Pastor Ray shared…
For today, the National Day of Prayer, the focus is on unity in America. That’s the theme. I have this proclamation from the Governor of Minnesota. It’s actually got an official stamp on it. It’s a proclamation about this day. It’s very official with each section beginning with “whereas.”
Whereas: The needs of the people of Minnesota are great; health and hope, the safe return of loved ones serving overseas, and reconciliation for all; and
Whereas: The assets of our state are abundant: rich farmland, beautiful lakes, strong families, and an unmatched heritage of hard work, sacrifice, patriotism, innovative ideas, and community service.
Whereas: We desire to foster in our state and nation an inclusive, broadminded, and tolerant society; and
Whereas: From the earliest days of our nation, through war and terrorism, economic challenges, natural disasters, and the loss of our fallen heroes in the military and law enforcement, our people have turned to prayer to seek wisdom, guidance, strength, and to express thanks; and
Whereas: The United States Congress has designated the first Thursday in May as National Day of Prayer; and
Whereas: The theme of the 67th Annual National Day of Prayer is “UNITY: Pray for America.”
Now therefore, I, Mark Dayton, Governor of Minnesota, do hereby proclaim Thursday, May 3, 2018, as Minnesota National Day of Prayer.
I want us to stand and worship the Lord. First, let’s look up here at the flags and recite the pledge of allegiance. Some of us might not have said the pledge of allegiance to the flag since we were in school. But we put our right hand over our hearts. Let’s say it together:
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
Mary led group in worship…
Pastor Ray shared…
I want to go through this prayer that covers a lot of things and it’s from the national day of prayer.
Our Dear Heavenly Father, while we come to You in complete humility, we also come to You with boldness in the authoritative name of Your One and Only Son, Jesus Christ, who is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. In Jesus’ name, fill us now with Your Holy Spirit and lead us as we pray in Jesus’ name for America.
Oh God, we are burdened for our nation today. We turn from the sins that we have committed against your Word and your Name. We turn away from our contentious words and ways toward one another that has led us to division and polarization. We turn away from our disrespect and lack of dignity toward each other, and we turn away from our continual devaluation of all human life from the womb until death in this world. We also turn away from and refuse to participate in skepticism, criticism, and cynicism in our nation. We turn away from anything that divides us, and we run toward the gospel of Jesus Christ that is the only thing that has the power to unite us together.
Lord, in this critical hour in our nation, we pray for unity in America. Only You can bring unity, harmony, and oneness in America. As your Word calls us in Ephesians 4:3, “Making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace”, we ask You to empower us to make every effort to live in unity, to call for unity, and to forward unity in America continually.
We pray for the churches in America to unify in Jesus Christ and to pray as one unified spiritual family for America. May Your Church pray for America passionately, perpetually, privately, and publicly.
We pray for God’s power to unify families, workplaces, communities, and cities in America. By Your Spirit, lead us to forgiveness, reconciliation, healing, and unity.We pray for people of all ethnicities and races in America to come together as one, living in peace and unity together. Oh Lord, because each of us is created in Your image, please give us the courage to stand against all racial and ethnic division, denouncing it as evil and sinful, while simultaneously coming together in unity with all persons knowing this is God’s will for us.
We pray in unity for the security of our nation. We ask You to preserve the United States of America from the forces of evil that are threatening our lives and our future. God, please guard all persons in public and private settings from anyone or anything that desires to harm us or take our lives. Our future is in Your hands.
We agree clearly, unite visibly, and pray extraordinarily for the next Great Spiritual Awakening in America. Oh Lord, wake up Your church spiritually and convict Your people to agree clearly, unite visibly, and pray extraordinarily until the next Great Spiritual Awakening occurs in our generation.
Oh God, we stand together upon Your words in Psalm 133:1, “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony.” Through Jesus’ name and by the Holy Spirit’s power, we pray for all Americans to unify and to live together in unity.In the mighty and majestic name of Jesus Christ who is the Only Savior and the Only Hope in this world, we pray. Amen.
Dr. Ronnie Floyd
President, National Day of Prayer Task Force
Senior Pastor, Cross Church
Mary led group in song about the blood of Jesus…
Erika led group in prayer for America…
Father, in the name of Jesus and according to your Word, we pray for those in authority in our nation. We lift up President Donald Trump, his family, his staff, and cabinet members. Let Your Word cling to them, and let them not depart from Your plan. Strengthen them with mighty power by Your Spirit to stand against wickedness, lies, and deception. Guide President Trump’s decisions; let Your light shine upon his path and show him the path of reversal for every evil way. Continually surround him with godly men and women who impart wise counsel to him. Cause the way of the wicked to be set to confusion and come to nothing. Deliver us from the traps and snares the enemy has laid for us, and let the wicked be caught in their own devises and be brought to shame. We take authority over the plots and plans of the enemy against this nation. Let prideful and lying lips be silenced in Jesus’ name.
Slanderers will not be established in America. We pray for our congress, our supreme court, our military leaders, and our intelligence agencies. Let the wisdom that is from above reign in this nation and be constantly speaking to our leaders. We exercise the authority You have given us to tread down all the power of the enemy. We cast down and demolish imaginations and arguments that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God, and we bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. We bind spirits of strife and division, civil wars and tumults, spirits of hostility, lawlessness and blasphemy, and fires from hell that have burned in our cities.
We speak grace and peace over America. We pray and believe for the voice of truth, salvation, revival, and restoration to be proclaimed and heard across our land. Grant unto your servants everywhere that with all boldness we may speak your Word. We pray for a mighty outpouring of your Spirit with signs, wonders, and miracles. We expect the wisdom of this world that is earthly, sensual, and devilish to depart and vanish until Your mighty work in America becomes a beacon of hope for all people everywhere. We expect the voice of rejoicing to be heard in our nation for your goodness, mercy, and prosperity in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Prayer continued…
(All 50 states were lifted up to the Lord…)
Father, we thank You for each of the states and we declare the blood over them. We loose ministering spirits to work on behalf of the heirs of salvation to bring about the plan of God. Every state has a purpose and a plan…that each would rise up to the spiritual heritage that is theirs… that there would be a great awakening in every state in every church… the revival winds of Your Spirit would blow all across this land… we pray for all those in authority in all the states… we declare an awakening… that You would thrust forth laborers into the path of every one of those leaders…
An awakening… revivals breaking out everywhere… change in our cities… we declare change today… we declare a turnaround… we say “wake up” to the churches… get up… stand up and take your position… greater numbers… people joining together in unity and one accord… believers rising up… and saying “No more…” … a reversal… a complete turnaround in cities all over America… a change in direction
In the right ways of God… more in cooperation… more in collaboration with You and Your Word and Your Spirit and with one another… that You would touch our eyes… to see… to hear… speak more than once… cause the hearing ear and the seeing eye… You are the giver of both… Father, we declare we hear, see, and obey Your Words and walk in Your ways… we thank You for it… the joints and the supplies of the Spirit … working together on projects… greater and greater… momentum and motion and movement in that direction… every opportunity for advancement… no longer will we sit by, wait idly… the church living stones and believing and speaking…
Pastor Ray interjected…
I declare over Minneapolis and St. Paul and the whole area prosperity like never before. Like a magnet, these cities will be like a magnet because of His glory and presence.
Prayer continued…
We lift up the event on May 18 that it’s all connected together… You have a big picture… all things spiritually are connected… this event, we declare it will be what You want it to be… it will shine bright to all the surrounding areas into other states… we lift up every part of that event from beginning to end and then we pray over what comes next… we believe when more than 700 churches get together in one accord lifting up the name of Jesus, good things happen… so we proclaim it and declare good things are beginning to happen in these cities… change is happening… those that need to get out of positions of authority are getting out and new God-called men and women are getting in… we pray over the state capital and the leaders… over our governor … we pray over every detail of the event… that things would be lined up… the momentum and direction of Your Spirit… we want what You want… we want Your heart’s desire… no man will get the glory, but only You will get the glory and honor and praise…
