our individual lives; He wants us to enjoy good things. He wants to deliver us from the misery of sin and to give blessings of protection and deliverance. The problem is that over many decades we have refused to plant, tend and nurture the seeds which would have grown into these blessings. Instead, there has been an increasing neglect of His Church and His Laws; the very things which would have brought blessings.

As a people we have sown “the wrong seeds”. We have gone our own selfish ways, let ourselves become
consumed by greed and materialism and ignored God’s will for our personal lives. What message does this give to Almighty God, Who so loved us, that He sent His own Son to die on the Cross for our sins? Was the Cross some trivial thing? Was the sending of His Son some minor act of no great consequence? The Bible describes God’s Gift of His Son as being so stupendous it is “indescribable”. In spite of this, since the end of the Second World War, our Nation as a whole has rejected God’s Gift and while God would love to shield and deliver us from trouble, we have consistently refused to obey those very Laws and Commandments which would have brought blessings of peace and protection. As a nation and as a society we are now reaping what we have sown.

Many politicians and economic experts have come up with all sorts of packages and ideas on how to sort out the problems confronting our Country– but this is really just tinkering with the symptoms, not dealing with the cause. The root cause of the problems we have is a spiritual one – and being spiritual, then only a spiritual solution will solve it.

Today I read from an ancient source of wisdom which gives the answer to all our problems. This ancient source goes back many millennia and has been passed down from generation to generation. Previous generations who followed its teaching in the UK used to be very much in the majority, but in this present age they are temporarily very much in the minority. These people know the real answer to our national problems. The Ancient Book is of course the Bible, and those who follow its teachings are devout Christians who genuinely take Almighty God and His Commandments seriously.

Scripture teaches that the solution to our national decline and the disintegration of our society is wholehearted “National Repentance”. There needs to be a genuine and widespread change of heart, whereby the people of this Country repent of their disobedience, selfishness and greed, and start obeying the Laws of God, both in their hearts and in their daily lives. Instantly, this would allow God to bless, protect and prosper us, as He did so in previous generations. Almighty God regularly intervened to help previous generations and He can do exactly the same for our generation, provided there is a true spirit of repentance and change of heart regarding His Commandments.

When Britain was close to defeat during the Second World War, and the entire British Army was trapped at Dunkirk, in desperation King George 6th called for a National Day of Prayer to be held on 26th May 1940. In a national broadcast he called for the people of the UK to turn back to Almighty God in a spirit of repentance and plead for Divine Intervention. Literally millions of people across the British Isles responded to his call and flocked into churches humbly praying for deliverance.

Two events immediately followed. Firstly, a violent storm arose over the Dunkirk region grounding the Luftwaffe which had been killing thousands on the beaches. And then secondly, a great calm descended on the Channel, the like of which hadn’t been seen for a generation, which allowed hundreds of tiny boats to sail across and rescue 335,000 soldiers, rather than the estimated 20-30,000. God’s response to the National Day of Prayer was so clear and so dramatic, people referred to it as “the miracle of Dunkirk”. Sunday June 9th was officially appointed as a Day of National Thanksgiving.

National Days of Prayer where held at several crisis points throughout the War and after each one, God responded with His blessing and protection. Looking back at these events the Bishop of Chelmsford Dr H.A. Wilson wrote, “If ever a great nation was on the point of supreme and final disaster, and yet was saved and reinstated it was ourselves…it does not require an exceptionally religious mind to detect in all this the Hand of God.”

What God dramatically did for that generation, He can also do for ours. Our Nation urgently needs His help and protection. May we, like the Wartime generation before us, turn to God in a true spirit of repentance and plead for Divine help. In 2nd Chronicles Ch7v14 He promises, “If people humble themselves and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and forgive their sin and heal their land.” If our Nation, once again sought God’s help as it did during Wartime, now, just as then, miracles of blessing and protection would begin to happen.

Examples of God's help in wartime

Today the world is in a more dangerous state than it has ever been since the end of the Second World War. There is unrest and turmoil wherever one looks and watching the television news is becoming increasingly disturbing. With all this in mind, it is uplifting to read about how God intervened to help individuals during that previous world conflict, when all seemed lost. Times have been dark before and amidst that chaos God was actively at work ensuring that ultimately evil wouldn’t be victorious. The following are four true accounts of God’s direct Divine Intervention. They are an encouraging reminder that God has not abandoned this world and just as God intervened then 70 or so years ago, we may be sure He is still actively at work today with the same aim and purpose.

The first story is about Divine Intervention which saved the life of Wartime Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. On a regular basis Churchill used to visit antiaircraft batteries in order to inspire courage and confidence among the population. On one occasion after having watched gunners in action for a while, he walked back to his car. As his chauffeur held open the door to his usual seat, Churchill suddenly heard a Voice inside his head say “Stop”. As he later explained to his wife “It appeared to me that I was meant to sit on the other side of the car, and that is what I did.” Several minutes later, as his car was making its way through the blacked-out streets a bomb exploded beside it. If Churchill had been sitting in his usual seat, he would have been killed. It is important to realise that this act of Divine Intervention wasn’t for Churchill’s personal benefit, but because of the role he had in leading the free world in the struggle against Nazism. It was a Deliverance which was a blessing to countless millions.

Many devout Christians had to endure living in occupied countries during Wartime. The following three stories come from occupied Europe and are a reminder that “God shows no partiality; whoever fears Him and works righteousness from any nation is accepted by Him.” (Acts Ch10vs34-35).

On 30th January 1945 a certain Christian woman from Frankfurt was fleeing from the advancing Russian army. With great difficulty she succeeded in catching the last train leaving towards the west in the direction of Hannover, Braunschweig and Seesen. The train kept constantly stopping, however in spite of all this, she managed to fall asleep. Suddenly she was awoken by a Voice in her head which said, “Get out of the train.” She looked out the window and noticed that the train was once again at a standstill. All she could see was an endless snowy plain. Once again she heard a Voice say “You must get out.” She thought to herself “Surely I can’t get out here, in this snowy waste.” But the Voice repeated even more urgently; “you must get out.”

Somewhat reluctantly she picked up her two heavy suitcases and rucksack, opened the door of the carriage and jumped out. The snow was so deep it came right up to her knees. “You must be crazy” she thought to herself. She struggled on and at around 4.30am found the shelter of a small station. Shortly afterwards she learned that Hannover had been heavily bombed and that the train she had been on, had gone straight into the conflagration. Again, just as Churchill’s life was spared because of the role he had, this person’s life was delivered, because she had some particular role to play in God’s plan to help rebuild the country after the end of war.

A very similar deliverance occurred to another Christian lady two weeks later. On 13th February 1945 this particular person, who was also fleeing from the Russians, arrived in Dresden. The city was packed with people. As she stood among a crowd of literally hundreds of thousands reflecting on what to do next, she suddenly heard a Voice say very loudly “Just get out of here!” The Voice repeated the warning again and again. Finally she said to her traveling companion that she felt that the Lord wanted them to leave the city. Her companion thought she was being stupid, however not wanting to be left alone among a sea of strangers she accompanied her to a nearby station.

With great difficulty they managed to get onto an overcrowded train without even knowing where it was heading. A few hours later, Dresden was almost totally destroyed in a massive bombing raid. Her travel companion who was in a state of shock, repeatedly asked how she had known this was going to happen. She flatly refused to believe that her Christian friend had been Divinely guided, until they encountered two other Christians who had been given exactly the same warning. This incident is very reminiscent of how God delivered Lot and his family before fire rained down destroying Sodom and Gomorrah. (Genesis Ch19vs12-16)

One dark winters evening in the inner city of Haarlem, deliverance came in a slightly manner to a young Christian mother. During the war a moonless night meant total and complete darkness. Blackout meant that not a single ray of light could be seen anywhere. Street lights were switched off and there were no bicycle or car headlights. This lady knew the area so well that she had learned how many steps she needed to take, in order to find her way home in the pitch dark.

Walking along she counted each step she made. Finally she came to the fish market stall. She felt for the stall with her hands and sure enough, there it was. From the end of the stall, she then counted out eleven paces after which she needed to turn sharp left over a canal bridge. Just as she was on the point of turning left, her arm was grabbed, pulling her back. At the same time she heard a Voice warn “Think of your children.” Somewhat startled, she carefully edged forward feeling out for the railings of the bridge. There was nothing there but empty space and deep freezing water. After a frantic search, she finally found the bridge and got back safely to her family. As she lay in bed thinking about it, the more puzzled she became. She couldn’t understand what had happened to the bridge. Finally, unable to sleep that night, she got up at first light and went back to the canal. Instantly it all made sense; the fish market stall had been moved from its usual position.

In a speech given on 31st October 1942, Winston Churchill stated “I sometimes have a feeling of interference. I want to stress that. I have a feeling sometimes that some Guiding Hand has interfered. I have a feeling that we have a Guardian because we have a great Cause, and we shall have that Guardian so long as we serve that Cause faithfully.” And this conviction was shared by numerous other people who likewise discerned God’s restraining Hand from time to time. (1st Corinthians Ch2v14).

Take for example, Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding who was Commander-in-Chief of Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain. He said in a personal testimony; “I pay homage to those gallant boys who gave their all that our nation might live…but I say with absolute conviction that I can trace the intervention of God, not only in the Battle itself, but in the events leading up to it. At the end of the Battle one had the feeling that there had been some special Divine Intervention to alter some sequence of events which would otherwise have occurred.”

General Sir William Dobbie likewise shared this view. He was so moved by the Divine Intervention which he witnessed during the siege of Malta, that he actually wrote a book about it entitled “A Very Present Help”. Dobbie was Governor of Malta during its siege which began in 1940 and it’s profoundly encouraging to read what he experienced. He stated “It was obvious to us that our human resources were woefully inadequate…God’s Word was a great standby to me and many others too at this time. In it, I read how God had helped His people in old times when they were faced with situations similar to that confronting us…Many people in Malta realised our need of His help and were prepared to ask Him to give it to us. By no other means could we be sure of holding this vital outpost. I humbly believe that God, in His mercy, answered our prayers and in the two years and more of the siege which followed, His help was very obvious and very real.”

He continued, “At about the same time that the siege began, I was greatly encouraged by a telegram I received from the Chief of the Imperial Staff, General Sir Edmund Ironside. It showed me that others in high places at home were thinking along the same lines as we were in Malta. The telegram, which was addressed to me personally, contained the reference, ‘Deuteronomy Ch3v22 “You shall not fear them, for the Lord your God shall fight for you.”’ This was a very welcome reminder of a great and well-proved truth and coming as it did from a person in his position and in view of its timing, it meant much to me.”

“I have said that the help which God gave was very obvious and real. The same help was noticed at the time
of withdrawal from Dunkirk, and during the Battle of Britain. It certainly was so in the Battle of Malta. During the two years which followed the declaration of war by Italy, God’s protecting hand was so much in evidence that people were noticing it and remarking upon it. On a number of occasions officers came up to me and said quite spontaneously; ‘Do you know sir, I think that Someone up there (pointing upwards) has been helping us today.’ Such a conversation took place not once nor twice but a number of times.”

Today the world is in turmoil and evil is rising like a tide threatening to engulf us all. Let us not despair. We can be sure that God has not forgotten this world. Just as He was active in human affairs during the last World War so we may be sure that He will be equally active during any future world crisis. Truly “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not be afraid even if the world is shaken or the mountains carried to the sea.” Psalm 46vs1-2.

The results of disobedience

The more one watches the news about the state of our nation, and indeed about the troubles of this world in general, the more apparent it is that most of these problems are caused by human greed and selfishness. The Bible describes such attitudes with one simple word; "disobedience". All our national problems of civil strife, social breakdown, disharmony and on a wider scale, the problems of nations refusing to live at peace with other nations are all caused by this very simple but profound word "disobedience".

No matter who we are or where we live God has given every individual a "moral compass" called a conscience so they can tell right from wrong. We can all tell if we are being selfish or greedy and we can all sense when we are being disobedient to the standards of conduct God has set which would bring peace, prosperity and social order. The Ten Commandments are acknowledged as being "the guide par excellence" to attitudes, conduct and behaviour and written on every human heart is a general understanding of what is morally right and what is morally wrong. Due to this God given implanted conscience, St Paul actually wrote in Romans Ch 1 that the human race is "without excuse" for its disobedience. Humanity knows what is morally wrong, but continues to go down the path of immoral behaviour causing untold suffering and trouble to an untold number of people along the way.

One religious commentator recently lamented about the state of UK saying "Just how bad must things get for this country before our people learn that disobedience to the laws of God brings nothing but trouble? Did a World War teach us? It didn't. Did a second World War? It didn't. What about the disintegration of family life and society or indeed the break up of the British Empire? It didn't. What about the destruction of the mightiest naval force on earth. It didn't. What about the end to the wealth of our mines and the destruction of all the industries upon which the wealth of our nation was based such as shipbuilding, steel making and the wholesale destruction of our economy. It didn't."

And on a more global scale, what about 9/11 and the chain of events which it has now unleashed on the world? Has it made the human race "sit up and think" that this is one almighty "wake up call"? It clearly hasn't. People are still as greedy, still just as selfish, churches continue to close through sheer apathy and lack of interest and the commonsense morality outlined in Scripture continues to be ignored, ridiculed or redefined. No wonder those whose hearts are right before God ask "What does it take to make people see that things always go wrong when God and His laws are defied"?

When someone sees an instruction on their electric fire saying "do not touch" they obey in the knowledge that the sign is there for their own safety. It's the same with God's moral laws of conduct and behaviour. They are there for our benefit, safety and social order. Just as the universe has the physical laws of chemistry and biology so equally there is a spiritual principle upon which the whole of creation is governed; namely that if God's laws are broken, then trouble ultimately follows. It cannot and never will be any other way.

Many years ago Chinese farmers theorised that they could eat their big potatoes and keep the small ones for seed. Consequently they ate the big potatoes and planted the small ones. As a result of this unwise practise, after many years the Chinese farmers made the startling discovery that nature had reduced all their potatoes to the size of marbles! Through bitter experience they learned that they could not always take the best things of life for themselves and use the leftovers for seed. The law of nature decreed that the harvest would reflect the planting. This physical law cannot be overcome and the spiritual law governing the universe is just the same and just as certain - we reap what we sow.

Many people today take the big things of life for themselves and plant the leftovers. In other words instead of putting God first in their hearts and lives, they make Him last. They put their house, job, family, friends, hobby or whatever first and if by chance they have a spare slot of time, (provided all these other things remain unaffected), God then gets a look in. God is put last, yet He is the very One Who gave them all these things, (including life itself) in the first place! On top of all this, they expect by some crazy twist of spiritual law that their selfishness will be rewarded with further prosperity and when things go wrong they can't understand why! They wonder why the nation is in a mess, they wonder why they don't feel happy and they wonder why life seems to slip passed without their questions being answered about why we are here. They wonder why everything seems so pointless. Here today gone tomorrow.

A doctor demands total obedience from his patient regarding all the things that are necessary for his treatment. This will cover medicine, dosage, diet, rest and exercise. The doctor gives orders concerning these things not because he is being awkward but because it is absolutely necessary for health of his patient.

In the same way, Scripture describes Jesus Christ as being the Great Physician and He has indeed provided a prescription for the ills of our society (and indeed the ills of the world in general). The prescription He orders people to take is for their benefit and welfare and its called "Godly obedience". Can you imagine how our society and nation would be transformed, if say overnight everyone wholeheartedly started to live by the Ten Commandments?! Imagine the healing that would take place in broken homes across the land, imagine the feeling of safety people would experience as they walk the streets, imagine an end to corruption, greed and selfishness and the economic blessings that would follow.

"Godly obedience" is the cure for all our social and national ills. The Great Physician has provided the prescription; its now up to individuals to take it! Did you follow your Doctor's orders today by obeying Him in your thoughts and words and actions? Did you follow His instructions to read the Bible and pray? Did you sit quietly listening to your conscience in case the Doctor has some specific instructions concerning the day's events? None of these things are hard to do and the health of ones soul depends on it. As the Great Doctor says in Deuteronomy Ch 30 vs 11,15,18 "These commandments which I have given you are not too hard for you to understand. See I have set before you the choice between life and good, death and evil. Keep My commandments and I will bless you but if you turn away from them I warn you that you will surely perish."

Let us choose life! Always obey Doctor's orders!

Living life on the cheap

Those of you who are interested in space exploration will doubtless be aware of all the problems which have plagued NASA over the years in their attempt to reach Mars. In 1997 the Mars Pathfinder riveted people with live pictures from the Martian surface. The future looked bright as they planned to send at least one mission to Mars every twenty six months. A new policy was introduced by its head director Dan Goldin: Faster, Better, Cheaper.

To design these missions for about 1/10th of the cost, they cut staff and cut down on training those that remained. They overworked their navigation teams. They tried to get a quality product but what happened was failure. In September 1999 the Mars Orbiter failed due to a silly mistake – the builder had used English units of measurement in the systems while the operators at NASA were using metric units. Later the Mars Polar Lander broke into a thousand pieces because it hit Mars at fifty miles per hour. This was simply due to the braking system cutting off too soon. The engineering team admitted this could have been prevented by running a software simulation which had not been purchased because of lack of time and money. NASA has learnt that skipping steps ends in disaster.

But when do you think our nation will learn a similar lesson? NASA learnt that Faster, Better, Cheaper doesn’t work. The same principle applies to spiritual matters. It has recently been revealed in a UN report that family breakdown, drink and drugs etc have left British children the worst off in the world’s twenty-one richest nations. What a damming indictment of our nation! But the reason why this has happened isn’t hard to see. If a nation decides it hasn’t time to invest in moral values and the principles of right and wrong then moral collapse will follow as surely as night follows day. If a nation continually ignores the teaching and warnings of the Bible, then the results will be a nation devoid of Godliness.

There are no political solutions to the problems faced by our country today, because the problems are mainly spiritual ones; a lack of belief in right and wrong, a lack of belief in God or in a Day of Judgement and so on. You cannot run a Nation “on the cheap”. If people do not invest time and put effort into the spiritual side of life, then the result will be a nation without spiritual qualities and a consequential collapse of society. At an individual level often people lament to me that they are too busy to pray, too busy to read their Bible to hear what God is trying to teach them and too busy to spend just one hour a week in Church. The result is that many feel distant from God, or they feel they “are only just coping” or they feel “close to the edge”. Others complain of being stressed or depressed or feeling dissatisfied with their lot in life. Others end up with mental health issues due to the pace of life. As a minister I see many individuals “running on empty”. When will people learn!

Whether one is looking at the nation as a whole, or at individual lives the reality is that the spiritual part of us, really is important after all. One simply can’t run one’s life “on the cheap” and expect all to be well. Church going, praying and Bible reading really are vital after all. These three aspects of the spiritual life are like the three pillars of a bridge. When all three are in place the bridge – or one’s life is strong and able to handle all that comes along, but if any or all of these pillars are missing or decaying then when trouble comes and weight is put on the bridge, the result is collapse. This nation has collapsed because it failed to invest in what really matters. Individuals collapse in the same way.

How is your bridge at the moment? Is it strong enough to face yet more world tension, more terrorist attacks, economic hardship and more armed conflict? Is it strong enough that you can say “the Lord is my Helper” no matter what lies ahead in my own personal life? If you cannot say this, then the hour has come to invest time and effort in your spiritual life. Don’t ignore your spiritual life; it is the most important thing of all. (Matthew ch 7 vs 24-27).

Pages

We must urgently pray for our nation

The urgent need for national repentance

Examples of God's help in wartime

The results of disobedience

Living life on the cheap