40 Days for Life is an internationally coordinated 40-day campaign that aims to end abortion locally through prayer and fasting, community outreach, and a peaceful all-day vigil in front of abortion businesses.

Their new campaign is beginning September 28th. The visible, public centerpiece of 40 Days for Life is a focused, 40-day, non-stop, round-the-clock prayer vigil outside a single Planned Parenthood center or other abortion facility in your community.

It is a peaceful and educational presence. Those who are called to stand witness during this 24-hour-a-day presence send a powerful message to the community about the tragic reality of abortion. It also serves as a call to repentance for those who work at the abortion center and those who patronize the facility.

Learn more about how you can participate at 40daysforlife.com.

IFI, along with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Concern Women for America, and thirteen other Christian organizations, filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court this week in favor of Coach Joe Kennedy, who was fired from a public school in Washington State because he prayed briefly at the 50-yard line after football games.

Coach Kennedy is a man of deep faith who has been saying a brief prayer following his team’s football games for years. Initially he did so alone, but then some students and other coaches freely chose to join in. When the school learned what he was doing, it demanded he stop, but he felt responsible to thank God for the games in that way. As a result, he lost his job.

First Liberty Institute sued the school district on Kennedy’s behalf, but both a U.S. District Court and a Court of Appeals sided with the school district. Kennedy appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, and in January, SCOTUS agreed to hear the case. (For a more detailed history, read First Liberty Institute’s case summary.)

The issue before the high court is whether the speech and religious liberty rights provided by the First Amendment protect Kennedy’s brief prayer following games and whether the Establishment Clause justifies his dismissal, as the school district has argued. In recent years, SCOTUS has interpreted the Establishment Clause to foster neutrality towards religion. Our amicus brief in this case argues that,

[The Establishment Clause] states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” It obviously does not prohibit any governmental action about or allowing religion. If it did, the Constitution would be at war with itself. Indeed, the very next phrase of the First Amendment protects the “free exercise” of religion, an obvious endorsement of religious observance by affirmatively protecting it. The Establishment Clause, by forbidding the government to establish religion, has the effect of reinforcing the private exercise of religion. The restraint on “an establishment” does not trump or supersede the belief or practice of religion. “Government does not establish religion by leaving its private exercise alone.”

The First Amendment is pro-freedom of speech, pro-freedom of press, and pro-freedom of assembly. It accomplishes those purposes by providing that “Congress shall make no law … abridging” those freedoms. Similarly, the First Amendment is pro-religious observance, not hostile to it in one clause and in favor of it in another. And while the operation of the clauses may overlap, by their very nature and purpose they do not contradict each other when, as here, the state does not initiate, and acts neutrally in accommodating, the private exercise of religion.

A short prayer following a game, joined in by only those who want to be there by their own free will, hardly amounts to an establishment of religion, particularly when the school makes it clear that it has nothing to do with Coach Kennedy’s activities.

Oral arguments for this case are expected in April.

Take ACTION: Please keep this case, the Justices, and their clerks in your prayers. Pray that religious freedom and the free exercise of that liberty will be upheld by the Court.

Read more:

Catholic Bishops Support Praying Football Coach in SCOTUS Case (CNA)

Family Policy Alliance Files SCOTUS Brief on Behalf of Praying Coach (FPA)

I don’t know about you, but I find God’s instructions in Deuteronomy 6:6-7 both challenging and convicting. It’s in this passage that God commands parents to teach their children in His ways diligently—as we sit at home, walk along the way, rise up, lie down, and so on.

In other words, we’re basically supposed to be training our children in the ways of God all the time. It’s a constant, unending priority. If you’ve got kids, one of your primary job descriptions as a human being is to be your child’s diligent teacher.

It’s a responsibility I want to take seriously, yet I fail way too often. I feel I rarely live up to the level of diligence described in this passage.

This was brought to mind recently when I attended a homeschool convention. Listening to one of the speakers, I was reminded again that I need to do a better job training and discipling my kids. Right there, I asked God to help me become a Deuteronomy 6 Dad.

The next day was Sunday, and I had frankly forgotten about that quick prayer offered up the day before. But God, of course, hadn’t.

As my wife and I spent a few minutes in the afternoon planning the upcoming week, we heard crying from upstairs where three of our children (ages six, five, and three) were playing. I went up to discover Katherine, the three-year-old, laying on her back crying, and Timothy, the five-year-old, standing unconcernedly nearby. There had been an accident of some sort—mostly Timothy’s fault, from what I could discern—and Katherine had been hurt.

One of the qualities I want to instill in my boys is care for others—particularly those younger or weaker than themselves. So to see Timothy standing by doing nothing while his sister was crying (as a result of his carelessness no less), showed me that he hadn’t taken this lesson to heart yet.

And this was when God began to answer my prayer from the day before.

Instead of getting upset and railing at Timothy for his carelessness and thoughtlessness, I sat down and began to talk about how we should take care of others. I talked about how Jesus wants us to treat each other. We talked about the Good Samaritan and how he had shown love to the man left for dead by the road, and if God wants us to love even strangers, how much more should we love our own family?

It was one of those moments when I actually felt like I was handling this Dad role pretty well.

When I went back downstairs, I remembered my prayer from the day before. God, I felt, had just answered that prayer.

No, one good conversation with my boys about loving their sister doesn’t make me a Deuteronomy 6 Dad—not yet. But every teachable moment I seize brings me that much closer to the ideal I want to reach.

I want to keep asking God for His help in becoming a father who takes Deuteronomy 6 seriously, and I want to keep taking advantage of the teachable moments life brings my way. I also want to be ready to create teachable moments, speaking of God and His truth on a regular basis with my kids.

The truth is, if we don’t teach our children how to know, love, and serve God, who will? Yes, we hope they’ll learn these things at church, but God gave my wife and me the primary responsibility. The church is a support—not a crutch. And the fact is, if my wife and I aren’t doing our job at home, it’s unlikely the church will be able to succeed in a couple of hours a week.

Dads (and Moms, too), let’s take our responsibility seriously. Ask God to help you become a Deuteronomy 6 Dad. It’s a prayer He’d love to answer.

Then keep your eyes open for the teachable moments God will bring your way.

IFI works diligently to serve the Christian community in Illinois with email alerts, video reports, pastors’ breakfasts, special forums, worldview conferences and cultural commentaries. We do not accept government funds nor do we run those aggravating popup ads to generate funds.  We depend solely on the support of readers like you.

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In the past several weeks, we’ve seen a hard progressive push toward more radical legalizations to abortion.  The state of New York recently passed a law that would permit abortions up to the moments of birth.  There have been discussions to allow the ability to have an “abortion” even moments after birth.  (Process that with me for a moment).  As a Christian husband, father and a Pastor, I am terribly saddened, disgusted and broken over the moral DNA of our culture and most of our officials in Washington.

So, what are we to do?  How can we respond?

Here are 5 ways to properly respond to the Pro-Choice Movement:

Pray

In the book of Esther, we read how the Jewish people were on the verge of annihilation by a horrific plan by Haman.  Queen Esther had a plan to stop it, but before she did anything, she called for 3 days of prayer and fasting.  This is a not battle that could be won through the means of flesh and blood.  This is a spiritual battle and we need to put on our armor.  F.B. Meyer once said, “The greatest tragedy of life is not unanswered prayer, but unoffered prayer.” Let’s be sure to pray!

Speak up and engage

Everyone has on opinion on the matter of Abortion.  However, there is only one opinion that truly matters and that is God’s.  He has called us to be the carriers of His message of truth.  Proverbs 31:8-9 says, “Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.” We need to speak up and engage in conversations with our friends, family and those around the water cooler and be a voice for the voiceless. Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said, “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”

Volunteer/Support Crisis-Pregnancy Centers

We are thankful for those who are on the frontlines in our community for the Pro-Life Movement.  Crisis pregnancy centers work to educate, love, and counsel pregnant women against having an abortion.  These are organizations that work with limited resources and depend on those who financially support and volunteer.  Let’s support those who are on the frontlines.

Vote

I don’t ever tell anyone who to vote for.  However, let me bring some commonsense here.  If you want to stop abortion, stop voting for those who are for abortion.  It’s that simple.  (The next election is April 2nd!)

Respond with the Gospel

Look at any study, and you will find that women with a history of abortion have higher rates of anxiety, depression, alcohol use, marijuana use, and suicidal behavior, compared to those who have not had an abortion. Despite what you see on social media, brokenness is wrapped around the one who has had an abortion.  And the best way to respond to that brokenness is with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 says, “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” 

No one is too dirty that Jesus can’t clean him. No one is too far for Jesus to save. Let’s choose to respond with the gospel of grace.  The Apostle Paul once said of the Gospel, “…for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.”

God is the author of life.  He values life and so should we.  Let’s choose to be His hands, feet and voice in our culture today.

Join us for the annual SpeakOut Illinois pro-life conference on Saturday, March 9th!

SWAT Team Mobilization
Spiritual Weapons and Tactics

Written by Pastor Myles Holmes

This call-to-prayer is in response to an event taking place on Saturday in New York, when witches claim they will place hexes and curses on President Donald Trump and U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh. They are selling tickets for $10 to attend this event. Twenty five percent of the proceeds will be donated to Planned Parenthood.

Christians should respond to this malicious event in prayer! Please join us as we petition God Almighty through Jesus Christ for His protection and rich blessing for Brett Kavanaugh, Donald Trump, Mike Pence and other national and state political leaders:

Heavenly Father, You are the God of Creation and the God of history. You are the God of time and the God of Eternity. You are the God of the right here – right now!

We boldly approach Your Throne of Grace knowing that You hear our prayer.

You see the hatred of the enemy toward righteousness. You see those who give themselves to darkness to celebrate evil and perversion. You see the wickedness of a generation rebelling against Your Presence and Your Word and Your Law. You see those who call upon evil spirits, demons and fallen angels to thwart Your purposes and hinder the coming of Your Kingdom and Your Will being done.

But at this moment we thank and praise and worship Your Holy Name, so grateful that You have given Your Bride, Your Church, the privilege to intercede, pray, and repent on behalf of our nation. We are also aware of the responsibility you have anointed us with to prophesy the grace and glory of God into our land.

We come not in fear but in faith.

We respond not in paranoia but in power.

We live with no pathetic limitations, but in the power of limitless love.

We sense zero intimidation, but we are aware of our Resurrection Life.

We fight and wrestle not with people or personalities, but we wage war with principalities and powers!

Oh GOD, the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly or human, they are mighty in Your Name for pulling down strongholds.

No weapon formed against us can prosper.

We gather in prayer and intercession not in our own name, not in our own identity, but in the Name that is above every other name, the Name of Your Son, Jesus Christ.

We speak in the authority of Your written Word!

We pray, covered by the Blood Jesus shed on the Cross.

We prophesy out of the identity we have received because of the Power of the Empty Tomb.

We speak confusion to their curses and cause.

We announce anathema to their agenda.

We declare mayhem to their mission.

We pronounce chaos to their concoctions.

We decree failure to their formulas.

We pray in the Name of Jesus that these witches and covens of warlocks will be astounded and amazed by the brilliance and the glory of the manifested Presence of God! We speak repentance and conviction to these rebellious hearts. We speak brokenness in the place of hardness. We speak the warmth of your love to embrace cold hearts. We ask that wounding and hurt and pain and shame in their lives would be met by the mercy and grace and love of Jesus. We ask that anger and violence and hatred will be overwhelmed by the loving presence of the Holy Spirit.

Almighty God, just as you met Saul in his hardness of heart and rebellion and determination to wipe out the people of God,  in your mercy, in your grace, we ask you to pour out Your Spirit of repentance and conviction upon these witches and draw them to your grace and mercy Show them your miraculous healing grace and demonstrate to them Your power and Your glory.

Silence their curses by filling their mouth with praise.

Blot out their hexes by filling their lips with worship.

Stop their poison and profanity and blasphemy by filling their lives with conviction for sin and adoration for the Savior.

You turned Saul the persecutor into Paul the preacher.

We ask You in the power of Your grace and glory to turn these wicked witches into worshipful warriors of the Cross!

Heavenly Father, we ask that You grant Your church boldness to stand for the Name of Jesus, courage to speak up for truth and morality, and prophetic clarity to lead; to be the head and not the tail!

Lord Jesus, fill Your Bride with a passion for holiness and consecrated living.

Remove far from our hearts any spirit of judgment, condemnation or self-righteousness, let us live in the light of eternity, the glorious hope of salvation with a heavy burden for the lost and the hopeless.

Bless President Donald Trump with an increasing sense of discernment, wisdom and discretion. May Your Word become his anchor and Your Presence his strength.

Bless Vice President Mike Pence and the entire cabinet and their families.

Lord, we ask you to protect Associate Justice Brett Kavanagh, his wife and daughters from any plan of the enemy to discourage, destroy, defeat or diminish.

We pray all of this in the Name at which every knee shall bow, the Name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.”

Please continue to pray for our state and nation in the days ahead of the next election. (1 Timothy 2:1-2)

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Please join us at the Illinois capital to pray for wisdom for our leaders, God’s mercy for our state and another Great Awakening.

The time to pray is now. Please join us!

Click here to view event flyer

Four hundred – that’s the approximate number of human lives ended by abortion each month at the Planned Parenthood clinic in Aurora. If the local animal shelter euthanized 200 dogs and cats each month, that would be sad. The fact that this huge Planned Parenthood abortion mill kills close to 400 babies each month is an abomination of epic proportion which demands our attention.

Please take two minutes to watch this short video appeal from the prayer warriors leading the prayer vigil efforts at this location:

The 40 Days For Life campaign gives pro-life men and women the opportunity to make an impact locally through a 40-day, around-the-clock, peaceful vigil of prayer and presence. Please share this video with your pastor, church leaders, small group members, family, and friends. We need every believer to come to Aurora for an hour or two and take a stand for the sanctity of life!

Take ACTION: For more information and to sign up to participate, please click HERE.

More ACTION: Please ask your pastor and/or church leadership to make this bulletin insert available to attendees to help build awareness of this important campaign.

Dear Pastors and Prayer Warriors,

In conjunction with FRC’s Watchmen on the Wall, Illinois Family Institute is hosting a prayer gathering on September 17th, in Springfield, to pray for our state and nation. The fact that this is an election year only accentuates the urgency of such a gathering.

The prophet Jeremiah told the people of God in Babylon to “seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” (Jeremiah 29:4-7)

The Apostle Paul exhorts us 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. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior…” (1 Timothy 2:1-3)

Although Christians may feel as though we are in exile in Illinois, and feel as strangers in this wicked culture, our eyes must remained focused on the prize of our ultimate citizenship in heaven. Nevertheless, we have responsibilities in this temporal life and are commanded to love our neighbors as ourselves. As the people of God, we are to seek what is best for our state and nation. Lives that are filled with peace and quiet (as opposed to chaos and strife), are blessings for all.

We can read the local newspaper, turn on cable news or scroll through our social media news-feed right now and see how divided our nation is in so many ways. Violence, sexual anarchy, idolatry, heresies, treachery, animosity, discord and disunity abound. We are constantly contending with issues that are causing people to drift away from God and embrace the works of the flesh — destroying the foundation of our nation. This drift has been going on for years, but over the past decade it seems to have gained speed.

In response to all this, it’s important that the people of God intentionally set aside time to cry out to Him — privately and corporately. At this meeting, we will gather as Christians from across the state not only to pray for the spiritual and moral healing of our nation, but also for God’s hand of guidance and blessing on our president, governor, mayors and all those in government leadership who are in positions to make change happen.

Proverbs 21:1 tells us that the heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord. He can turn it however He wants. If we truly believe this, we need to pray.

Please join us as we gather in Jesus name to pray to our Holy Heavenly Father:

Monday, Sept. 17, 2018
10 AM – Noon
Howlett Building Auditorium
501 S. Second St
Springfield, IL
(just south of the Capitol)

Click here to view event flyer

There is no other more beautiful, simple thing we can do for our neighbors than pray. We are going to talk to God. We are going to ask Him to move in us, in our churches, in our communities, and in our state and nation. Please join us if you are able.

Blessings,

David E. Smith
Executive Director

Written by Pastor Ceasar LeFlore

The city of Chicago continues to experience persistent violence and crippling needs. As followers of Jesus, we acknowledge the urgency to prayerfully engage our region together with the love of Christ and to stand for peace and transformation in our local communities.

On Saturday, July 14​^th​, we are calling 40,000 Christians to come together across Chicago in united prayer to see an end to violence, healing for our city and region, and continued community transformation through the love of Jesus. This is another part of the ongoing faith-based movement of prayer, faithful presence in neighborhoods, and civic engagement by the Church—committed to building blocks for peace and making safer, healthier communities throughout Chicago.

Full details & promotional media available at ​www.handsacrosschicago.com

PRO-LIFERS,

AS PART OF THIS GREAT EVENT WE WILL PRAY FOR AN END TO THE VIOLENCE OF ABORTION IN FRONT OF PLANNED PARENTHOOD ON 112^TH & HALSTED.

JOIN US!

Written by Daniel Horowitz

In case you thought that the potential to flip Justice Kennedy’s seat alone will bring us back to the constitutional promised land, think again. So long as the lower courts are not restrained, we will never return to the Constitution and the principles of the Declaration of Independence.

There is nothing more radical than a lower court granting standing to random plaintiffs to sue against non-coerced public prayer in county government meetings, prayers that have been going on since our founding. Yet a district judge in 2015 and the en banc decision of the radical Fourth Circuit in 2017 barred Rowan County, North Carolina, from opening council sessions with a prayer, similar to what our federal Congress does every day. [Last week], the U.S. Supreme Court refused to grant certiorari to the appeal from Rowan County, despite three years of being under a tyranny that the judges know is unconstitutional.

We shouldn’t even need to get into court precedent to understand our heritage and the true meaning of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. But just four years ago, in Town of Greece v. Galloway, Justice Kennedy wrote for the majority that as long as the prayer “comports with our tradition and does not coerce participation by nonadherents,” there is no room for judicial intervention. “To hold that invocations must be non-sectarian would force the legislatures sponsoring prayers and the courts deciding these cases to act as supervisors and censors of religious speech,” Kennedy wrote in the 2014 case.

The Fourth Circuit rejected precedent because this prayer, in the court’s estimation, was tantamount to coercion because it makes non-religious attendees feel like “outsiders” and “the overall atmosphere was coercive, requiring them to participate so they ‘would not stand out.’” (More on that case and how contrary it is to our founding here.)

For the U.S. Supreme Court not to take the appeal is egregious, especially given that the Sixth Circuit recently ruled the other way, triggering a circuit split. Justice Thomas, as has become his tradition recently, dissented from the decision to deny cert. Thomas noted, “The Fourth Circuit’s decision is both unfaithful to our precedents and ahistorical” and observed, “For as long as this country has had legislative prayer, legislators have led it.” Gorsuch joined the dissent.

There are a number of important observations to be made here in light of the U.S. Supreme Court vacancy, calling into question our ability to change the direction of the judiciary absent broader reforms:

• Aside from the contorted construction of the First Amendment inherent in this ruling, the courts are continuing to grant standing to random plaintiffs (as straw men for the ACLU) who have no justiciable injury-in-fact other than that their sensibilities are offended. The notion that you can even take such a policy to court is absurd and has grown the power of the courts to that of a legislature rather than an individualized adjudicative body. So long as the Left can lodge hundreds of frivolous lawsuits on important abstract policies every day and have the most liberal districts and circuits uphold them, the shift on the U.S. Supreme Court will not bring much relief. The ACLU and its offshoot organizations essentially have unlimited power so long as the U.S. Supreme Court doesn’t change its policies and more aggressively police the lower courts.

• The fact that Roberts knows there will be a more conservative fifth justice added to this wing of the court in the fall and still refused to take up the case is all the more disturbing and demonstrates that we cannot rely on him to overturn these insane lower court rulings expeditiously.

• There is no such thing as a conservative win at the U.S. Supreme Court. Lower court justices will always find hairs to split in any case that is not 100 percent identical and completely ignore precedent, something conservative lower court judges will never do in defiance of liberal U.S. Supreme Court opinions. This is why just hours after the high court affirmed the president’s full power to place conditions on entry, a California judge said that the president must find every single family entering illegally and unite them within 30 days. In another ludicrous ruling on immigration, a New York federal judge said yesterday that the Trump administration cannot promulgate a rule requiring the director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement to personally sign off on the release of illegal immigrant child detainees. Yes, we have no sovereignty, and the president has no powers to even establish some oversight before swamping the country with foreign nationals, who flood into our schools and communities and who often join MS-13. Chief Justice Roberts said that there are no limits to the president’s power to regulate entry into the country, but that will not stop lower courts from granting standing to illegal aliens to sue against every minute piece of policy.

This is all to say that unless the lower courts are dealt with, we will continue to suffer increasingly at the hands of the lower courts even as the membership on the U.S. Supreme Court officially gets better. The bottom line is: We don’t have five Clarence Thomases and will not get them any time soon.

It is incumbent upon conservatives in Congress to create a movement to reorient the power of the lower courts. Rather than the default being that any random court can shut down our heritage and system of governance for years until the U.S. Supreme Court grants relief – if ever – the injunction should automatically be placed on hold until and unless the U.S. Supreme Court takes up the case and affirms the ruling. Granting a congressional-created court supremacy power over the other branches of government is a case of the inmates running the asylum. If the U.S. Supreme Court refuses to act supreme to its own underlings, then why should we respect its supposed “supremacism” over the rest of us?

This article was originally published at ConservativeReview.com

A survey conducted online between June 5-9, 2017 by the Barna group poll shows that many Americans still rely on prayer as a means to communicate with God. The study shows that prayer is the most common faith practice among adults with 79 percent of the population engaging in prayer at least once in the past three months.

Here are some of the interesting things the study found:

Eighty-two percent of praying adults most often pray silently and by themselves. 13 percent pray audibly by themselves. And 2% pray audibly with another person or group or collectively with a church.

When asked what the content of their prayers were, 62 percent listed gratitude and thanksgiving, 61% listed the needs of family and community, 49 percent listed personal guidance in crisis, 47 percent for health and wellness, 43 percent for confession and forgiveness or things they suddenly felt the urge to pray about, 41 percent for safety in daily tasks or travel, 37 percent for a sense of peace and blessings for meals, 34 percent for specific requests from others, 24 percent about concerns in our nation or government, 20 percent about concerns over global problems or injustices, 12 percent about their sleep, and 8 percent reciting Scripture, meditations, or liturgies.

Elders are 30 percent more likely to pray for health and wellness than 38 percent of millennials, who reported doing so. Lower income earners, 52 percent (under $50,000) also pray this type of prayer more often than higher income earners, 42 percent (over $100,000). Those living in rural areas as opposed to more urban locations are more likely to pray for health, perhaps because access to medical services and gyms and health centers are not as easily accessible.

Thirty-seven percent of prayers are for a sense of peace. Those with children under the age of eighteen are more likely to pray for a sense of peace, likely because raising children can feel rather chaotic at times. People who live in big cities are also more prone to pray this prayer (43 percent) over those who live in small, rural areas (29 percent).

Elders are more likely than their younger millennial counterparts to cover prayer requests from others. 27 percent of millennials said they actually follow through with praying for specific prayer requests from others, while 47 percent of elders said they cover requests from others.

Twenty-four percent of paying adults make it a point to pray about their concerns for the nation or government. When it comes to global problems or concerns, only 20 percent, or 1 in every 5 Americans pray specifically for these issues.

Millennials and parents with children under the age of 18 are most likely (both at 19 percent) to pray for sleep. Just 1 percent of elders are likely to pray for sleep, and 9 percent of adults with no children under the age of 18 pray for sleep.

Women are more likely than men to cover each category listed in the survey. Evangelicals are also most likely to be praying actively about each category. Evangelicals are especially prevalent to pray for the needs of their families and communities (89 percent), gratitude and thanksgiving (69 percent), and confession and forgiveness (77^ percent).

Though 89 percent of those surveyed direct their prayers to God, this does not mean that they are all praying to the same god – some do not even pray to a diety. No specific definition for God was given in the survey so the widespread meaning of the word usage could be very broad. “For instance,” the survey notes, “Only half of praying adults (50 percent) pray to Jesus, and less than one-quarter (23 percent) pray to the Holy Spirit.” 28 percent of those surveyed claimed to have no faith whatsoever.

Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”

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America is not like most other nations around the world. We have a different history and heritage. America is a nation that was founded on prayer. That is something we should not forget during this election year.

A History of Prayer in America

In December of 1621, Gov. William Bradford and the Pilgrims in Massachusetts called for a day of thanksgiving and prayer to Almighty God for His provision and protection.

During the Revolutionary War, Congress issued a total of 15 official proclamations, calling for times of fasting and prayer.

On the celebration of the first national Thanksgiving Day, President George Washington declared:

“Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor. . . Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November [1789] . . . that we may all unite to render unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection.”

The most visible signer of the Declaration of Independence, Gov. John Hancock, proclaimed in 1790:

“[I] appoint . . . a day of public thanksgiving and praise . . . to render to God the tribute of praise for His unmerited goodness towards us . . . [by giving to] us . . . the Holy Scriptures which are able to enlighten and make us wise to eternal salvation. And [to] present our supplications…that He would forgive our manifold sins and . . . cause the benign religion of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to be known, understood, and practiced among all the inhabitants of the earth.”

In an appeal for prayer, Benjamin Franklin said to his colleagues in the Continental Congress:

“All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of superintending providence in our favor. To that kind providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And have we now forgotten that powerful friend? Or do we imagine that we no longer need his assistance? I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth-that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the Ground without his Notice, is it probable that an Empire can rise without his Aid?”

All throughout the history of our nation, our leaders have called for prayer to Almighty God.

It’s Time to Seek the Lord

In this election year, many people are expressing fear and anger. Both of these emotions come from a similar place. Things feel out of control. Our future seems uncertain. People are desperate for something that can stop the freefall our nation seems to be in.

The fact is, our greatest problems in America all have moral and spiritual roots. We cannot, as a nation, turn our back on God, and pretend that we don’t need Him, and then expect His blessings.

Ronald Reagan’s words at the 1982 National Prayer Breakfast ring so true:

“I also believe this blessed land was set apart in a very special way, a country created by men and women who came here not in search of gold, but in search of God. They would be free people, living under the law with faith in their Maker and their future. Sometimes, it seems we’ve strayed from that noble beginning, from our conviction that standards of right and wrong do exist and must be lived up to. God, the source of our knowledge, has been expelled from the classroom. He gives us His greatest blessing, life, and yet many would condone the taking of innocent life. We expect Him to protect us in a crisis, but turn away from Him too often in our day-to-day living. I wonder if He isn’t waiting for us to wake up.”

I believe now is the time for us as Americans to wake up, and hear the call for repentance and humility. Rather than the anger and arrogance that has typified much of this election season, let’s approach our Maker with bended knee, and seek His mercy and pardon for our wayward hearts. Only then can we expect the needed rebuilding and restoration of our country to begin.

“Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me,
and I will hear you. You will seek Me and find Me,
when you seek Me with all your heart.
I will be found by you, declares the LORD.”
~Jeremiah 29:12-14a

Written by Pastor David W. Jones

The most common nickname for Chicago is The Windy City.  I used to think it referred to the weather.  But Chicago is not even in the top one hundred cities for wind velocity.  The nickname actually derives from gasbag politicians.  Chicago has a long history of hosting political conventions—infamous for interminable speeches.

Politicians are not the only ones tempted to gasbag.  Those of us who pray can likewise be tempted, especially those who pray in public.  Someone calls on us to pray, and we panic.  In our nervousness, we start spewing out anything that sounds remotely spiritual.  We fall into the trap of thinking God will more readily hear a longer or more eloquent prayer.

Christians can have unrealistic expectations about prayer.  We hear that Martin Luther prayed three hours every morning.  Rather than being inspired, we get depressed.  But prayer need not be long in order to be effective.  Pithy, Spirit-led prayers can accomplish much.

Look at what Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount:

And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.  Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him (Matthew 6:7-8 ESV).

Ancient pagans thought of the gods as capricious and disinterested in human affairs.  So pagans would recite magical incantations, believing that if they could only utter the right words in the right order, then their god would be compelled to act.  It was a transactional approach to prayer.  The human being gave honor, money and sacrifice, while the god gave peace, prosperity and protection.  Quid pro quo.

The God of the Bible is not like that (v.8).  He is omniscient (1 John 3:20), possessing exhaustive knowledge of both past and future (Isaiah 46:9-10).  He knows everything about us (Hebrews 4:13), even the number of hairs on our head (Matthew 10:30)!  And he cares.

The question naturally arises: “If God already knows everything, why pray?”  Jesus was not troubled by this, for the next phrase is a command to pray (v.9).  Prayer is not manipulation—getting God to do what we want.  Prayer shows dependence on God.  Prayer acknowledges that we are finite beings, in need of someone bigger than us to provide for us and protect us.  Prayer also affords us the opportunity to be involved in God’s work in the world.

Jesus modeled concise prayer.  Look at v.9:

Pray then like this: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.  Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (Matthew 6:9-13 ESV).

What is noteworthy about this prayer is its brevity: an address; three God-centered petitions; and three man-centered petitions.  Just fifty-seven words in Greek.  Nearly half of them (26) are monosyllabic, with another 16 having just two syllables.  It takes fifteen seconds to pray aloud.  Fifteen seconds!  Who does not have fifteen seconds to pray?  So Jesus instructs us to get “leaner and meaner” when it comes to prayer.

I got a lesson in this several years ago.  Our family needed another car, but we could not afford one at the time.  So I uttered a simple prayer, “Lord, please give us a car.”  A mere heart sound.  A few hours later, a friend drops by our home and declares, “I’m getting a new car.  By any chance, could you use the old one?”  It was seven years old with less than 100,000 miles.  The best part?  It was free.  My friend had no idea about my prayer or even about our need.  God prompted him to think of us.  God answered a six-word prayer.

Please do not mishear me.  There is nothing wrong with long prayers per se.  Jesus himself prayed through the night on at least one occasion (Luke 6:12).  But note that he did so privately.  My hope is not that you would pray less, but rather more.  Having too lofty of a goal can discourage us from doing anything.  So let’s keep our prayers short and to-the point, and pray more frequently, especially in this tumultuous election season.  When we see something in society that grieves us or makes our blood boil or causes fear, take those concerns directly to the heavenly Father.  He is faithful to hear us and to respond.

But resist the temptation to be loquacious.  As someone has said, “Never use a gallon of words to express a spoonful of thought.”

David W. Jones is Senior Pastor of the Village Church of Barrington.  Before that, he trained pastors in Kenya, served as the Associate Editor of the English Standard Version, and was a member the pastoral staff at Harvest Bible Chapel.  David has a passion for mentoring younger pastors, especially church planters.

Written by John Kristof

Our country has never been so parched for prayer, yet we never have found praying harder.

Prayer is too hard for us, so our country withers.

Our culture’s health intertwines with our prayers, and both contribute to the other’s success.  We conservative Christians are quick to point our fingers at our public school system for discouraging prayer, but how many of us pray for our schools?  We complain about the decline of church leadership in the public square, but who is praying for their leaders’ humility and wisdom?

For the sake of clarity, I do not wish to suggest prayers—or the lack thereof—causes whatever happens in the public square.  God rules the nations (Psalm 22:28, 47:8, Job 12:23), which includes the United States.  No decisions made by voters, church leaders, or elected officials surprise God, nor do they deter him from accomplishing his ultimate mission, the reconciliation between God and man (Romans 5:10, 2 Corinthians 5:18-19, Ephesians 2:16, Colossians 1:20). God delegates responsibilities to his Church, however, and those with integrity and obedience answer his call.

How does God expect the Church to affect the world?  Throughout Scripture, we see God expects us to, among other things, pray.  For Jesus and his disciples, the need for prayer was so self-evident that Jesus focused on instructing them on how believers should pray.  At Gethsemane, though he prophesied the disciples would abandon him (Matthew 26:31), he begged them to “watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation” (Matthew 26:41). One of the Apostle Paul’s shortest charges is to “pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), suggesting that we should never hesitate to speak to God, nor should we ever cease heeding words he has for us.

Why is prayer so important to a sovereign God?  This is a deeply theological question, but what’s important for believers to grasp is found in James 5:16—“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”  Perhaps the greatest example of the power of prayer took place during the birth of the Church.

Just before his ascension, Jesus instructed his disciples to remain in Jerusalem for a time.  We read that the disciples, Jesus’ biological family, and some unnamed women constantly prayed together in a house just outside the city.  Although we don’t know everything they were praying about, it’s fair to assume they were fervently praying for God’s Spirit.  At the Last Supper, when Jesus is explaining to his disciples that he must leave them, he promises to send his followers the Spirit, who will be with them forever (John 14:16, 16:7).  He reiterates this promise just before his ascension, so the coming of the Spirit of God is fresh in the disciples’ minds.  “Jesus is gone, Lord,” I can imagine them praying. “We need your Spirit!”

According to Acts 2, the believers were still gathering together the morning of Pentecost.  At that time, they were “filled with the Holy Spirit,” just as Jesus promised.  As pilgrims to Jerusalem (which were many at this time in the Jewish calendar) began to gather around the commotion, every person was able to hear Peter preach the Word of God, no matter their native tongue.  The Gospel so moved the crowd that three thousand of them believed and were baptized.

How’s that for a revival service?

Indeed, this is the kind of growth Christians today wish to see in America.  In a sense, we work hard for a revival.  We hold conferences and special revival services, we send our children to church camp, we vote for officials who seem to hold Judeo-Christian values. In no way do I intend to denigrate these choices; in fact, I think they are almost always good things.  But I tell the story of the Church’s birth to convey a point vital to the Church’s mission: prayer precedes revival.  

Like the rest of you, I wish to see our culture turn its face toward Truth, to see society adopt a moral code that extends farther than personal desire, to be led by people who genuinely seek to serve their subordinates.  You and I want our fellow Americans to have the same relationship with God that we strive for, but we also understand that achieving such a revival is far beyond our capabilities.  We want to see God work in our culture.  But, as musician NF reminds us, “It’s hard to answer prayers when nobody’s praying to you.”

I therefore call upon the Church to pray.

John Kristof is an intern at the Illinois Family Institute who currently studies economics, humanities, political science, and business administration at Indiana Wesleyan University.  He occasionally blogs and tweets.

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There’s an enormous misunderstanding regarding the U.S. Constitution as it relates to religion and it’s causing all sorts of trouble for folks that just want to pray. The misunderstanding is being intentionally propagated by an atheist group that wants to ban religious expression in public.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) has a notion that government and religion are mutually exclusive. Their mission is “to protect the constitutional principle of separation between church and state.”

The problem here is that there is no such “constitutional principle.”

Nowhere in the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, or the Declaration of Independence is there a word about keeping religion out of public life; or the so-called “separation of church and state.” In fact, what the U.S. Constitution does say is that the government has no authority to make any laws pertaining to the free exercise and expression of religion.

But that doesn’t stop this atheist group from demanding that coaches not take part in team prayers.

One of the latest cases comes from the western suburbs where a high school football coach is under fire for simply being present with his players during team prayers. (Click here to read the local article.)

The complaint came after a picture of the Naperville Central High School football team, including the coaches, was sent to the FFRF. They sent a letter to the school district demanding the action cease immediately.

Now, first of all, I want to know why the school district didn’t tell the FFRF to take a hike. The FFRF has no legal power and very little influence. In fact, when schools or other groups stand up to the FFRF they tend to back down and slink back into the shadows. So I can’t help but wonder why the school district didn’t simply dismiss the letter. I will applaud their response though, in letting the FFRF know that what takes place is voluntary and student led, and does not force anyone to participate. In other words, it’s none of their business.

But let’s consider the larger issue here.

Are we really ready to concede that school employees have no religious freedom? Just because someone works for a school doesn’t mean their religious rights are thrown out the window. I’m not suggesting that teachers or coaches can demand their class or athletes attend a Bible study, but the idea that they can’t attend a student led prayer is absurd.

The FFRF says that school employees taking part in a student led prayer is the government supporting religion and a form of coercion. Such a notion is so preposterous it almost doesn’t deserve a response. By the way, why doesn’t the FFRF get upset and send angry letters when our president mentions God or tells Americans to pray? That’s odd.

This shows that the FFRF doesn’t know the history of our country and the intentions of our Founders. History is rife with what our Founders thought of the Bible and faith. Not only were they themselves Christians, but they worked tirelessly to create a country where faith was not relegated to a Sunday ritual but was integrated into every facet of daily life. (Click here to read quotes from our Founders regarding faith.) The idea that public prayer by school employees would be considered wrong would be foreign to them.

In an update to this ongoing story I was impressed to read the statement released by the football team. In response to the attack from the FFRF they wrote:

“The players will continue this tradition of praying before our games, and would like to extend an invitation to all members of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, to come out next fall and watch us pray and play the game we love…We, as a football team and a family, give Coach Stine our full support…[Coach Michael Stine] “is the best coach in the state, and cares about each and every one of us more than any other coach cares about his players.”

That sounds like a well-reasoned, mature response from a group of athletes that have a great deal of respect for their coach. The response of the FFRF to the football team’s statement sounds like a spoiled-child that couldn’t bully someone to get their way. They said of the football team’s statement:

“It’s not the fault of these students that they do not understand the legal principle being violated when a coach leads, encourages or participates in prayer with student players.”

The FFRF appears to think the football team is too dumb to understand what’s going on. I think they understand perfectly. I think what is going on before and after games reflects the heart of this community and that both students and parents are supportive. And what the FFRF is unwilling to recognize is that a majority of people in America are supportive of moments of silence and even prayers before and after sporting events. They understand these voluntary exercises of religious freedom as being necessary and healthy.

What this really comes down to is the FFRF’s contempt for Christianity and wanting to impose their “religion” of secularism on our society.

Jesus said, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.” John 15:18

They hate the One to whom we pray. They don’t want to see any Christian religious expression in public places or as part of anything associated with the government. But they are perfectly content to allow and support expressions of atheism. This hypocrisy is contemptible because atheism itself is a religion with tenets as any other religion.

There is no “constitutional principle” that gives them the right to impose their religion of atheism while Christianity is banned.

The FFRF doesn’t like anything religious. As secular humanists they believe that this world is all there is. So they are happy to help develop someone physically and mentally. But when it comes to spiritual development they see that as a waste of time. And they think a coach that cares enough to develop his players physically, mentally, and spiritually is misusing his position.

I’m reminded of a high profile coach that was targeted by the FFRF for his voluntary spiritual development activities. Mark Richt, the famed coach of the Georgia Bulldogs (now with the Miami Hurricanes) made it clear that he and his staff care about every aspect of their players, including their spiritual well-being. When he was attacked by the FFRF he responded:

“I think we’re made of our body, we’re made of our mind, we’re made of spirit. We work hard on our bodies as far as getting them in shape. We’re working on schemes, plays, lifting, running, nutrition, sleep. When we work on the mind, we care very much about them getting their degrees, tutoring, academic appointments, classes and all, meetings. All those things are mandatory. But anything that has to do with growing spiritually, which I encourage our guys to grow spiritually, I believe our spirit is going to live beyond our body. I encourage them to grow spiritually but I don’t tell them what to believe in. Everything we do is strictly voluntary in that regard.”

Coach Richt and Coach Stine represent what the Founders envisioned of America. A place where people could freely take part in spiritual development and expressions of their religious beliefs without coercion. That includes the right to abstain from such expressions as well. The support that both of these coaches have been given shows that Americans continue to see value in such voluntary expressions. Those who disagree should exercise tolerance and be reminded that the Constitution ensures the government can make no law prohibiting the free exercise of religion.

Take ACTION:  If you know anyone who goes to this Naperville high school (teacher or student) who would like to challenge this feckless mandate, please contact us by email at contactus@illinoisfamily.org.

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