National Day of Prayer

2:55 p.m. Today's project was for Steve and me to attend the National Day of Prayer at Harvest Christian Fellowship at 12:00 noon.

We arrived by 11:15, keeping in mind the parking situation we knew so well after 22 years attending that fellowship, but the enemy had a trick to play! As Steve struggled to put the silver sunshade behind the visor on the passenger side window, one of us must have bumped the emergency flasher. Never having had to use it over the last 5 years, I could not find the off switch! And Steve, who normally would have turned it off in a second, had no idea either. Since the end of the flashing would come with the end of the car battery's power, I called out to a couple of men heading toward the sanctuary and one of them found the button immediately. There was an answer to prayer! "God is our refuge, an ever present help in trouble," Psalm 46:1 says. Whether it's the end of chemotherapy for my prayer partner Monica, now headed for radiation, or a stuck emergency flasher, He won't leave us to fend for ourselves!

When Steve and I came into the church foyer, I saw Karen, who attended our summer study last year, and my friend Sharon Schutte, whose husband Pastor Rick conducted the event. I was not as nostalgic for our old church home as I thought I would be, because the interior of the sanctuary is so different, as are the grounds. And it helps that I've caught up with scores, probably at least a hundred old friends from Harvest on Facebook. When the Lord led Steve and me to Calvary Moreno Valley, it was totally His will and doing, and we've never looked back!

I was blessed to run into a gal who attended my Thursday morning Bible study decades ago, Bonnie Hill. "I knew I recognized that voice," she said as we hugged. I told her about Galatians: An Exploration of Faith and Freedom, now published, and told her, "You did that study in the '80s!" Because our little ones grew up together as friends every week, she says her kids all remember me. What a testimony to the drawing power of God's Word through the love of Jesus Christ! She's had her difficulties, as have all of us, but she is walking strongly with the Lord. Steve even recognized her when I led her over to say hi!

The service opened with the Harvest Worship Band leading us is "My God is Greater," and then Pastor Rick opened the prayer meeting. Dr. Setzler from Magnolia Ave. Baptist brought us a message from the Word of God. He began with the theme for the 2011 National Day of Prayer, Psalm 91:2:

I will say of the LORD, "He is my

refuge and my fortress;

My God, in Him will I trust."

He reminded us that the National Day of Prayer was first proclaimed in1952, and President Reagan established it as the first Thursday of May. Dr. Setzler then challenged us that our nation's greatest need is for revival. And, he wryly commented, "Revival is not dependent on unbelievers--it's to begin with us Christians. You can't be revived unless you're "vived" first!"

He went on to say that we need to understand who God is. He quoted II Chronicles 7:14 to give us God's conditions before He will heal our land:

If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Pastor Setzler strongly noted that mere "remorse" is not "repentance!"

Notably, Cathe Laurie, wife of head pastor and evangelist Greg Laurie, prayed most movingly for President Obama. While she prayed with all respect for the man and the dignity of the office, she did not mince words in asking the Lord to change his mind about abortion. Amen to that!

Worship was interspersed between each local pastor's prayers, and I was blessed to see so many of them who had begun in ministry back when I did, either there at Harvest or in their churches, 3o years ago. Prayers were offered in Spanish and Hebrew as well . Korean Pastor Kim offered prayer for the salvation of Japan.

Steve and I enjoyed an uplifting and wonderful time, prayed with other believers, and are continuing in our commitment to pray for this nation every day!