Mercy for our Nation

Hi, I’m Joni and welcome to the National Day of Prayer. 

Oh, and doesn’t our nation need mercy. Oh, the mercy of God. I know it’s the way I pray for my own state of California. You may not know this, but California is in dire need of rain. You know, I remember asking a couple of farmers, friends who live in the Central Valley where there are miles and miles and miles of orchards and fruit trees, pistachios, almonds, berries, grapes. Anyway, I was visiting a friend, an orchard grower – a Christian friend who supports our ministry – and I noticed driving up the Interstate 5 that so many orchards were dying. The trees were brown and brittle; the ground was dusty, and so I asked him how I could pray for him, and without blinking – he didn’t say anything about rain – he said, “Pray for God’s mercy.” Wow. Okay, mercy? And then he added, “Because we really need rain badly. And it does not surprise me that God has withheld it. So, if this wicked state and all its liberal leanings – if we’re going to have rain, it will only, only be by the mercy of God. So, yes, pray for rain; but pray more for God’s mercy.” 

Isn’t that something? Don’t you resonate with that?! ’Cause we live in a country where we still can gather publicly to pray to the God of the Bible, all in the name of Jesus, our Savior. And we thank the Lord he’s given us access to the Father’s throne. And oh my goodness, aren’t you grateful because how our nation needs the mercy of the Lord. He is storing up his wrath against those who have no respect for life. Oh, true, our nation may have a long and respected heritage of safeguarding life, but not our culture today. Our country does not respect marriage or what it means to be male or female. We legalize harmful drugs for recreation, and we’ve made gods of sex and violence. And it’s not just California; it’s states all across the union. We have surgically exorcized God out of the public life and the Gospel itself is now at risk. 

So, yes, we need mercy. And it’s why on this National Day of Prayer, we’re asking God to pour out his Spirit. The theme is from 2 Corinthians 3: “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” Well, I know you join me in praying that the Spirit of the Lord will bring conviction upon those who legislate immorality; and, yes, may the Spirit of the Lord also convict God’s people, especially when we buy into the insidious messages with which our culture is constantly bombarding the church. God have mercy on us all. And may each of us be an ambassador of that mercy as we share Christ’s message of life and love to our neighbors, our co-workers, our classmates – so that all the world will come to repentance. That none may perish and that everyone might know the liberty and freedom from the stain and shame of sin. Wow. May both our society and the church quit calling evil, good. May we Christians find our spiritual equilibrium. We need it, don’t we? And may we start living what we say we believe. 

Hey, I’ve posted a video today on my Facebook page, and I’d love for you to pray along with me, because I’ve got such a heart for the weak and vulnerable. Oh, and by the way, just last month when a blessed rainstorm quenched California, I looked outside at the pelting rain on our patio, and I just kept shaking my head and saying “Lord, oh, my goodness, you’re so merciful; we don’t deserve this rain, but bless you, Jesus, for your mercy.” So pray with me, would you? Join me in asking for God’s mercy all across this nation at joniradio.org. Again, join me in prayer at joniradio.org. 

© Joni and Friends