Good Words from God’s Word
NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER
May 4th, 2017
Downtown Gainesville
12:00 Noon
Today, the Grace Church family is emphasizing prayer for our nation. America needs the prayers of God’s people. The theme of this year’s National Prayer emphasis is “For Your Great Name’s Sake”. It is based on what God said through His prophet Daniel,
“O Lord Listen! Forgive! O Lord, Hear and Act! For Your Sake, O My God!” (Daniel 9:19).
American flags are displayed in our Worship Center this morning calling us to prayer for our country. We will repeat the Pledge of Allegiance together in honor of this land which God has provided to us all. A special prayer flag will be at the center of our attention which is called THE APPEAL TO HEAVEN flag. The flag was also known as the “Washington’s Cruiser flag”. It flew on six schooners as they were launched during the Revolutionary War. Just a few months after their first voyage, the British Brigantine, named the “Nancy”, was captured by one of our schooners, the “Lee”. On board were muskets, flint, gun powder and other supplies in abundance, enough to last for a year. Not only was this the greatest capture of the entire Revolution, it also inspired all the founding fathers, and the birth of the United States Navy as we know it today.
The Pine Tree, also known as the Tree of Peace, had long been a symbol of importance to the colonies. Some one thousand years before, in a very troubling and conflicted time among six Iroquois Indian tribes, a peace maker brought the six tribes together for peace. It was under one of these giant pine trees that a peace treaty was brokered and they buried their war hatchets. The phrase “bury the hatchet” comes from this event. Legend has it that a powerful bald eagle clutching six arrows in its claws perched atop the tree the guarding the place. The American eagle on our seal has thirteen arrows in its claws. The tree served as a powerful symbol of unity and reconciliation.
The story stands as an inspiration for all future generations, but especially for American Christians, to come together in unity, burying the hatchet, and to Appeal to Heaven for help. That is exactly what we will be doing this morning as we pray for our nation.
In your chairs, you will find Book Markers which have been created as a means to help us pray. Each marker has the names of National elected officials, State and Local leaders that you may put into your Bibles to remind you to pray for those who have been elected to serve our country. We will divide our congregation into 4 groups this morning:
We will pray for our Nation in unity as each of us will be asked to pray out loud unto the Lord. Yes, there will be noise, but it will be the noise of God’s people praying together. God will hear it. He will answer. Our blessed and beloved nation will realize the ACTS of God because the people of God have prayed.
“O Lord Listen! Forgive! O Lord, Hear and Act! For Your Sake, O My God!” (Daniel 9:19).
American flags are displayed in our Worship Center this morning calling us to prayer for our country. We will repeat the Pledge of Allegiance together in honor of this land which God has provided to us all. A special prayer flag will be at the center of our attention which is called THE APPEAL TO HEAVEN flag. The flag was also known as the “Washington’s Cruiser flag”. It flew on six schooners as they were launched during the Revolutionary War. Just a few months after their first voyage, the British Brigantine, named the “Nancy”, was captured by one of our schooners, the “Lee”. On board were muskets, flint, gun powder and other supplies in abundance, enough to last for a year. Not only was this the greatest capture of the entire Revolution, it also inspired all the founding fathers, and the birth of the United States Navy as we know it today.
The Pine Tree, also known as the Tree of Peace, had long been a symbol of importance to the colonies. Some one thousand years before, in a very troubling and conflicted time among six Iroquois Indian tribes, a peace maker brought the six tribes together for peace. It was under one of these giant pine trees that a peace treaty was brokered and they buried their war hatchets. The phrase “bury the hatchet” comes from this event. Legend has it that a powerful bald eagle clutching six arrows in its claws perched atop the tree the guarding the place. The American eagle on our seal has thirteen arrows in its claws. The tree served as a powerful symbol of unity and reconciliation.
The story stands as an inspiration for all future generations, but especially for American Christians, to come together in unity, burying the hatchet, and to Appeal to Heaven for help. That is exactly what we will be doing this morning as we pray for our nation.
In your chairs, you will find Book Markers which have been created as a means to help us pray. Each marker has the names of National elected officials, State and Local leaders that you may put into your Bibles to remind you to pray for those who have been elected to serve our country. We will divide our congregation into 4 groups this morning:
- There will be two groups who will pray for our National Leaders.
- One group will pray for our State Leaders
- One group will pray for our Local officials.
We will pray for our Nation in unity as each of us will be asked to pray out loud unto the Lord. Yes, there will be noise, but it will be the noise of God’s people praying together. God will hear it. He will answer. Our blessed and beloved nation will realize the ACTS of God because the people of God have prayed.
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