On the National Day of Prayer, I would like to share something I wrote during our God Save America campaign. I pray it is an encouragement to you both today and into the future as you pray for our nation.

There are hurting people all around us who are constantly searching for fulfillment and satisfaction. They are firmly convinced that the next relationship, financial windfall or personal achievement will provide the elusive fulfillment and satisfaction they are seeking.

If you listen to the media today, you would think this is a new phenomenon that has happened as a result of our fast-moving technological society. Not true. The desperation for fulfillment is as old as the Garden of Eden.

Hurting people are living next door to us. They are in the office down the hall. They are at the gym. They are in our schools and universities. On the outside, they may look like they have it together and are having a great time, but deep down they have an inner longing for fulfillment and the peace of mind that only Jesus can offer.

Jesus reaches out to these people through us. As the church, we are His body and we should be actively sharing the hope we have in Christ with those He has entrusted to us. Not only has He given us the honor of sharing with those next door, He has blessed us abundantly in this country to reach those around the world—some who have never heard the name of Jesus Christ.

The answer to our national crisis and the crises we see around the world is not political. It is spiritual. People need the Savior and they need to hear about Him from His people. When hearts are changed, nations will follow.

I would like you to continue to pray with me that our churches will be lights for Christ to their communities and the nations. We have been entrusted with a great treasure and we must share it.

Thank you for continuing to pray with me for God to save America. You are truly a blessing to many.

In Him,

Michael Youssef, Ph.D.

Our team and partners in Indonesia are hard at work promoting the May revival event.  Not only are they promoting in newspapers and on TV and radio, they are visiting local churches and businesses to promote the May 23-25th revival event Leading The Way is hosting in Jakarta, Indonesia.  Please pray for hearts to be prepared for this invitation. Please also pray local believers will be strong and courageous by stepping out to invite their neighbors and friends who do not know the Lord. 

As you know, Leading The Way broadcasts in many cities around our nation.  One such city is Boston – where Dr. Youssef is heard each afternoon at 5:30 on WEZE – The Word. 

Following yesterday’s terrorist attacks at the Boston Marathon, we reached out to our friends at the station and we are praising God to hear all of the staff of WEZE and their families are safe, but obviously quite shaken.  We asked Pat Ryan, the station manager at WEZE, to share specifically how Leading The Way can pray for Boston and the people most directly impacted. She shared the following:

For our staff, please pray for the strength and courage to get through this trauma, so we may return to the comfort level we had prior to this terror attack.  Although the entire staff and our families are okay, some people feel a sense of alarm, at a heightened level, that we hope will be alleviated by pressing in on our good Lord. 

For the city of Boston, please pray that we as Americans and Bostonians can rise back up with our courage and strength. Pray we will not allow the terrorists to get their way. We must go on and continue the American way of FREEDOM in our lives. Ask God, in His infinite wisdom, to take this evil and make it into something good by winning souls to Christ!

Will you join with us in praying for Pat, her team and their families as they share the Truth of Christ in Boston and for the people of Boston as they rise up in the face of this tragedy?  We also ask you to pray for Leading The Way’s programs to be a light to the people of Boston during these dark days.

Today, Dr. Youssef will be preaching for a second time at the National Church in Kuwait City. Last night, despite a massive sand storm, 800 people gathered to hear the Word of God preached by Dr. Youssef. His message declaring Jesus as the only Way, Truth and Life was well received.

We need your prayers as the sand storm continues today. Please join with us in praying for the Lord to draw every person to the event who He desires to hear His Word.

Dr. Youssef was invited to preach in Kuwait to a combined English and Arabic congregation. It has been more than 30 years since he has taught in Kuwait and is excited to return and see how the Lord is advancing His Kingdom there. This event is open to all Kuwaitis and we hope many will be drawn in to hear the Truth of Christ and will put their trust in Him as Savior and Lord.

On Thursday, April 4th and Friday, April 5th, Dr. Youssef will be preaching the love and Truth of Christ to more than 2,000 people in Kuwait City. Please pray for a the Lord to speak through him to the very point of need of each person in attendance. May the Lord be glorified!

Become our Facebook friend and receive up-to-date information about the event.

Today is Good Friday! It is a holiday in Indonesia, yet most Indonesians don’t fully know why they get this day off. In the world's largest Muslim country, few believe that Jesus died on the cross. Instead, they believe He was taken down and another man died in his place.

Good Friday offers Christians a unique opportunity to share the meaning behind Good Friday with those around them. Pray the Lord speaks through them.  Ask the Lord to help Indonesians understand Jesus died for them and pray churches would welcome all in who are curious about what Good Friday and Easter mean.

Please join us in praying for Christians in Egypt as we receive news of a woman and her children being sentenced to 15 years in prison for converting from Islam to Christianity.

This is a dangerous sign of things to come as the new, Sharia-based constitution limits the practice of Christianity in Egypt because “religious freedom has to be understood within the boundaries of Sharia.”

There are roughly 7 million Christians in Egypt, and they desperately need our prayers as their freedoms are threatened. 

Thank you for joining us in prayer.

 Read this article from Fox News for more: http://fxn.ws/U4WZwk

Please pray for one of our Help The Persecuted recipients. His son has been kidnapped by extremists to put pressure on him. Please pray for God's intervention.

We continue to pray for the people of Newtown, Connecticut today.  We are asking the Lord for His loving comfort, strength, guidance and care. We pray that they would cry out to to the Lord in their anguish and take refuge in Him alone.

Please pray for the staff, partner ministries and viewers of THE KINGDOM SAT.  Specifically, please pray for: 

*   God to guide our selection of on-the-ground follow-up coordinators in North Africa.

*   The recording of Answers in Genesis programming in Arabic in Egypt.

*   Prospective new teaching partners to be featured on THE KINGDOM SAT. 

*   New Arabic teaching programs that will be added to the channel in 2013. May they be effective in leading many to Jesus. 

*   A convert who is fleeing from her husband who is trying to kill her. 

Thank you for joining us in these prayers! 

We just received the following testimonies from Kurdistan listeners in Northern Iraq.  Please take a moment to read these testimonies and pray for strengthening and provision for believers in this area and for our programs to reach even more people with the love and Truth of Christ.

I admire this program very much and I am a regular follower of it. I admire the way the Bible is explained. I wish you much success in communicating the Word to our hearts that are thirsty and in need for someone to explain it and help us understand it.   Iraq

I admit to you that I did not know about Jesus and I did not learn about Him except from you. Life and its problems have kept me from church, but you have become my church. Your program has led me to pray and to know my God. I thank you for this station and especially Leading the Way that is very unique and which enriches my knowledge of the Bible and guides and leads me to read it also day after day.    Iraq

I have received messages of concern for our nation’s future.  As you know, we have been diligent in praying for God’s will to be done and the decision has been made. That does not mean we stop praying. No matter how you feel about the leadership of our country, they are our leaders and we must pray for them.  We must continue to be diligent in praying for a spiritual revival in our nation—truly our greatest need.

One thing I sense in the messages I am receiving is fear. We must guard against this fear because we know “God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7).

Still, the storm is very real and the waves are imposing. Jesus has not left us guessing about what we should do in the face of rough weather. In fact, the disciples encountered a treacherous sea storm detailed for us in Matthew 8. Even though they physically had Jesus with them, they let their circumstances drive them to fear.

The storm set in suddenly. Not only did the disciples face the dangers of the rough waters, but they were surrounded by darkness as well. There were no life jackets. There were no life boats. They felt they were at the mercy of the great storm.

In a panic, they called for Jesus crying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” (Matthew 8:25). As Jesus woke from His sleep, He did not instantly calm the storm. Instead, He asked the disciples, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” (Matthew 8:26). Only after His rebuke did He calm the wind and waves.

Many times, we want God to fix our problems instantly. We want the raging waters around us to cease immediately. Yet, sometimes in the middle of the crashing waves, God has a word for us. He wants to deepen our faith and to encourage growth in Him before He intervenes. He wants us to follow in faith—no matter how dark our circumstances seem.

When Jesus spoke to the disciples, He acknowledged that their fears were great and their faith was little. The relationship between faith and fear is like a seesaw. When one is up, the other is down. So when we allow fear to rise, our faith will decline. But the opposite is true as well. When we increase our faith, our fear will fall.

Jesus wasn’t talking about our saving faith, but our daily living faith. Our saving faith remains constant, but our daily living faith rises and falls according to the strength of our relationship with God. When we are not in constant intimacy with God, the first storm that hits will create fear and panic. When we give God the crumbs of our time and attention, our faith and understanding in Him will weaken.

Faith that conquers fear depends on absolute trust in God. It is the kind of faith that has an open heart to whatever God provides for us. It is a faith that is manifested as an utter dependence on the sovereignty of God. When we live by faith, we know that even when the storm is at its worst, we can trust that God is working out His purposes for us.

When Jesus rebuked the disciples for their lack of faith, He was referring to their failure to trust Him in this practical situation. How often do we trust God with our eternal souls, yet not our daily needs? God wants us to trust Him not only with our salvation, but also with our relationships, our resources, and our futures. He wants to see our professed faith in action. He wants us to put our complete trust in Him for every detail of our lives.

When we walk closely with God and trust Him daily, our faith in Christ will conquer our fears. When we focus on God, fear fades into the background. At the first sign of fear, our plan of action should be seeking God in prayer.

No matter what we face, I will continue to put my full faith and trust in Jesus Christ and will continue to proclaim His Truth here at home and around the world.  He is my salvation and my hope—as He is yours.

We recently received the following testimonies from Vietnam. Please pray for the resources to send even more Navigators to reach those living in remote and impoverished areas with Biblical teaching.  Also, please ask the Lord to bring much fruit from the Navigators we have already sent. We praise Him knowing His Word never returns void!

The sermons motivate me in serving the Lord as I am a young pastor who faces difficulties and challenges in ministry. I wish we could have more Leading The Way Navigators so that deacons or group leaders could have them to learn from them. The Navigators are very good because we can listen to them when it is convenient.    Vietnam

I consider Leading The Way Navigators as my spiritual resource. Thank you for beneficial lessons from Leading The Way.  After listening to the Navigators, I can now share about Jesus when the opportunity arises.     Vietnam

It seems that more people are praying today for our nation than ever before. This week, we believe it is wise to pray for the people of our nation. As believers, we know that true and lasting change will happen in our nation and the world when hearts are changed by the power of Jesus Christ. We are passionate to see Biblical principles upheld in this country, but we must not be overcome by evil—rather we must overcome evil with the good of the Gospel.

Our mission at Leading The Way is to stand for Biblical Truth—reaching the lost and equipping the saints. This does not cease to be our mission during an election year. We are calling for prayer for our nation because we are incapable of making truly wise decisions without the insight and direction of the Holy Spirit of God. He is the only one who sees the beginning and the end. He is the one who changes hearts and minds toward His Truth and purposes.

This week, please join us as we pray that God would turn all hearts—of elected officials, candidates, and the general population—to Him today.

This is a critical moment for our nation's future. You are doing exactly what should be done at any critical moment—falling on your face before the Lord, asking Him for wisdom and insight. We are electing our nation's leaders, a task that should never be done without seeking His guidance.

Elections are difficult because no candidate ever aligns perfectly with our personal and religious convictions. However, that does not mean that we vote based on how we feel about a person. Rather, we must make an honest assessment of the candidates based on the important issues at hand in light of Scripture. This assessment must be done prayerfully.

There are several voters' guides available to help summarize the issues for you and the candidates' positions on the issues. This site offers links to national and state Christian Voter's Guides for your use when researching and prayerfully considering your options.

This week, may we also pray for all of the candidates running for office—for the Lord to open their hearts and minds to the Truth of His Word.

As we pray for the Lord to guide us in choosing godly leadership for our land, may this video on the impact of prayer in determining the future of a nation be an encouragement to you. 

Thank you for continuing to join with us in prayer for America. Powerful and effective prayers of thanksgiving, repentance and restoration have already been lifted up to the Lord through God Save America. This month, we will focus our prayers to God on godly leadership in our homes, workplaces and governments.

Romans 13 declares that God establishes governments and that He appoints government leaders as His servants, for His purposes. This month, join us in praying for God's mercy to be upon us as a nation. Ask the Lord for godly leaders to be elected to our government. Pray that He would establish men and women of God to positions of authority—those who will govern by His Spirit and will lead the American people with God's Truth.

Godly leadership is only possible if we know and model the example of our Lord Jesus Christ. When we seek Him and bear His fruit, we will be and raise up godly leaders in our homes, churches, workplaces and governments.

Thank you for continuing to pray with us for God to save America. You are truly a blessing to many.

There are hurting people all around us who are constantly searching for fulfillment and satisfaction. They are firmly convinced that the next relationship, financial windfall or personal achievement will provide the elusive fulfillment and satisfaction that they are seeking.

If you listen to the media today, you would think that this is a new phenomenon that has happened as a result of our fast-moving technological society. Not true. The desperation for fulfillment is as old as the Garden of Eden.

Hurting people are living next door to us. They are in the office down the hall. They are at the gym. They are in our schools and universities. On the outside, they may look like they have it together and are having a great time, but deep down they have an inner longing for fulfillment and the peace of mind that only Jesus can offer.

Jesus reaches out to these people through us. As the church, we are His body and we should be actively sharing the hope we have in Christ with those He has entrusted to us. Not only has He given us the honor of sharing with those next door, He has blessed us abundantly in this country to reach those around the world—some who have never heard the name of Jesus Christ.

The answer to our national crisis and the crises we see around the world is not political. It is spiritual. People need the Savior and they need to hear about Him from His people. When hearts are changed, nations will follow.

This week, we are going to continue praying for our churches. I would like you to join with me in praying that our churches will be lights for Christ to their communities and the nations. We have been entrusted with a great treasure and we must share it.

Thank you for continuing to pray with me for God to save America. You are truly a blessing to many.

In Him,

Michael Youssef, Ph.D.

What a blessing it was to pray for pastors this past week. I hope this is something you will continue to do on a regular basis.  This week, we will continue to pray for pastors, but we will widen the scope of our prayers to include the entire church. 

A primary issue with our culture is how me-centered it has become and how that same mindset has infiltrated the church. This me-centered attitude within the church expresses itself in the following ways:

• Constant criticism of the church – the music, the seating, the programs, the refreshments, the prayers, the Sunday School teachers, the youth minister, etc.
• Church hopping – although there are several Christ-centered churches in the area, none seem to be quite right – there is one for worship, one for preaching, and one for the youth program.
• Enjoying the benefits of church membership without personal sacrifice or responsibility.

Tragically, this me-centered attitude completely misses the point.  The focus of the church should not be self; the focus of the church should be Jesus Christ. He is the foundation of the church. He is the head. He is the center of our love and devotion.  The Church of Jesus Christ is all about Jesus, not our likes and dislikes, not our comfort level, not our personal agendas.

This is not to say personal needs are not important or should not be met. The church is a very real place for our greatest needs to be met. However, there is a genuine way to meet needs and a false way to meet needs. Only in Jesus Christ are our needs genuinely and completely met. When Jesus is the focus and the center, we will be moved to repentance and will be positioned to receive true healing and forgiveness from God. When the church is rightly focused on Christ, broken hearts and lives will be mended. Broken relationships will be restored. True joy will flow into and out of our hearts and lives.

When the focus is correctly placed on Christ, we will long to tell our family, friends, neighbors and co-workers about Jesus Christ – the only source of Living Water.  When the Body of Christ is focused on Christ alone, the surrounding culture will be powerfully impacted.

With this in mind, we must search our hearts and pray about our focus as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ. Are we focused on ourselves or on Christ? If we have become caught up in the culture and are focused on ourselves, may we stop, repent, and receive the forgiveness of God. He will restore us to a right vision of the church. If we have been Christ-focused in the church, may we give thanks and praise to God and ask Him to continue His work in us.

Finally, may our prayer continually be that the church will impact our culture powerfully for Christ as we focus on His Kingdom and His righteousness.

As we pray for the Church in America this month, it is vital that we pray for our pastors. It is with great caution that I address pastors because I know the challenges of ministering firsthand. However, this is the time that we must pray for, encourage and uplift ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

This week, I want you to pray two things for Christian pastors in this nation. First, regardless of the size of their congregations, they cannot effectively minister to their flocks without first spending time ministering to the Lord.

We must pray that our pastors first minister to the Lord through praise, adoration, worship and reflection. Then, they must stop and listen to His voice before ministering to others. When ministering to the Lord is a pastor's priority, the church will be blessed.

The second thing I want you to pray for Christian pastors is of utmost importance. It is that they will stand for the authority of Scripture and the Truth that Jesus is the only Way, the only Truth and the only Life—and no one comes to the Father but by Him! (see John 14:6) I literally weep tears over America today. We have an overriding challenge in America from universalism and pastors are constantly being tempted to compromise and water down the Gospel message just a little bit. This temptation to soften the truth stems from a desire to please people, not rock the boat, or offend anyone.

I pray that my fellow, beloved ministers in the Lord Jesus will remember that God called us to stand firm against the tidal waves of culture. God did not call us to make people happy; He called us to make them holy. God did not call us to be people-pleasers; He called us to exalt Him. God did not call us to follow the crowd; He called us to follow Him and to lead people to Him. God did not call us to be sponges; He called us to be rocks who stand firmly upon the Word of God. God did not call us to compromise; He called us to overcome and to lead people to the Truth. God did not call us to fear; He has called us to courage.

Please join me in praying this week for our pastors to model what it means to be salt and light to a lost and dying world.

Again, thank you in joining me in praying for America.

In Christ,

Michael Youssef, Ph.D.

This month, as we thank God for His forgiveness and restoration, we will lift prayers to the Lord for revival in the church in America and direction, courage and boldness for those churches who are taking a stand for Biblical Truth. May we embrace God's grace, forgiveness and Truth as we pray for:

• Pastors nationwide to preach Biblical Truth without compromise. May they be freed of the fear of man (Psalm 128:1) as they boldly proclaim the Word of God that brings life to the dead and sheds light into the darkness.
• Godly church leadership to seek the will of God diligently in all things and to support His will despite worldly opposition. (Proverbs 3:5-7)
• The Church to have a passion to reach the lost and equip the saints for ministry and mission—in America and around the world. (Matthew 28:18-20)
• The work of the Church to be a tangible expression of Christ to a lost and dying world. (Matthew 5:16)

Thank you for continuing in prayer for America.

Jonathan and Joshua Youssef share how their family, church and the ministry of Leading The Way have been bathed in prayer and how vital that is to the success of any godly institution.

Click here to view this video on Apple devices.

As we enter into the last full week of August, we will continue to call out to God with prayers of repentance. This week, we will offer prayers of national repentance for America's sins including:

• The escalation of widespread immorality, transforming America into a nation where sin is not only tolerated but now legislated and celebrated.
• Since 1973, more than 55 million babies have been aborted in the United States of America. Almost 1 million abortions have been completed this year alone. 
• Removing God from the public square -- including the removal of The Ten Commandments, crosses from public venues, and prayer from public gatherings.

Although we live in challenging times, God can heal our land.

Thank you for joining us as we continue to pray for God to Save America.

Thank you for your prayers for America and for joining us in prayers of personal repentance over the last week.  As believers, we must search our hearts daily and be quick to repent of any offensive way within us.  When we turn away from sin and toward God, we are purified by the blood of Jesus and we have godly fellowship with each other. (see 1 John 1:7)

This week, we continue in this posture of repentance as we pray for a move of the Holy Spirit upon our churches nationwide.  Together, let us ask for a spirit of repentance to fall upon churches that have forsaken the Truth of the Gospel.

Pray that God would open eyes and ears to the grave consequences (see Galatians 1:6-9) of preaching a Gospel other than Jesus Christ as the Way, the Truth, and the Life. (see John 14:6)  Ask the Lord to search your own heart and church body for any lies that are being believed or Truth that is being denied.

God-honoring change that will impact this nation must begin first in our hearts, flow into our churches, and then out into the world.

This month of personal and corporate repentance is vital. Effectual prayer begins with the acknowledgment that we are all sinners saved by grace. We don't intercede for America in a self-righteous manner. We do not pray with an air of superiority or with an attitude of sinlessness. We don't come to God based on our own merits because we have none.

We come to God in prayer as sinners saved by grace. We come to Him as broken people healed by His hand. We come to Him clinging only to the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ and His blood that was shed on the Cross of Calvary.

This week, let us search our own hearts before God – asking Him to reveal any offensive way within us. As He does, may we be quick to repent of the sin and turn to God. The Easton Bible Dictionary defines true repentance as “a change of mind and purpose and life, to which remission of sin is promised.” Through repentance, we receive the mercy of God through Christ.  Thanks be to God!

Evan Roberts knew the rewards of persistent, ongoing prayer. After he became a Christian as a teenager, Evan began praying every day for a national revival in his homeland Wales.  

Evan seemed the least likely candidate to lead the revival though. By age 11, he had dropped out of school to help his father work the coal mines. Later he became a blacksmith’s apprentice. However, in 1904 at age 26 he felt led to ministry and began taking courses again at the grammar school to prepare for seminary.

During this time he experienced a personal spiritual awakening and began to tell others in his church and town about it. Soon, more people wanted to hear about the awakening and joined him in prayer. Evan began to travel to share his message around Wales. After 11 years of daily prayer for a national revival, he was now becoming part of one.

The revival greatly impacted Wales and even spread around the world. An estimated 150,000 souls were saved during the first six months. Wales became a God-fearing nation once more. The pubs were nearly empty. Businesses, factories, and even bars closed for prayer time. Crime decreased to the point that magistrates often came to court with no cases waiting for them. People paid their bills and their debts. Feuds were settled. People had truly changed from the inside out.

Although the public excitement of the revival died down a few years later, many of the people touched by the awakening claimed a fully renewed relationship with Christ that lasted the rest of their lives. The most unlikely people can accomplish great things when they consecrate themselves to praying for revival.

The sad part is that many people seem to think that their prayers don’t matter. Even people who believe in the power of prayer don’t always think of themselves as effective.  However, the Bible is not silent on this point.  It shares the secret of powerful and effective prayers. 

“The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16). A righteous person is a person who is in right-standing with God.  A righteous person has a personal relationship with Jesus as his or her personal Savior.  Righteousness means a person wants what is right according to the Word of God—he or she wants to see God’s Truth and God’s will established on this earth.  Evan Roberts was a righteous man and his prayers for national revival were powerful and effective.

We also see the power and effectiveness of the prayers of a righteous man in the Old Testament prophet Daniel.  His prayers provide a model for us to follow.  First, read his powerful plea to God in Daniel 9:4-19. Now, let’s take a look at the key components of his prayer.

START WITH PRAISE

Daniel began his prayer by praising God. He prayed to “the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands” (Daniel 9:4). He acknowledged God as absolutely righteous, but also merciful and forgiving.  Begin your own prayers with praise and thanksgiving to God.  Praise Him for His glory, His power, His love. Thank Him for His daily provision in your life, your salvation, and your many blessings.  Spend time just adoring God.

CONFESS YOUR SINS

Daniel didn’t try to dismiss, justify, or sidestep the fact that Israel had made a grave error.  Daniel stated up front in his prayer, “We have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws” (Daniel 9:5).  When you go to God in prayer, don’t play the blame game when it comes to your sin.  Acknowledge any element of sin or misdoing—intentional or unintentional—related to the situation or circumstance.

APPEAL FOR MERCY

Daniel appealed to God’s mercy. He said, “O Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn way your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem—For your sake, O Lord, look with favor on our desolate sanctuary. ….We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy” (Daniel 9:16-18). Acknowledge to God that you do not deserve His blessings, but you receive them because He is a merciful and loving God. Humble yourself before God, realizing that your strength and success come from Him alone.

PETITION FOR GOD TO ACT

Daniel very specifically asked the Lord to take action: “O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For your sake, O my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name” (Daniel 9:19). Daniel’s prayer was not selfish in nature, but he prayed for the Lord to show Himself strong so that the Lord might receive glory on this earth. We are to pray that God will act in a way that brings God the greatest glory and in a way that is the most profound witness that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God!

PRAY THE WILL OF GOD

How can you be assured that you are praying for God’s will, and not your own to be done? Immerse yourself in the Word of God. The more you seek to know the mind of God, the more you will begin to understand what He wants for your life. As you pray for specific requests, always check them against Scripture.  You can be sure God’s desires for you will never go against His Word. 

NEVER GIVE UP

As you pray, never lose sight of this truth:  “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up”(Galatians 6:9).  Continue to pray, knowing that at God’s appointed time, a harvest will come.

Thank you for continuing to pray daily for our nation. This month, our prayer focus will be repentance.

As we ask God for mercy to forgive the sins of our nation, we must remember that national repentance flows from personal repentance.  Together, we must humble ourselves, repent, and turn from our wicked ways so that the Lord will hear our prayers and heal our land (see 2 Chronicles 7:14).  Please pray for:

• God to search our hearts to reveal any offensive way within us.  May we be quick to repent of any malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, idolatry and slander within us.   Ask His Spirit to bear His fruit in our lives as His people abide in Him. (see 1 Peter 2:1-3)
• Churches to turn from preaching a Gospel that has been emptied of its power.  Ask the Lord to restore to them the joy of their salvation and a willingness to preach Biblical Truth without compromise. (see 1 Corinthians 1:17-18)
• A spirit of repentance to fall upon our nation. May we ask God’s forgiveness for turning a blind eye as evil is called good and good is called evil.    (see 3 John 1:11)

We live in very challenging times. Yet, we know that God can change the hearts of men and women and the direction of a nation. 

As July comes to a close, we will continue to focus our prayers on thanksgiving and praise to God for the Christian heritage of our country. While many try to downplay our nation's well documented Christian foundation, it is from these roots that America has experienced the extraordinary blessings of God over the past 200 years.

Many of these blessings have been the direct result of the sacrifices of brave men and women who were willing to meet God's call at times of great challenge. Past generations stood up to make a difference when history required it—through trying times and multiple wars.

Our nation's freedom has come at great expense. Many have offered their very lives, so that we could be free. For these sacrifices—which continue to be made every day—we must pause to honor and thank God for these courageous men and women.

This week, we will also pray for families who have lost loved ones in the service of our country. They were willing to put everything on the line so that generations to come would experience life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness—rights endowed to us by our Creator. We are truly the beneficiaries of those who have gone before us.

Please also give thanks and lift up prayers of protection and provision for fellow countrymen and women who are currently defending the cause of freedom around the world.

We should also use our prayer time this week to reflect on what God would have our generation do in light of our unique challenges. The next generation is depending on us.

May God bless you as you pray daily for America and as you embrace the awesome responsibility of being an active participant in our God-given republic.

"They that can give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Benjamin Franklin

Please join with us in praying to the Lord for the people of Aurora, Colorado in the wake of last night's movie theatre shooting. May God comfort all of those who mourn and heal those who have been wounded by this tragedy. 

The July prayer focus for God Save America is praise and thanksgiving to God for the Christian foundation of our nation.

Together, let us give thanksgiving to God for the sacrifice of our Founding Fathers. These men signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776 at great personal risk. Together, they pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to God and each other for the foundation of this nation. The freedoms and blessings that we enjoy as a nation flow from their sacrifices.

Soon after the establishment of our nation, these same men warned of the consequences of removing God as the firm foundation of this nation:

"God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with his wrath? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just: that his justice cannot sleep forever." — Thomas Jefferson (1781)

Let us also give thanks to God for the freedoms we have as Americans. These freedoms include, but are not limited to: the freedom to assemble, the freedom of speech, the freedom of press, and the freedom of religion without interference from the government.

Outlined in the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the Constitution of the United States of America, these freedoms are based upon Christian principles. Our Founding Fathers were granted vision and wisdom from God to create these enduring documents.

If you can, please take some time this week to review the "Charters of Freedom" giving the Lord thanks for guiding our Founding Fathers as they laid the foundation of this great nation.

The Youssef family remembers God's faithfulness in Michael Youssef's journey to America.

Do you have people in your life who only talk to you when they want something? Conversations that revolve around the other person’s needs or demands make it hard to develop true fellowship. These one-sided relationships can lead to us feeling used and manipulated. Yet that is exactly what many of us do to God when we only approach Him in prayer with a need or desire. We give Him our laundry lists of prayer requests without seeking a relationship with Him, spending time praising Him, or thanking Him for our many blessings. We pray for future events without acknowledging His help in the past. Our forgetfulness is an indication of our ingratitude toward God and it renders our prayers ineffective.

Yet none of this shocks God. God knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows we are a forgetful people. He knows our capacity for ingratitude. He knows our capacity for reinventing the truth. He knows our capacity for taking credit for His provision. Throughout the Scriptures we see God reminding His people of His blessings. He often urged them to set up visible memorials of His past provision so they would be filled with prayer and praise. Without these reminders, the people would forget God’s faithfulness.

When God miraculously brought His people out of slavery in Egypt, they quickly succumbed to ingratitude towards God. They grumbled and complained and murmured every time they faced a new challenge, instead of thanking God for His ever-present hand. Their attitude prevented them from entering the Promised Land for 40 years until that grumbling generation had died out in the wilderness.

After God’s people finally reached the Promised Land, God told them to create a monument as a reminder of His supernatural aid in crossing the Jordan River. “When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, ‘Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan from right where the priests stood and to carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight’” (Joshua 4:1-3). Joshua carried out the Lord’s commands and explained to the men that this would “serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord.…These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever” (Joshua 4:6, 7).

God wants to see prayers that are filled with genuine praise and thanksgiving for what He has done in the past. He wants our hearts to be filled with awe and gratitude for His blessings. He wants us to set up memorials in our hearts testifying to the provisions He has given us.

God does not want to be taken for granted. He does not want to be given our lists of wants without any true desire to know Him. We dishonor God when we relegate Him to the role of magic genie. God answers our prayers to strengthen our faith in Him, to help us trust in His Word, to glorify Himself, and to express His love for us. Imagine how He feels when we respond to His grace and love and mercy with indifference and forgetfulness and presumption.

When we face difficult times, we often become blinded by our problems and forget how God has always provided the solutions to our past troubles. God wants to see that His past aid did not go unnoticed or unappreciated. He wants us to come to Him confidently in prayer, gratefully acknowledging His past mercies. After we have spent time in praise and thanksgiving, we can then ask Him to again help us so that our blessings can glorify Him.

As you join with us in praying for America, spend time building a relationship with God. Praise Him for who He is and thank Him for the many blessings He has given and continues to give to this country today.

“I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.” Psalm 116:1, 2

Lord,

We thank you that You are our refuge and strength. You are our present help in times of trouble. Because of Your great love, we do not walk in fear. 

Thank you for being our source of Living Water. In You, our wells never run dry. By Your Spirit within us, we are strengthened and guided into all righteousness. 

We praise you, Lord Almighty. Thank you for being with us. Thank you for being our fortress. We trust in You and no other.

We sit before you, still, filled with thanksgiving for we know that You alone are God.  You will be exalted before the nations and we exalt you now in this nation.  May your name be exalted in all of the earth.

We love You, Lord.

We pray in the mighty and matchless name of Jesus Christ.

Amen

(Prayer based on Psalm 46)
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In July, we will offer prayers of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord. May we praise Him for His merciful and gracious love for each one of us! Although we are at a crossroads, we have been greatly blessed to live in the land of the free and the home of the brave and we must give thanks to God.

This month, we will give thanks for our nation, the freedoms we enjoy, the many blessings we have been given and the sacrifices that were made by our Founding Fathers to lay a godly foundation for our nation and for the sacrifices that were made and continue to be made by so many other men and women to protect the freedoms we enjoy every day.

Although this is a very serious time, we must remember the words of the Apostle Paul, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7). No matter what is going on around us, we must give thanks to God as we submit our requests to Him, knowing that He alone is in control and that He alone is our salvation and peace.

America was formed and developed from biblical roots, but today our leaders are chopping away at our foundation. They deny the core of our purpose.

The secular thinkers of this country would like us to think our country was founded on humanistic values and ideals. They view our country’s birth as a philosophical and political event. However, the original words from the colony charters, the Declaration of Independence, and early political speeches all point directly to our country’s foundation upon the Christian faith and biblical Truth. Our Founding Fathers believed that this is a nation with its roots in the Bible.

The Mayflower Compact specifies that the colonies were established “for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith.” The Virginia Charter instructs the colonists to help “in the propagation of the Christian religion to such people as yet live in ignorance of the true knowledge and worship of God.” The Delaware Charter defines one of the purposes for its settlements as the “further propagation of the Holy Gospel.” The charter of Rhode Island commits to “the true Christian faith and worship of God.” The Charter of Maryland explained a “pious Zeal for extending the Christian Religion.”

In the Declaration of Independence, our Founding Fathers acknowledged God as our country’s Divine Protector. In an 1844 U.S. Supreme Court case, the Court said, “Why may not the Bible and especially the New Testament be read and taught as a divine revelation in the [school]?...Where else can the purest principles of morality be learned so clearly or so perfectly as from the New Testament?”

The 1777 Congressional Thanksgiving proclamation called for the nation to offer “solemn thanksgiving and praise…and consecrate themselves to the service of their divine benefactor; and that together with their sincere acknowledgments and offerings, penitent confession of their manifold sins…and their humble and earnest supplication that it may please God, through the merits of Jesus Christ….”

How horrendous that we have let these evangelical roots rot underneath us! The people of the prophet Jeremiah’s day had also departed from their godly roots. The prophet understood that only God could change their hearts and said, “Restore us to yourself, O LORD, that we may return; renew our days as of old” (Lamentations 5:21).

The reason for our country’s decay—our economic turmoil, our social ills, the church’s coldness and apostasy from the Truth, pastors in the pulpit without a backbone, citizens living in fear, the decline of our culture—is because we have departed from the one true God.

We have rejected the God of our Founding Fathers. We need to pray that God will restore us to Himself, just as Jeremiah did. We need to pray that America, starting with ourselves, will turn back to God. Our Creator God cares deeply for us as individuals and as a nation. He wants to bless our country in His sovereignty and mercy, but we need to repent of our pride and willful independence. We need to start a revival of prayer and thanksgiving and confession to God.

A great awakening in America is not beyond hope. Revival will happen when we repent. Real spiritual change will happen when we call our nation to repentance. Real change will happen when we live according to biblical standards. Our Almighty God can return this nation to her roots. He is waiting to offer His mercy and forgiveness. We need to join together in humility to pray for our own repentance, for that of our nation, and for the souls living in this great country.

Join Leading They Way and Dr. Michael Youssef in prayer for our nation. Commit to be one of 100,000 Bible-believing Americans who will pray daily for our country between July 4, 2012, and November 6, 2012. Let us know of your committment and stay united in prayer with us with periodic prayer email updates by entering your information in the form on the left side of this page.

Beginning July 4, 2012, Michael Youssef is asking 100,000 Bible-believing Americans to join him in prayer for the future of America. God Save America is designed to unite the prayers of God’s people for this great nation.

In this short video, Michael Youssef shares the vision behind God Save America and the importance of praying for America at this vital time in history.

If you have not committed yet, will you join with us in praying to God for a spiritual awakening in America?

Join God Save America

When we pray, we are tempted to focus on our plans, needs, and agendas. God cares about our lives and wants us to ask Him for our needs in prayer. Human needs are not irrelevant in prayer. However, if our perceived needs become the focus of our lives, they can become our God—and that’s a problem. When our needs become the focus of our lives, it is not long before we cease to pray, “Thy will be done,” and instead begin to pray for our own will to be done.

As we pray for our own will to be done, our focus moves away from loving God and others toward personal fulfillment and pleasure. Soon, our reasoning becomes darkened by our feelings rather than enlightened by God’s Truth and we are no longer able to perceive the Lord’s will.

If your prayer time has been focused on personal fulfillment rather than on the will of God, confess that to God and ask Him to lead you into prayer for His will to be done.  One way to begin to move the focus away from yourself onto Him is to spend time focused on who God is, praising Him.  When you do, your heart will be moved to ask for His will to be done in this nation and nations worldwide as it is done in heaven.