by: John Teichert
1 Kings 19:9-10, “And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah? And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”
1 Kings 19:18, “Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.”
On April 23rd, 1789, George Washington arrived in New York City in preparation for his inauguration as our nation’s first President a week later. On that same day, the New York Daily Advertiser announced the following:
“On the morning of the day on which our illustrious President will be invested with his office, the bells will ring at nine o’clock, when the people may go up to the house of God and in a solemn manner commit the new government, with its important train of consequences, to the holy protection and blessing of the Most high.”
In 1789, America stood on the brink of history. As the Bible-based government was forming the world was watching. After a long fought battle against the world’s superpower and a stumbling of government under the Articles of Confederation, could this new experiment work? Much was riding on the outcome, and the subsequent train of consequences demanded an inauguration day that was bathed in prayer. Collectively, citizens of this new nation committed their new government to the holy protection and blessings of the Most High.
The new government recognized its need for prayer as well. Indeed, Congress acted to insure that the government would be founded on prayer, strengthened in prayer, and buoyed by prayer. On April 27th, 1789, the Senate approved the following resolution:
“Resolved, That after the oath shall have been administered to the President, he – attended by the Vice-President and members of the Senate and House of Representatives – proceed to St. Paul’s Chapel to hear Divine service.”
Two days later, the House approved the same. Following an inaugural address that was more of a sermon than a political speech, the first act of the new government was to worship together in a service led by the Congressional chaplain. With a quorum of U.S. Constitution signatories present, the new government attended a Christian church service that included prayers, Scripture readings, and a message from the books of Psalms, 1 Kings, Acts, and 3 John. Recognizing that our national success would rise or fall based on the Lord Himself, national leaders immediately embraced and demonstrated prayerful humility. They saw that their future hinged not upon themselves, but on the Lord.
We may be far removed from a government that prioritizes God and prays together. We may be far removed from a population that does the same. Like Elijah, we may feel alone in our walk with God. We may feel like we have been left without allies by the rebellion of God’s own people, the crumbling of God’s own institutions, and the weakening of God’s own prophets. We can feel alone in our workplaces. We can feel alone in our neighborhoods. We can feel alone in our social circles. Our kids can feel alone in their schools. Our churches can feel alone in our communities. We sometimes feel like we should retreat into our figurative caves and surrender to the forces around us.
Yet, we are not alone. We have thousands of faithful allies in America. I know this first-hand because my military positions have given me occasion to travel extensively, and I have always been encouraged by the faithful Christian citizens I have met in dedicated churches around this nation. There are faithful men and women in Knob Noster, Missouri and Las Vegas, Nevada. There are faithful Christians in Goldsboro, North Carolina and Santa Maria, California. There are faithful Christian citizens in Prattville, Alabama and Dayton, Ohio. We have faithful allies in Bowie, Maryland and Albuquerque, New Mexico. We have faithful comrades in Niceville, Florida and Lancaster, California. There are steadfast churches in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and Bossier City, Louisiana. There are unwavering believers in Longview, Texas and Cambridge, Massachusetts. There are faithful Christians from coast to coast.
Imagine the power of such an army of believers. Imagine the temporal and eternal impact if Christians in just the locations mentioned above would faithfully do one thing – take time daily to fervently pray for our nation and its leaders. Imagine if we took seriously the admonition of the pre-inauguration New York Daily Advertiser from so many years ago. Imagine the signal it would send if we each stepped out of our workplaces at lunchtime to pray. Maybe it would be a bit disruptive. Potentially it would cause a bit of a stir. Unquestionably it would cause politicians to take notice. Probably it would make a point more powerfully than the largest protest. Possibly it would convict Christians who have been carried along by secular culture. Hopefully, it would call down the power of God to make a massive impact on this country.
This is the crux of the PLUS ministry (Prayer at Lunchtime for the United States). PLUS is a tool to convict American Christians to pray as we should. Use the PLUS website (prayatlunch.us), social media tools (@PLUSGroups), or email list if they are helpful; set your alarm to remind you if you must. Most importantly, put PLUS into practice by praying. Be burdened for America and her leaders, and spread that burden to others by challenging them to pray as well. If we are to have hope that this nation will return to its Bible-based foundation, then we must do so now at such a time as this! As in 1789, an important train of consequences follows our every step and our solemn prayers stand as the only thing that can truly make a difference.
John Teichert
http://prayatlunch.us