14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:14 – 16)
The contributions to the blog were excellent again yesterday. We will continue our reflections on the Discipline of Prayer as we consider the theme, A World in Need.
The following is an excerpt from an invitation for a National Day of Prayer breakfast in Washington D.C. almost 20 years ago:
“The United States is still trying to help the fledgling government of Iraq to take its first baby steps toward the task of governing their own affairs. While this process continues, so does the violence with April being one of the bloodiest months on record for U.S. forces. Iran continues its march toward obtaining nuclear weapons, thumbing its nose at a world community that seems to lack the resolve needed to stop them. In the Sudan, genocide continues unabated as the Sudanese government seems unable or just plain unwilling to stop the slaughter. North Korea hasn’t gone away and the United States is under serious attack from South America as more countries south of the border line up to join Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in his anti-American rants. And we haven’t even mentioned the possibility that millions could die if all the doomsayers are right about bird flu.”
With just a few adjustments, note how the statement from almost two decades ago sounds current:
“The United States is still trying to help the government of Iraq to govern their own affairs. While this process continues, so does the violence. Iran continues its march toward obtaining nuclear weapons, thumbing its nose at a world community that seems to lack the resolve needed to stop them. North Korea hasn’t gone away and the United States is under serious attack from Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro in his anti-American rants. And we haven’t even mentioned the possibility that millions could die if all the doomsayers are right about COVID-19.”
In world affairs, it does seem as if the more things change, the more they stay the same. And, it could cause some to conclude that there is no point in praying, but what does the Bible say?
Please prayerfully read the passage above and consider the question below.
Question
Why should we be persistent and remain confident in our prayers for the world?