I admit it! I love Christmas. Oh, I get turned off by all the commercialization and secularization like many of you. But it’s our holiday! By our, I mean the Church. And I’m not letting other people ruin our holiday. It’s when followers of Jesus celebrate the incarnation. It’s that time of awe when we realize that the Creator-God took on human flesh and was born as a helpless babe. It’s the celebration of the event that changed planet earth forever.

I love the way the Church through the years developed Christmas as a season and not just a day. The lighting of advent candles builds a sense of anticipation for the coming of the Christ child. Then the day itself . . . ah, Christmas Day! Feasting, family, worship, singing, and giving of gifts . . . all can be done in a way that points to the great Gift given that Day to mankind.

Don’t take the tree down on the 26th. These days after Christmas can be glorious days of reflection about the meaning of the Incarnation. I encourage you to spend time in prayer, meditating on the wonder of the Incarnation. Make them days of preparation for the New Year ahead—seek God as to His purposes for you in the new year. Consider committing to a deeper level of prayer this coming year. Perhaps we can learn from the 12 Days of Christmas song and continue to make these days a time of giving, if not of gifts, of our time to those who need the blessing of Christ we carry within us.

No Scrooges in my house! Merry Christmas, and may God bless us every one!

The Statue of Liberty loomed before us as we worshipped the Lord and prayed on board a small ship this past September 11. Prayer leaders from around the nation had  gathered to participate in Cry Out America. We were praying around New York harbor on this memorable 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that have so impacted our nation.

As we slowed down nearest the shoreline where the new Freedom Towers are rising from the site of the former World Trade Center, I was asked to lead our group in a season of prayer.

As faith-filled prayers ascended to the Throne of God, I was struck by the lack of fear. Though many warnings had been given about the possibility of terrorist attacks that day, the atmosphere was one of faith, not fear. There was also a determination that on this day the Church would respond with prayers that were about Heaven’s agenda for spiritual awakening in our nation.

The time is over for prayers that are simply about our wants and wishes. It is time for the power of God to be released over this nation that returns the hearts of His people to the Lord!

New York City was just one place where prayer for revival was occurring on September 11. We have since received reports of more than 2,500 different prayer events on that day that focused on spiritual awakening in the United States. That figure doesn’t begin to account for the thousands of individual congregations who that day, remembered Sept.11 by praying for a fresh move of the Spirit of God among the Church. Harvest Prayer Ministries is delighted to be among those who are leading the way in calling the Church to revival praying!

For many years I have given myself to teaching and mobilizing prayer. Though it is a great privilege, it is also frustrating at times. For a very long time I felt that if Christians were just more committed, they would pray more. If they loved Jesus more, they would pray more. That led me to hit hard at levels of commitment in my teaching.But the Lord has recently been showing me that it isn’t commitment, it’s theology. Most of the pastors and church leaders that I teach and work with are completely committed. They are sold out for Jesus. They will do anything for Him. The lack of prayer in their lives has much more to do with theology than with lack of commitment.

The American church, in particular, believes poorly concerning prayer. We look at prayer as a way of getting things from God. Or we look at it mainly as something that helps move us spiritually. Sometimes we even look at much prayer as in the realm of specialists, rather than for “regular” Christians.

What will really transform our prayer lives is when we begin to believe what the Bible says about prayer. When we begin to see that prayer is the way God has chosen to accomplish His will on planet earth, we will move it to a more central place in our lives. Right theology on prayer moves it from somewhere on our “to do” list to an integral part of who we are as Christians.

It’s an important question you know. “Can prayer save America?” It’s much more than a clever theme for a magazine. The answer might well determine the future of our nation.

I’m convinced this first issue of Prayer Connect will impact Christians around the planet to pray more fervently and effectively for the United States. That’s a good thing. It’s always a good thing. Clear, biblically based prayer always releases the power of God into a situation in God’s timing and in God’s way.

But it still doesn’t answer the question. Can prayer save America? Sure, if saving America is what God wants to do. Then prayer will be absolutely essential. Prayers of confession and repentance can bring us to that safe place of humility before God. Intercessory prayers to release salvation, revival, justice, compassion, and mercy will become commonplace and powerful. We can see amazing cultural transformation.

Let’s not however, move into this season of prayer for America with the assumption that God wants to save America. Wouldn’t it be safer (as well as probably more correct theologically) to assume that as a nation we are deserving of judgment? Then our prayers will take on a more desperate attitude. We will find ourselves in tears, pleading for mercy, and hoping for grace. The churches of America should even now be filled with penitent believers, fearing the judgment of God upon a nation that has step by step turned from His ways.