I am honored this year to be the first to read scripture in the rotunda of the Scioto County Courthouse on Wednesday, May 4 at 12 noon, as a part of the National Day of Prayer. It got me thinking about my priorities. As a minister, I know that my priorities are to be centered around my faith in Jesus Christ. Where I may not have made myself clear to others, is that my ministry is the most important thing in my life.
In short, being a Christian is more important to my personal life and it begins with knowing who God is and most importantly, to know him by name. I do. His name is Jesus Christ. But there is much more. Knowing his doctrines, and understanding the scriptures that reveal who he is. It is those scriptures that teach us about those who have gone before us and how they got through their life challenges, so we can know that we too can get through our life challenges.
The Apostle Paul was always fond of reminding us of our priorities:
I Corinthians 6:19-20 J.B. Philips translation reads – “Have you forgotten that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you, and that you are not the owner of your own body? You have been bought, and at what a price! Therefore bring glory to God both in your body and your spirit, for they both belong to him.”
I don’t think I ever doubted that for a minute. What I may have done is forget to apply it to every aspect of my life. As a Christian, I cannot afford to do that because Jesus Christ is the very essence of who I am. When Jesus takes over, He becomes the King, the Master, the Shepherd, the Leader, the Guide, the Father, the One.
Deuteronomy 6:4 gives us the great truth of who God is – “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:” It cannot be any more plain than that.
He is the I am. That is, he is YHVH, his Hebrew name – Elohiym. That doesn’t leave room for any other ruler in my life. And to get a chance to put that into practice by reading scripture Wednesday is humbling and enabling at the same time.
It will only be 15 minutes out of a 24-hour period, but, when I consider everything I will do that day, it is without reservation that I believe it will be the most important 15 minutes of my day.
America needs a National Day of Prayer, to ask a sovereign God to bless our nation. There could be no more important task for us Wednesday, to petition God on behalf of America. I have read and, I might add, believe what he has promised.
II Chronicles 7:14 – “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
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