Cry Out America – September 11. The “other” National Day of Prayer!
Serious times demands solemn prayer. Every great awakening came at a point when the nation was in a moral funk! Churches languished. The culture was corrupt. Gambling and drinking were epidemic. Language and values were shameful. And such trends were so profound, so widely accepted, that political or social reforms were fruitless. Into such environments, God came. Great Awakenings changed the moral and spiritual landscape, reformed values, cleaned up language and social mores’, strengthened families and packed churches.
And they often began with one person! Such a person may be famous now within the ranks of Christendom, but prior to an awakening, they were simple nobodies whose heart burned with a passion that drove them to challenge other believers, call for prayer, and become the spark for an awakening that swept across a nation recalibrating values for twenty years or more.
It was Evan Roberts in Wales. His pastor forbid him to speak to the church and instead invited anyone interested to remain. Only a small group stayed to hear the young man, but they returned the next night, and then again, and within six months the nation of Wales was in the midst of transformation. In the 3rd Great Awakening, a humble layman took a position with a declining church as a missionary to the city. He began a Noon-time prayer meeting. It was a full 30 minutes into the prayer time before others showed up, and then the number was only six. But within a matter of weeks, the whole of New York City was buzzing with prayer. William Seymour had been forbidden the right to sit inside the Bible School classroom with white students. Resisting offense, he humbly listened outside the door. With a heart full of Scripture, he took an assignment as a pastor in Los Angeles, but soon found himself outside again, locked out of his own church. Undaunted, he rented an old livery stable, and began prayer meetings on Azusa Street – the impact of that awakening shook the globe.
Every awakening begins with one person – could you be the one in your area?
Here is what you can do?
1. 1. Pass this note on regarding the Cry Out America effort. Make your friends aware of this national call to prayer.
2. 2. Go to www.awakeningamerica.us and explore the resources available there.
3. 3. Check to see if your county has a coordinator, a leader – if not, sign up or help us find one!
4. 4. Go to FACEBOOK and sign up on the CRY OUT AMERICA OFFICIAL page. Encourage others to join the movement.
5. 5. Begin a prayer meeting for this national prayer effort.
Claude V. King, coauthor of Experiencing God and Fresh Encounter said, “As in the days of Joel, our nation is facing an ecological and economic disaster of historical proportions–the kind we will tell our children and grandchildren about. Our moral condition seems to be growing darker and darker because the light of the gospel of Christ is not shining brightly from the churches to dispel the darkness. These desperate times call for drastic measures. Now is the time for the churches of America to sound an alarm, call a sacred assembly, consecrate the people, and cry out to God for forgiveness, cleansing, mercy. Perhaps He will relent, heal, and once again bless our land. Would you join me as we cry out, America?”
Greatest Need for Cry Out America!
There is still a great need for County Coordinators. Go to www.awakeningamerica.us. On the home page, to the right, you can check your state and county to see if there is a coordinator. If there is not one, sign up!
You can do this! Humble people, gathering with other humble people, on the public steps of their courthouse – to pray. To pray for America. It’s that simple!
Weekly Prayer Guide
(Go to www.awakeningamerica.us, the Heart and Soul Resources tab and obtain these weekly prayer guides.)
Praying through the Heart of the Year for the Soul of Our Nation
Prayer Focus: Improved health among ministers as evidenced by their joy, reduced resignations, healthy, loving relationships within their families, and an increased response among young people called to the ministry (Church)
Week: August 8-14
• Pray that ministers will maintain proper priorities with regard to God, family, and ministry.
• Pray that a spirit of unity, cooperation, and respect will flourish between pastors, church leaders, and congregations.
• Pray for good health among ministers and their families, particularly those with limited incomes or little health insurance.
• Pray that the children of ministers will develop strong, growing relationships with God and their families.
• Pray that ministers and their families will develop strong friendships with other ministers as they face the challenges and loneliness that can accompany ministry.
• Pray that ministers will cultivate strong, God-centered marriages, maintaining purity in thought, action, and relationship with others.
• Pray that an increasing number of children and youth will hear and respond to God’s call to ministry.
P. Douglas Small, Field Director
PO Box 1245; Kannapolis, NC 28082
704-788-9113 or 704-996-5091
Fax: 704-788-9117
NATIONAL OFFICE: 4399 North Ocoee Street
Cleveland, TN 37312-4832
(423) 478-7078
