A Time to Pray

As summer fades into fall this month, we are once again reminded that times and seasons do change – whether we want them to or not!  It was Solomon who penned the words, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens…. a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal….”

While I am not ready to let loose of these warmer summer temperatures just yet, I really have no choice but to prepare my mind and my closet for cooler weather.  It is a time of seasonal change, of which I cannot control.

Jeremy Kiner

As I look around my world and my community, I also see changes that I cannot control.  Over the past few months, my newsfeeds have overflowed with stories of racial injustice, police brutality, marriage equality, gender transitioning, and political striving of all sorts.  Just weeks ago, we witnessed the Dow Jones plummet by a historic 1,000 point drop amidst global fears of China’s economic slowdown.  In Kentucky, we are watching an epic battle over religious freedom play out involving county clerk, Kim Davis.  And in Syria right now, there are 250 Christian captives who are being ordered by ISIS to recant their faith in Jesus Christ or die.

Changing times have a way of shifting our focus and even dictating to us what our priorities and attitudes should be about certain things.  For example, on September 11, 2001, our country was attacked by evil and nearly 3,000 people lost their lives.  Right before our eyes, the times radically changed. Suddenly our focus and priority was not on trivial matters any more, but on national security.

I know I need not remind any of you, pastors and lay leaders, of the time that we live in today – a time of upheaval and confusion, a time of uncertainty and fear – but it’s during these crucial moments in human history that we must recognize, and remind each other, that, above all else, it is a time to pray.

Today, I am making an urgent plea to every pastor and church in the Parma and surrounding area to pray more fervently for our world, for our country, and specifically for our communities: Parma, Parma Heights, and Seven Hills.

Pray for our businesses.  Pray for our schools.  Pray for our City Halls.  Pray for the other churches.  Pray for the family institution.  Pray for an awakening within the Church.  We need God and we need to hear from God.

There has never in history been a great movement of God that wasn’t preceded by extraordinary prayer.  We know from stories like Hezekiah, Moses, Joshua, David, Hannah, and Paul that God responds to prayer and that prayer changes things.

Starting this month, I have committed to holding weekly prayer meetings at one of our local churches.  This will occur every Tuesday evening.  I wonder if you would join with me in this effort by holding prayer services at your churches, as well.  I believe that through a groundswell of unified prayer all over our community, we will see radical transformation within our churches and throughout our entire community.

The time is now for us to come together before God in clear agreement and fervent prayer.  As Nehemiah instructed watchmen to stand guard on the walls of the city, both day and night, does it not behoove us to be equally vigilant to stand at our posts, covering our community with perpetual prayer?  Lord, stir our hearts, awaken us, and teach us to pray powerfully and effectively, in the Spirit and according to Your will.

James 5:16  “….The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.“

1 Timothy 2:1-4  “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”