We have the elders of the Church to oversee and protect us. They teach us and they protect us. They discipline us when we go astray, and they receive us back with open arms when we return. They handle us with firmness mixed with love and mercy. They administer the Word fairly and judiciously. Like good parents, they do not show prejudice to anyone or any class of people.

Our Father, we realize too that the foundation of the Church is Jesus Christ. Men come and go. Leaders disappoint us. Idols fall onto the ground and break into a thousand pieces. Jesus never fails us. He will be there when men are too busy. He will be there when men betray us. He will be there when our friends become our enemies. He will be there through all of our disappointment and all of our trials.

Lord, we also know that even the troubles of life have a purpose. All things work together for God for those who love God and have been called according to His purpose. Sickness, cancer, unemployment, even death, have a higher purpose in the mind of God. Blessings flow from heartache as well as they flow from joy. It is in time of crisis that we draw near to God and that He draws near unto us. You never slumber nor sleep.

Lord, we have lived in a paradise in this nation for many years. We have enjoyed the party. We have danced the dance and we have shouted with joy. We have more today than kings and queens had not that long ago. We sit in our own castles and we go where we want. We spend money. We buy things. We eat well. Lord, we have been given more than any generation before us ever had.

Lord, the question is can we survive it all? Will it destroy our faith? Will it draw us away from worship of the living God?

Lord, wise men who can discern the times are afraid. They are fearful. They see what most do not see and they know the good times cannot last. When men transgress thy law, the joy is only temporary. Judgment is ahead of us. We cannot tolerate sexual immorality and expect the blessings of God. We cannot steal from the workers by manipulating the value of the currency and expect the blessings of God. We cannot ignore the importance of our national borders and expect the blessings of God. We cannot spend our way into prosperity by borrowing more money. We cannot create a melting pot of all the religions of the world. We will only create a boiling pot. The law of the land is a reflection of the dominant religion of that land. The principles of God’s law applied in every area of life has been good to us. Lord, we don’t need great intellectuals who are really fools. We don’t need an elite class who think they have the answers to life. We don’t even need Christian kings. We have our King in Jesus Christ. We have his Law. Just give us men who love the Law of the Lord, and who love justice and mercy as defined by God himself.

Lord, we have lived in this nation building wealth on basic Christian principles, and we have raised a generation who is about to destroy it all. Lord, have mercy on us. Save us from destruction. Do not come riding on a cloud bringing vengeance like you did against Jerusalem? Have mercy upon us. Help us as we raise a new generation grounded in Thy word and the principles of godliness. Enable them to lead the people back to the true and living God who has blessed us.