The National Day of Prayer: A New Meaning

"...let us continue praying for this nation that has done so much good in the past."

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(MYRTLE BEACH, SC) - Many people know my wonderful husband, Lou is a pastor. Last night, he delivered a message at one of his churches that was very applicable to the National Day of Prayer, but also to how evil prevails today.

I am very proud of Lou for his courage in knowing the true definition of separation of church and state and that it rests upon respect for the church and its people.

Allowing the few to dictate “systemic unaccountability” has impacted our families, education system, the medical profession, elected officials and the raging drug epidemic.

Here is Lou’s message:

“This morning I was watching a movie about the prophet Samuel and this is how it opens:
God appointed judges to rule the people after the era of Moses and Joshua. However, the time of the judges was about to end because corruption swept through their ranks. The people started to become restless because corruption poisoned their hearts and separated them from God, their provider.

Our nation is also on the brink of coming to an end because corruption has swept through its ranks.

People are restless and corruption has poisoned their hearts as so many, too many, are separated from God and have completely forgotten, if they even ever knew, that God is their provider. Simply put, God is out and Sin is in.

Paul wrote about sin:

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Cor 6:9-10)

Paul is referring to individuals, or a small community of people, who have taken upon themselves to engage in those or similar sins.

It’s bad enough when we’re discussing individuals but, should it continue unabated, the problem becomes much, much larger and that’s what happened with the Israelites.

Each time the Israelites returned from exile to their homeland, they re-founded, re-dedicated their nation to God. But, ultimately they left him.

This nation, proudly proclaiming at its inception, ‘In God We Trust’ is currently following in the footsteps of those Israelites who preceded us.

Our national fabric that once bound us together is now torn and there is tremendous division, rather than unity. And why? Because, as a nation, we have chosen other gods.

Let me put it this way. Contrary to what many think, this is not a nation of ‘systematic racism’, this is becoming more and more a nation of ‘systematic unaccountability’.

Years ago, we began hearing the term, “The dumbing down of America” and, today, we are living it.

Many schools and social programs contribute to the problem when they insert themselves into determining what is better for other people’s children.

For example, providing gender blocking drugs to children without parental knowledge or consent. The same applies to birth control and abortions.

Sadly, there are many parents who are abdicating their responsibility to protect their children and allowing this to happen. Where is the accountability? Jesus tells us, it will come.

Marianne and I know of a lady who told a child who was not her own, that if that child would get their covid shot, she would bake them cookies and that’s what happened.

Where was the parent in this? Nowhere- because the parent was not informed. Where is the accountability? Jesus tells us, it will come.

On the flip side, we have seen instances already where parents protest these actions and become, themselves, vilified, persecuted and prosecuted rather than honored for their efforts. Where is the accountability? Jesus tells us, it will come.

Scholastic achievement is being replaced with ‘woke’ policies more interested in gender studies at the expense of math and science thereby making us much weaker than our Founding Fathers ever imagined.

Speaking of whom, children nowadays do not know our history as it is being re-written on a daily basis and the sacrifices of those who founded our nation are left in the trash bin and the guiding principles of our nation are ignored.

Where is the accountability? Jesus tells us, it will come.

Systematic unaccountability is no more evident than along our national borders and our sovereignty as a nation, no longer stands.

What is systematic is the illegal drugs entering our borders, originating in China and coming up through Mexico and down from Canada.

These same drugs that are illegal in China and coming into our country is nothing less than non-conventional warfare taking out a significant number of the newest generation. Where is the accountability? Jesus tells us, it will come.

Nor is the border crisis simply about illegal entry into our nation.

In years gone by, medical screening for people coming into this country was mandatory as a way of protecting the nation’s citizens. People who had crossed the Atlantic Ocean were often rejected at the port of entry and compelled to return from where they came.

Today, I can find nothing to indicate any medical screening is being done at our borders.

Illegal immigrants are coming into our country in such volume that, even if every detainee is given a medical evaluation (which I doubt), what about those many more who are not captured or detained?

And now, with so many being transported to cities and towns throughout the nation, what is our country doing to protect us from any number of communicable diseases including tuberculosis? Where is the accountability? Jesus tells us it will come.

I know we have healthcare professionals in our congregation but I am seeing deterioration in our healthcare system. I can cite several examples but one should suffice.

My wife, Marianne, and I visited a lady in the hospital about four years ago. This particular lady was from a previous appointment who wanted me to visit her.

When we got there, thank God Marianne was with me because she saw the lady’s oxygen tube was hooked to the wrong outlet. Marianne fixed it and when the nurse came and Marianne pointed it out to her, the nurse just laughed it off.

Marianne checked further and learned that this lady had an open wound that had not been treated for all these days she had been in the hospital; nor could she get up to use the restroom and no one tended to her needs.

Marianne had the nurse bring her supplies and Marianne washed her body, not the nurse; and Marianne treated the open wound, not the nurse.

When the hospitalist entered, he asked Marianne how the lady should be treated and she told him. He said he would do as she recommended.

Marianne is in the habit of writing on the dressings, the date and time when they were applied. We went back a couple of days later and the dressing Marianne had put on the lady’s wound had not been replaced as the hospitalist had promised.

This is only one example out of many. Where is the accountability? Jesus tells us, it will come.

Let’s not forget our senior citizens. I have been in some nursing home/rehab centers that I wouldn’t let my dog stay in. Where is the accountability? Jesus tells us, it will come.

Here are some articles, from just the last three days alone.

The first deals with a restaurant in California that, for years, has its patrons stand for the National Anthem. It was posted on Tik-Tok but the Tik-Tok user who posted the clip described being present for the national anthem as, “By far the most dangerous situation I’ve ever been in.” We need to bring back the draft for men and women.

And now the U.S. Navy is proudly proclaiming a drag queen influencer with the title of “Digital Ambassador” to enhance recruiting efforts.

As former US Navy SEAL Team Six member, Robert J. O’Neill said, “I can’t believe I fought for this...” (You fill in the blank). Perhaps I should retract that comment about bringing back the draft.

A child was suspended from school for wearing a t-shirt saying there are only two genders. Rather than being punished I think this child should get an “A” in science and social studies.

I have not even touched on the blind eyes of those in leadership positions and the media; abortion; black-on-black crime; transexuals and members of the LBGTQ community attempting to influence our children in schools, libraries and public events; those who resort to burning, looting and killing instead of public discourse. Where is the accountability? Jesus tells us, it will come.

Please tell me, from irresponsible national policies, to mis-directed education, to abortions, to decline in basic health care, coupled with a complete lack of understanding in the guiding principles of how our nation was built, the struggles it endured and, despite some mistakes along the way, this world is better off because of this nation’s sacrifices, but where is the accountability? Jesus tells us, it will come.

Truth of the matter is that we don’t need a National Day of Prayer for our nation; we need to get down on our knees every day to pray, fast and repent on behalf of our nation for that day of accountability Jesus tells us, will come.

This is not a feel-good message. Yes, there are many good things going on in our nation today and we fully praise those things. However, if we only look at the good and ignore the bad, our nation suffers.

So, let us remember how we started this message today:

God appointed judges to rule the people after the era of Moses and Joshua. However, the time of the judges was about to end because corruption swept through their ranks. The people started to become restless because corruption poisoned their hearts and separated them from God, their provider.

For anyone who does not see the link between those days and today, I am reminded of God’s word through Isaiah when he referred to those who hear and do not understand and see but do not perceive. (Isaiah 6:9)

So, let us continue praying for this nation that has done so much good in the past and can still do more in the future.

When the day of judgment comes, may we be found among the lambs rather than the goats because Jesus has spoken; a day of accountability is coming. And, for that, thanks be to God. Amen.”