By Jacqui - One of God’s Intercessors
Sometimes something hits me like a sledgehammer and I feel such a need to pray. It’s happened when I’ve read the news, been told of a tragedy, or seen a picture. I may not even know the people personally, but suddenly I am filled with an urgent need to pray.
It happened today. A friend sent me a video clip of a pastor opening the 117th congress in prayer for our country. The man prayed to God, to brahma, and to any other smaller gods. Thou shalt have no other Gods before me. Exodus 20:3 He ended the prayer using the words Amen and Awoman.
Even my computer is underlining that last word in red because it recognizes that it is not a real word! Please let me share a moment. You see, the word amen is a Hebrew word. It is pronounced “aw men” and comes from the book of Deuteronomy. It means ‘so be it’. It is an acknowledgement of an oath; a promise. It can also be traced to the origin of an acronym which uses three Hebrew words ‘ El Melekh Ne’eman meaning God is a faithful king.
Nowhere in this word is it held to be referenced to a man or a woman. Making it such simply shows a lack of understanding of the word itself.
I love our country. Today, my heart broke because those leading our country in ‘prayer’ seemed to no longer be seeking the Almighty God, our creator. They seemed to be seeking to ‘please the people’.
When God told Abraham he was going to destroy the city of Sodom, Abraham asked God to be merciful. He asked that if God found only 10 righteous people that he would not destroy the city. Abraham risked making God angry because his heart was so filled with compassion for the people in that city.
Today, my heart was filled with compassion for my fellow Americans; for my country. I wept and I prayed for God’s mercy upon us. I asked his forgiveness for the way we have forgotten him and turned our backs. I asked that he would not forsake us.
I’m sure there are many out there and possibly some of you reading this blog that wonder why someone would weep and pray for the people of a country because they don’t know God.
You see, I know God, and I love God. Jesus is my Savior and gave his life for my salvation. He called me to pray. I didn’t ask for the calling. It just came. But, when I accepted it, I accepted that God would break my heart for what breaks his. And, today, friend, God’s heart must’ve been broken for the people in our country. Mine was.
If yours is too, even a little bit, please pray for God’s mercy upon our country. Pray that we recognize that we still need God. And then, friend, please close that prayer with the oath ‘so be it’…amen.
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