What has happened to our “one nation under God”? Proverbs 29:18 is often quoted, using a poor translation, “Where there is no vision the people perish…” This used to rally people to pursue a good cause in the name of a vision for a better future. But that is hardly what this proverb is about. A more literal translation is, “Where there is no revelation the people throw off restraint.” In other words, if the Word of God is not shaping the people and the culture as a whole that culture will spiral down into chaos. Sound familiar?
I am not going to argue that the 1940’s, 50’s, or early 60’s was a Christian utopia in the U.S. However, as a culture we were closer to the Judeo-Christian roots of western civilization. So what happened? I hold the church responsible for the decline. If Jesus knew what He was talking about-and that is a very safe assumption- when meat rots or is tasteless you don’t blame the meat you blame the absence or the ineffectiveness of the salt. When a people as a whole move further and further from their historic faith and heritage you don’t blame the world, the flesh, or the devil, these have all been defeated, you blame the church.
I am not advocating that we need to return to Jesus in order to make America great again. Jesus must NEVER EVER be a means to accomplish our ends. Rather, the whole universe exists to bring glory to the Father. I am hoping to explain why this nation is choking to death on forbidden fruit. Don’t be surprised if the collapse continues and accelerates. Without the faithful witness of the Word of God every part of their individual and collective, fallen, human nature will pull the subculture of our nation or any nation into darkness.
Which brings me to our ignoring Jesus. What was Jesus’ one prayer request? Odds are you will not find it on any church prayer list. Our church prayer lists are dominated with prayer requests that Christians (or at least church members) will not go to Heaven. Jesus never directs us to pray for all the sick to get well. I have seen more prayers for political victory than Jesus’ prayer request. I have heard prayer requests for people so vaguely related as to be laughable. But never have I heard these same people who, in their lollypop spirituality are concerned about everyone, repeat the prayer request of Jesus. We pray or at least put on our prayer list (which is not the same thing) firemen, law enforcement, nurses, doctors, farmers, rain, hurricanes, snowstorms, astronauts and even pets. But only once did Jesus ask us to pray for something. In Matthew 9, we find Jesus’ only prayer request:
“Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”
This week I want to challenge you that in addition to or instead of all the less stuff we pray about, we pray for the Lord of the harvest to send workers out into the harvest. In fact, perhaps we ought to move this request to the top of our prayer list. And if you really want to challenge the people in your congregation delete all the other requests, hand out the bulletin or prayer list sheet with only one request:
Almighty and ever living God our harvest is great and there are so few workers. Please, Lord, send laborers out to a lost and dying world. I am so sure this is Your will if You want send me!
In the name of Christ
Amen
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