Warriors Praying for our Nation: TCLEM Newsletter for the week of May 9th

Brothers & Sisters “of the Sword:”

Hope everyone took time out to spend time with (if close) and/or call our respective mothers on Mother’s Day. While I’m at it, “Love ya, Mom!”

Updated MEETING SCHEDULE:

-- Thursday, May 13, 2010 -- Calvary South Denver (www.calvarycsd.org for directions), 1900 hours, Room #6. Retired DPD officer, chaplain and pastor Manny Hays will be our guest speaker (see below for details).

-- Thursday, May 20, 2010 -- same time/place as noted above. Noted outlaw motorcycle gang (OMG) expert and veteran officer Jim Wattles (of History Channel’s Gangland fame) will be our guest speaker. Stay tuned for next week's newsletter for details!

-- Thursday, May 27, 2010 – same time/place as noted above. I hope to back in the game by then.


MESSAGE RECAP:

We had an outstanding time of fellowship, prayer and profession-relevant study of God’s word at last week’s TCLEM meeting. Inasmuch as last Thursday was the National Day of Prayer, the Holy Spirit led me to change my prepared message to one that centered on the subject intercessory prayer. My text came from both Daniel 9 and how it relates to the Lord’s appearance to Solomon in II Chronicles 6 and 7 (and 7:14 in particular). What we see in both passages are men who humbled themselves before the Lord on behalf of their people. God tells Solomon in verse 14 that “if My people, who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

In brief, God is saying that if we will do three things --
(1) be humble (confess)
(2) pray (repent)
(3) turn (come back) to Him.

In turn, He will respond in three ways --
(2) hear
(3) forgive
(4) heal.

Likewise, in the 9th chapter of Daniel, we see a humble, obedient and righteous believer praying for his people (country). The entire chapter is a testimony to the fact that God DOES answer prayer in accordance with His perfect timing and will. That said, what is significant about Daniel and his prayer for the nation? Here are the main points:
(1) Daniel’s prayer was the result of his study of Scripture (he referred to Leviticus 26:40-45 and other passages).
(2) Like Solomon, Daniel confessed and repented of his people’s sins (see Lamentations 1:18).
(3) Daniel fasted and prayed for a period of time (see Matthew 17:21, for example).

James (James 5:16) tells us that “the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” Daniel’s prayer was just that – the effective and fervent prayer of a righteous (in our case, being made right with God through a life-changing, personal relationship with Jesus Christ) man. In fact, II Chronicles 9:23-25 and 36:22-23 clearly reveal that God answered Daniel’s prayer on behalf of his people!

The application for us as Christian officers is straightforward:
(1) Be righteous before our Lord through a right-relationship with His Son.
(2) Pray fervently for our nation, our agencies, our leaders, and those we serve and protect.

Billy Graham’s Prayer for the Nation provides a great conclusion for this important message as it relates to us today:

“Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare... We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem.. We have abused power and called it politics... We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition.. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honoured values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and Set us free.. Amen!”

Are you prepared to pray for our country in the manner of Solomon and Daniel? As believers, God gives each of us the grace to be a modern day "Daniel" every day. Let’s get right and be in the fight -- and watch what God will do!


MESSAGE PREVIEW:

Pastor Manny Hays (retired Denver PD officer and current DPD chaplain) will be teaching in my stead this week while I’m recovering from surgery. Manny’s topic centers around the challenging and oft misunderstood subject of predestination as detailed in Romans 8:18-39. Did we choose our calling or were we called to our calling? Why did we and why do we endure this present evil? Join us Thursday for the answer!

NATIONAL POLICE WEEK is underway! Hopefully, at least a few of us are in DC adding some “salt and light” (Matthew 5:13-14) to NPW events. For more, see http://www.nationalpoliceweek.com/ for more.


CHRISTIAN OFFICERS IN THE NEWS!

Something positive in the Media for a change! Click on http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_14972172.


TRAINING CORNER:

Denver PD Officer G.T. “Todd” Gentry (author of A Bulletproof Life – see http://www.amazon.com/Bulletproof-Life-G-T-Gentry/dp/1606478168) has posted his latest XFit video at http://www.xfit33ad.com/. Excellent profession-relevant strength and conditioning approach set to a powerful biblical backdrop. Learn and apply!


PRAYER REQUESTS:

I’ve updated the prayer requests right here on our website (see next post below). Please take the time to read the requests and join us in praying for those in need of God’s devine intervention (including me as I go in for surgery tomorrow).


In closing, let’s commit ourselves to fervent prayer, obedience and the study of God’s word as we respond to His calling on our lives to serve and protect.