This is a guest post by my friend Tara Hackney about how God met her in her posture of weakness. Enjoy.
I just wanted my friend to nod her head and agree with my rant about the direction our nation was headed. I was, after all, quite eloquent as I bemoaned my list of grievances: ISIS and other looming terror threats, our egregious national debt, deteriorating race relations, the downward spiral of American morality, and of course the coming election that seemed more like a circus sideshow than anything I could take seriously…
“I mean, can you even imagine the kind of future our children are going to inherit?!”
But she didn’t nod. Instead, she suggested that I be a part of the solution and gave me a challenge: “Why don’t you commit to praying on your knees for our nation every day for 40 days?”
40 Days? There’s no way I could do that!
But, I couldn’t think of one excuse that didn’t sound ridiculous. I was a Christian, after all, and I did believe in the power of prayer. Didn’t I?
In order to save face, I accepted the challenge; but from the first day I knelt to pray, I felt disillusioned. My prayer seemed so small and insignificant when compared to the enormous needs facing our country. Besides, I wasn’t even good at prayer. My mind would often drift to my grocery list or our next playdate and I struggled to find the right words. Praying alone proved to be a heavy burden, and I stumbled under its weight.
Lord, does any of this even matter? Do you even hear what I’m saying to you right now?!
I wanted to give up.
And I almost did give up, but it was there in my posture of weakness that the Lord met me. Late one night about midway through my 40-day commitment, a fresh idea came. What if I was praying alongside other Christians who were also burdened for our great land? What if I could see their prayers and know what God had placed on their hearts? Could I start to pray a little braver, maybe even a little bolder? If my prayer became only a portion of our greater prayer, could I start to believe it could make a difference?
I knew I could. And the dream for a web site where people could pour out their hearts to God on behalf of our nation was born: OneMillionPrayers.org
I shared my idea with friends and they seemed excited to have something tangible they could do for our nation. Many Christians (including myself) seemed to have forgotten that we are intrinsically part of something bigger than ourselves; but, as we began to remember, a fresh boldness took root. No more would we sit idly by and do nothing. We would take to heart the words of Nehemiah, “Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives [and husbands] and your homes.” And we would fight with the powerful and effective weapon of prayer and ask others to join us.
Others like you.
Today, my dream has become a reality and now there is a place where we can pray alongside one another, encouraging each other and pouring out our hearts to God on behalf of our great land. With each post, our prayer for America is growing stronger and more beautiful. Will you join us today by posting your heartfelt prayer for our nation? Go to www.onemillionprayers.org right now to add your prayer to ours! Imagine what God may do in response to one million heartfelt prayers for our nation.
Oh, and the next time you find yourself listening to someone rant about the future of America, instead of nodding, invite them to pray with us, too.
Tara Hackney is an ordinary American who serves an extraordinary God. As she gets to know Him more each day, she’s growing a little braver and a little bolder in her prayers. As a wife and mother of three enthusiastic boys, she often finds herself scrubbing out grass stains, doubling recipes, or driving all over town. In the quiet hours, she enjoys writing and getting sand between her toes.
Sharing is caring. If this post encouraged you, will you share it on Facebook so that it could bless your friends,too? Thanks for helping me to reach more struggling women with encouragement, hope, and grace.
