The National Day of Prayer is on Thursday, May 5 and there are plenty of things to pray about for our nation and for the world. There are also a number of situations that people connected to our church are going through, situations that are really, really hard. When I consider the list of things to pray for that runs through my mind, I get a bit overwhelmed. It is hard to process it all.
But Jesus calls us to pray. In the midst of the trouble that we face, we are to pray. We ask God for healing. We ask God for wisdom. We ask God for peace. In the midst of the desperate circumstances, we cry out. We need Christ.
Our faith gives us an opportunity, even in the midst of the worst of times, to remember that in Christ, we can have victory. Jesus said in John 16:33 that “in this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
The story of Easter is that Jesus has conquered it all! What seemed like the worst of all situations was overcome by Jesus. That is what motivates us to pray. In the midst of all of the bad news, the good news of the gospel propels us to pray.