This resolution of Daily United Prayer is based on An Humble Attempt, originally put forward by Jonathan Edwards in 1748. Its design is to encourage God's people in the duty of united extraordinary prayer; setting aside some time every day to pray for the revival of His church and the advancement of Christ's kingdom in our homes, in our churches, in our nation, and in the world.
"There arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel." Judges 2:10.
This is one of the saddest verses in the Bible. But it reflects a discouraging witnessing experience that I had today. I met a young man in his 20s downtown and I began talking with him about the Lord, church, and such things. I handed him a tract and asked him if he would be interested in reading it. He did not reach for it and so I was kind of left holding it. I asked if he went to church and he said that he grew up going to church (he named the church) but he didn't go anymore. "Been there, done that. It's not for me." All the while do you know what I was thinking? This guy has never seen the power of God on display. That's the problem. He grew up going through the routine of church on Sundays and never encountered God nor His mighty works. This is the great fear I have for this generation—and for my own children. That they will only know of God's mighty works through hearsay and never eyewitness for themselves God doing great things.
Do you remember Gideon's complaint in Judges 6:12? "And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?"
What a heart-searching question. If God is with us, where are all the miracles that our fathers told us about?
I'm reminded of what Marty Sampson, a popular Christian songwriter, said when he announced that he was no longer a Christian:
I’m genuinely losing my faith, and it doesn’t bother me. Like, what bothers me now is nothing. I am so happy now, so at peace with the world. It’s crazy. ... How many preachers fall? Many. No one talks about it. How many miracles happen. Not many. No one talks about it.
"How many miracles happen. Not many. No one talks about it." There's another example of someone in this generation that "knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel." Oh that God would break through the heavens and come down! Show an unbelieving world (and a sleepy church) that the Lord still does answer by fire.
DAILY UNITED PRAYER unitedprayer.net
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We invite you to join our dedicated and earnest group of praying participants of all ages from around the world that meet every day over Zoom to pray. At the start of each prayer call, a different individual will bring a brief Scriptural meditation. Here's the most recent: