Category Archives: Fasting

Because of man’s fallen and sinful nature, believers were not able to have intimate relationships with God in the Old Testament. Thus, a high priest ordained by God went into the Temple’s Holy of Holies every year on the Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur,  with the blood of bulls and goats to atone for himself and Israel before God and His mercy seat. A thick veil separated the Temple’s Holy of Holies from the Holy Place, keeping all of mankind away from the presence of God.

The same moment that Jesus died on the cross, the veil was torn in two. The sacrifice of Jesus and His blood provided all of us access to God. No longer do we need a high priest to be our mediator or go-between person.

Today, I prayed:

Lord, help us American believers to accept the finished work of the cross and remove every go-between person, standing between You and us, so that only one mediator remains, the man Christ Jesus. (Based on 1 Timothy 2:5)

What do you think and has the Lord spoken to you?

Join with me on Tuesdays to fast and pray for America.

When Jesus walked in His ministry, Israel was a powder keg, waiting for a spark to set it off. The Jews were searching for a warrior, like King David, to lead and rid the nation of Rome’s iron rule over it. They desperately desired their freedom.

Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.” So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone. (John 6:14-15)

Jesus understood that Israel’s problem was not Rome, but rather, its sin. He knew that every human, from the worst to the best, needed a Savior to set  him loose from the kingdom of darkness.

So, Jesus walked in His calling and became the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the whole world.

This week tempers raged in America as the Bureau of Land Management attempted to remove cattle from a ranch in Nevada. Guns were drawn by both sides, but eventually the government forces retreated from the scene.

Sadly, we can expect more confrontations like this, between government forces and citizens or citizens versus citizens, because sin is increasing more and more in America.

As Christians, we are not called to stand on the sidelines and watch the action from afar. We are called to rush onto the battlefield and pray for both sides, hoping God’s grace will cover all disputes.

Today I prayed:

Lord, I pray and intercede for all people and for our government leaders, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life in America, godly and dignified in every way, so that all may be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth. (Based on 1 Timothy 2: 1-2, 4)

What do you think and has the Lord spoken to you today?

Join with me on Tuesdays to fast and pray for America.

There are 2.3 million people held in America’s prisons and jails. Our national incarceration rate is the highest in the world.

Within three years of being released, 67% of ex-prisoners re-offend and 52% are re-incarcerated, according to a study published in 1994. The rate of recidivism is so high in the United States that most inmates who enter the system are likely to reenter within a year of their release. (Confronting Confinement by John J. Gibbons and Nicolas de B. Katzenbach)

There are numerous theories for America’s high prison population. Most revolve around racism, poverty, lack of education, drugs, and so forth. And no doubt these are contributing factors, but the basic problem is sin, which is the root cause of all human suffering.

Today, I prayed:

Lord, I pray that Your Spirit will fall upon prisoners in America’s prisons and jails causing godly grief to produce a repentance that leads to salvation without regret. (Based on 2 Corinthians 7:10)

What do you think and has the Lord spoken to you?

Join with me on Fridays to fast and pray for prisoners, according to Hebrews 13:3.