National Day of Prayer
May 6, 2010
The power of Christians united in prayer is perhaps the most powerful force on earth. For the past 59 years, this power has been the focus of the National Day of Prayer (NDP), which this year falls on May 6th. It is a day when millions of Americans will unite in prayer at thousands of events from coast to coast. The theme for this year is “Prayer for Such a Time as This” and is based on the verse from Nahum 1:7 which states: “The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him.”
The National Day of Prayer is a day that focuses not on differences but on unity, and it seeks to bring together citizens from all backgrounds. Each year, an honorary chairman is selected from among the world’s Christian leaders. William Franklin Graham III is the 2010 National Day of Prayer Task Force Honorary Chairman. Born July 14, 1952, William Graham is the fourth of five children of evangelist Billy Graham and his wife, the late Ruth Bell Graham. Raised in a log home in the Appalachian Mountains outside Asheville, N.C., Franklin now lives in the mountains of Boone, N.C.
For more information on the National Day of Prayer and to see how it is being celebrated across the country, visit the Web site .
Liturgy Lesson for St. Philip and St. James: Willing to Suffer and Die
May 2, 2010
Saints’ days, (such as Saints Philip and James we commemorate today) honor these athletes of God that the Gospel records as those faithful that made themselves available for the Lord to use to establish His Body on Earth—the Church. They were willing to suffer, and in most cases, die, usually in a very unpleasant and painful manner—after they had given up all they had for Jesus. St Philip was the first to leave his life at home to follow the Lord and was eventually hanged for the Faith far from home in Phrygia. St. James remained in Israel, becoming the first Bishop of Jerusalem, and was renowned for his outreach, and did, according to some scholars, assemble the first service liturgies—from which our own services stem today. Although he was also a successful evangelist, local Jews, unhappy with his success, threw him from the Temple pinnacle. St. James survived briefly, only to be clubbed to death after being stoned. Amazingly, however, a new bishop was consecrated immediately—and the ministry continued! It was this unswerving commitment ancient Christians wanted to maintain by assembling at martyrs’ graves on the anniversaries of their deaths. They celebrated the saints’ Godly virtues and called down the Holy Ghost to renew their own commitment and faith. They wanted their lives fired by the Spirit, even if it meant death. So should we, as our fathers did, by the baptism of the Holy Spirit—know Jesus so personally and powerfully that we can’t help being His messengers, even if it means surrendering home, hearth, and even life. Once we are rewired to our Lord’s specification, we can take joy in Him, and know—this world is not our home! Come, then, Holy Ghost—set our lives on fire!
