Anne Graham Lotz, the daughter of Billy Graham, usually has a full schedule of speaking arrangements across the country. However, when her husband became ill, she took time to stop and just care for him. It was in this period that she suddenly had more time just to sit and listen to the whispers of God's Spirit. And as she listened, she heard God calling her to call our nation to prayer, because the time of judgment is coming. Like in the book of Joel: "Blow the trumpet... sound the alarm... For the day of the Lord is coming, it is close at hand. Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord..."
It is tempting when we read the warnings in Scripture to think of them as not applying to us or our country. As if that is somehow unpatriotic. But that is obviously silly. God cared about how nations treated other nations and the poor within their own nation back then, but we are the United States. We have permission to do whatever we want and God will bless it??? When I was reading Amos last winter, I was strongly convicted by the reality that a number of the clothes we wear were made by children in atrocious work environments overseas so that we can have more, more, more. Whenever we turn on the television, ads and shows confront the audience with images and ideas that blatantly and intentionally try to stir up all kinds of greed, envy, and lust, and God has strong words to say about those things throughout Scripture.
It is tempting to feel stuck. What can I, just one small person, do about where the clothes available to me are made? What can just one small person do about the culture that so blatantly disregards God and just doesn't care.
I can do what Scripture says for that one person to do: repent of my sins and repent on behalf of my nation.
Anne is calling for our nation to do just that through the month of July. As a part of this, she is organizing as many people as who will participate to fast for 7 hours (of the person's choice) on July 7. In Scripture, when even just a few persons repent, God notices and hears. She also has daily prayers of repentance to pray available everyday through July 7 here:
http://www.annegrahamlotz.com/events/urgent-call-to-prayer/.
You're right about that feeling that we're so small, so insignificant. I feel that way a lot. Why should God listen to me? It's a very hard attitude to overcome. I guess we just keep praying and trust that God hears us.
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