The National Day Of Prayer 2024—"Lift Up The Word, Light Up The World” [Episode # 474]

This week marks the 73^rd National Day of Prayer. With numerous challenges facing our country and the world—such as the upcoming presidential election, wars, escalating crime, natural disasters, and climate disruptions—Dr. Karen emphasizes our profound need for prayer.

How did the National Day of Prayer begin? What issues and topics are we encouraged to pray for? Dr. Karen answers these questions while sharing heartfelt words of prayer to uplift and inspire. Remember to pray for our country and its leaders on Thursday, 2 May 2024.

Need prayer for your business? Contact Dr. Karen at transleadership.com

The post The National Day of Prayer 2024: “Lift Up the Word—Light Up the World” (Episode #474) first appeared on TRANSLEADERSHIP, INC®.

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The National Day Of Prayer 2024—”Lift Up The Word, Light Up The World” [Episode # 474]

The National Day Of Prayer

I want to talk about the National Day of Prayer. The National Day of Prayer is coming up and we want to keep that in mind. The purpose of this day is to pray for our nation and to pray for our leaders. This is the 73rd National Day of Prayer and the theme this year is Lift Up the Word Light Up the World from 2 Samuel 22:29-31. The president of the National Day of Prayer is Kathy Branzell and she is a board member of the National Day of Prayer. She served alongside Vonette Bright, the wife of Bill Bright from Campus Crusade for Christ when she was in that role, and she also served alongside Shirley Dobson from Focus on the Family who has been in the role for about 25 years, Anne Graham-Lotz and Dr. Ronnie Floyd.

Now, Kathy Branzell is the President of the National Day of Prayer. She’s also the Founder and President of Fellowship And Christian Encouragement, FACE for educators. For many years, she weekly wrote scripture and prayer prompts, devotionals all for educators, and she’s also the author of a number of books mostly on prayer.

Every year there’s also a co-host who serves with the president of the National Day of Prayer, and this year’s co-host is A. R. Bernard, the senior pastor of the Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn, New York. They have campuses in Long Island, Orlando, and 40,000 members as they are spreading the word of God in all of those places. You might wonder about this National Day of Prayer. How did it get started? I’m going to say that first of all, there was a biblical precedent for the National Day of Prayer and I’d like to read a scripture so we have a sense of it.

This is in 1 Timothy 2:1-2. It says, “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.” We are instructed and prompted to pray for our leadership, pray for all members, but especially our leadership and those in authority, and they mention kings at that time.

We know from the biblical record that God has moved the hearts of kings who weren’t even following him, men who didn’t even know him, yet he was able to move them to do what God’s plan was for that era and that season. Whether that be for building the temple for the Jewish people at the time, or to release his people and let them go. There are so many ways that God was intervening in the events of the world.

I’m reminded of a situation that took place in Babylon. This was when God knew that he was sending his people Israel into Babylonian captivity. He told them on their way, he gave them some instructions about how they were to operate in the midst of this. This comes from Jeremiah 29:4-7. It says, “Thus says the Lord of host, the God of Israel to all who were carried away captive, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon. Build houses and dwell in them. Plant gardens and eat their fruit. Take wives and beget sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands so that they may bear sons and daughters, that you may be increased there and not diminished. Seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive and pray to the Lord for it, for in its peace you will have peace.”

This is still a principle as we read in 1 Timothy and at that time God was issuing a judgment on his people Israel because of their disobedience, and he had them go into Babylonian captivity. Rather than for them to be dismayed, he says, “I’m the one who sent you here. I will prosper you here. I will continue to grow you. Get married, have children, prosper in this place, and pray for this place so that you indeed will prosper.” We know from a biblical perspective certainly the aspect of praying for the nation where we are living, the nation where we are having our livelihood.

As far as the United States goes, the movement for the National Day of Prayer started officially in 1952. There was a bill that was initiated by Conrad Hilton of Hilton Hotels and Senator Frank Carlson of Kansas. That bill passed that the president would set aside and proclaim a suitable day each year other than Sunday as a National Day of Prayer on which the people of the United States may turn to God in prayer and meditation at churches, in groups, and as individuals. That was 1952.

Vonette Bright’s Influence On Prayer Day

All along the way, Vonette Bright started sensing that there should be a specific day that was named the National Day of Prayer. She spoke to senators and congressmen about it and kept after them. In particular, we had one particular congressman that she kept after until finally when we got to 1988 on the 5th of May, President Ronald Reagan signed into law the designation of the first Thursday in May as the annual observance for the National Day of Prayer. Vonette Bright was very instrumental in making that happen. Every year, the US President issues a proclamation concerning the National Day of Prayer. We want to remember that.

If you are from a country that’s not the United States, I invite you nevertheless to join us in prayer. You can pray for your country, you can pray for the world, for leadership across the globe. I want to mention the context that we are in general, and these are avenues for prayer. For example, we know that two major wars are going on that involve the United States, the war in the Middle East between Israel and the terrorist factions of Hamas and Hezbollah backed also by Iran.

No matter what challenges you face, remember that nothing is impossible for God. Click To Tweet

The war that’s going on there where many lives have been lost, and people are still suffering in terms of not having food, shelter, water, clothing, or medical care. We need to keep people in prayer for that situation that God we know is still on the throne and will intervene and we are praying that God’s will be done on earth even as it is in heaven.

That’s one of the wars, and then we still have the war that’s going on between Russia and Ukraine and the suffering of the people there in similar fashion shortages of food, shelter, clothing, medical care, and safety, people are losing their lives in that conflict, which has been going on for a very long time. These are things we want to pray about.

We also have the US presidential election coming up and we want to pray for wisdom and discernment about selecting a leader for our country. We have the privilege to vote in the United States and we need God’s guidance about how to exercise that vote. We know that there may be others who emerge as candidates before it’s all said and done. We are asking God to lead us, to guide us, and to provide favor for our country in terms of finding a leader who is appropriate for our country. That’s another important part.

Medical Crises And The Power Of Prayer

Some issues have magnified I would say post-pandemic and those would be things such as the increase in all-cause mortality in the United States. We see almost weekly an increase in the deaths of young people including professional athletes along the way. There are so many medical crises for people, many that I know, who are dying in routine everyday surgeries.

People are dying from cancers and heart conditions and some medicines are being given to people whose side effects are worse than what they had to begin with, and so those side effects reign supreme in their bodies, making them weaker rather than leading to an effective cure. We want to pray that God will show us how to walk through these times, that lives will be preserved, and that proper medications and treatments will be identified to help people who are suffering from various conditions. We want to lift that up.

We also want to lift food crises. We have a lot of scenarios where God’s natural food that he created is being maligned and we are creating chemical food that does not necessarily agree with our bodies. It’s important that we lift up the farmers, growers, and food supply so that it not be tainted in the United States and the world around us. As we taint the food supply and as fake food is applauded, we find that our medical health and condition are not as good as they used to be.

We are also living in a world where there’s increased violence. Some people are shooting and killing their neighbors, meaning people who are in close proximity to them, and also random strangers, people that they don’t know. This is coming to everyday citizens and also those in leadership, whether they be police officers or others in security who are supposed to be protecting our people and our nation. We want to lift up those concerns. The police, for example, would have true guidance about what they should do in difficult situations. We need police officers, we need firemen, we need all of these services that we have and we want them to be doing the right things. We need to pray for them as well. They are in positions of leadership and authority.

We also know that a lot is going on concerning natural disasters, issues such as floods, fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, and all kinds of weather challenges that are impacting people across the globe and causing secondary issues. I want us to remember that Jesus is the one who was on that boat on the sea and he was asleep when a big storm emerged and erupted. The disciples were fearful and afraid and they couldn’t believe that he was asleep. “Don’t you care that we perished?” They said to him.

However, he got up and rebuked the waves and he said, “Peace. Be still.” Whatever is happening with our weather with natural disasters, God is the authority over it all. There is nothing that happens here that he can’t start or stop. The Bible even tells us that the snow, he has the snow in storehouses. That’s a way for us to understand that all weather things, all kinds of natural disasters, he can calm the seas even for those.

I would remind you of the time when after Jesus had fed the 5,000 people, he sent his disciples in a boat to go over to the other side of the sea. He went up into the mountains to pray and a big storm emerged on the sea while the disciples were in the boat on the sea. They were afraid and they were concerned about what they should do. Jesus came walking on the water and they were frightened when they saw this figure walking on the water not knowing that it was him and Jesus says, “Fear not. It is I.”

Seek the peace of the city where you live and pray for it, for in its peace, you will have peace. Click To Tweet

He was the one that was walking and we know that Peter said, “Lord, if it’s you lift me to walk on the water to you,” and Jesus told him to come. For a brief period of time, Peter was walking on the water towards Jesus until he looked around, saw the frightful waves, took his eyes off of the Lord and that’s when he started to sink and cried out for the Lord to save him, which of course the Lord reached out his hand and lifted him back up and rebuked him for having such little faith in the situation.

As we think about this context of all the things that are going on in our world and all of the prayer concerns, we want to remember that we serve a God who is the ruler of all. There is nothing too hard for him, nothing that’s impossible for him. Rather than magnify all these problems which indeed exist and which we have, we are going to magnify our powerful and awesome God and pray to him to intervene in all of these circumstances. That’s the attitude that we want to have as we go into this day of prayer for our nation, the National Day of Prayer. We want to remember that God is indeed more than able to handle anything that we are facing here.

Prayer For The National Day Of Prayer

Kathy Branzell, who is the president of the National Day of Prayer, did write a prayer for this occasion and I would like to read the prayer that she wrote. She says, “Jesus, we profess our faith in you. You are the light of the world and in you, there is no darkness. For you are our lamp, oh Lord, and our God who lights our darkness. Forgive us for fearing and focusing on the darkness around us. Instead of being filled with faith and shining like the city on a hill you have called us to be. Forgive us for the times when we have been the absence of light, allowing darkness to dwell in America.”

“Lead us forward to dispel the darkness and bring light throughout the church, family, education, business, military, government and arts, entertainment and media. We are saved by grace through faith, released from the darkness that once held us captive, and now free to walk in the newness of life in you. Light dispels darkness and exposes what is hidden and wicked. We commit to rise and shine for by you, Lord, we can take courage to run against the enemy, and by our God, we can fight the good fight and keep the faith as living lampstands in our communities and country.”

“We fear no evil for you are with us. Lord, your way is perfect. You lead us on paths of righteousness for your name’s sake. Your word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Your word is truth. Instructing and inspiring us to live an abundant life. You gave when you saved us from the death and destruction of the enemy. Fill us with truth as we read, study, and live your word. God, you are a shield for all those who take refuge in you as we abide in you and your word abides in us. We take up our shield of faith and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God, and run boldly into the darkness to lift up the word and light up the world. In the mighty name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.”

That was the prayer written for this occasion of the National Day of Prayer by Kathy Branzell. I want to read the scriptures that also go with this celebration of the National Day of Prayer. The scriptures I’m reading are from 2 Samuel 22:29-31. “For you are my lamp, oh Lord, the Lord shall enlighten my darkness for by you I can run against a troop. By my God, I can leap over a wall. As for God, his way is perfect. The word of the Lord is proven. He is a shield to all who trust in him.”

I will close with a brief prayer. Dear heavenly Father, we come before you acknowledging you as the Lord of our lives. Acknowledging you, Father, as the sovereign over all the universe. Lord, there is none like you. You are unique in all of your ways. You have all power and all authority which you have given to your son. Father, we thank you and we praise you because nothing is impossible for you. All things are possible for you Lord, and we praise you for being that God of the impossible, being the God who can intervene when all of these things are going on in our world, and more besides Lord.

Father, we praise you for being our lamp. You are the one through your word who lightens the path before us and dispels the darkness. We thank you for that, Lord. We thank you for giving us strength through your Holy Spirit, Lord, to leap over a wall and to also run against a troop. Lord, we know that your way is perfect. Father, we know that your word is proven. We lift up your word Lord, which is our light Father, our light shining in the darkness. We lift up your son who is the living word, Lord, as you lead and as you guide us.

Thank you, Father, for being the shield, our shield, the shield for all those who trust in you. Thank you, Lord, for leading and guiding us and how we are to pray. Thank you, Lord, for being our shield even in the midst of these challenging and difficult circumstances. We magnify you above them all. We thank you Father and we praise you. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Natural Disasters And God’s Authority

Be blessed, my friends. Have a glorious week in the Lord remembering the national day of prayer to lift up our leaders, to lift up those who are in places and positions of authority. To lift up the media, education, military, and government at all levels. Oh, Father, we thank you and we praise you for protecting those who are on the front lines in every way, including those who are missionaries across our globe. We ask that your son be lifted up and that all people will be drawn unto him. In Jesus’ name. We thank you again, Lord. You, my friends, have a blessed week.

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The Work Of The Bible League

I’m here to celebrate the work of the Bible League, which is a global ministry that provides Bibles, ministry study materials, and through activities like Project Philip, also teaches and trains local people in how to share the word of God. The President and CEO of Bible League Jos Snoep is with me to share a little bit more about what the Bible League is doing.

The beauty of the local church is that it is the body of Christ and it is the Holy Spirit that is calling the local church to be engaged in the Great Commission. As Bible League, we come alongside those local pastors. I met a pastor, his name is Rolando, in the Amazon, and he has this great vision to reach 200 communities with the word of God and we are able to come alongside them and help them with bibles and resources.

Thank you so much, Jos. We are all partners together. You and the Bible League are the hands and feet to the local people on the ground, and there are partners and donors out there who can be hands and feet to you as you also share with others. Those of you who want to be part of this ministry and I invite you to be a part of it, I’m a part of it, go to Bible League. See more about the ministry and see how you can participate and donate.

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Victorious Family And Their Mission

I’m here with Terence Chatmon, who is the President and CEO of Victorious Family and also the author of Do Your Children Believe?. Victorious Family has a goal of reaching 9.2 million families by 2030. Terence, tell us. How far along are you on that goal?

We are very excited. We reached 133,800 families before that. We are right on around the 400,000 family mark towards our 9.2 million goal in the second year, in the year and a half. We are extremely excited.

That is very exciting news and I know that it’s many new initiatives that help you to reach even more families. Tell us what’s new in the ministry.

What’s exciting is on December 7th, 2023, we had a national newspaper cover, Victorious Family, and it went throughout the country. That has exposed us to over 30 million families in the US. From that, we have got a great deal of responses and one of those responses is a new partnership that we are forming with Hampton University to come alongside them and work in eight counties in the Hampton Roads area. We are excited about that. Millions of families will be exposed to what it looks like to have family transformation taking place in their homes.

How can people reach you and how can they reach your weekly resource that you have as well?

They can reach us at Victorious Family. Our resources are there and we are excited because we have a brand new resource that came out. It’s our weekly rhythms guide. It gives the parents and individuals a day-to-day rhythm and how they might walk in Christ. We would encourage them to get a copy of our weekly rhythms guide for parents and individuals.

Thank you so much, Terence. I’m so glad that you are here with me, and to you out there in the audience, please go to Victorious Family. Donate to the ministry, get the weekly rhythms guide, and see what else is new in the ministry. See you next time.