Prayer for Redeemer, the nation, and the lost

To close out his sermon on 9.25.22, Pastor Tony Felich, prayed this petition to the Lord. ----more---- Heavenly Father, while less profoundly, no doubt…as we finish studying this passage, I would like to lead us in undertaking to approach to you, O Lord, knowing that we are dust and ashes. We come to you by way of your covenant of grace fulfilled through Christ’s blood on our behalf.  We come as your sons and daughters through the adoption granted through Christ. Like Abraham, we come as your friends through Jesus’ blood. We draw near to you now in order to make an appeal on behalf of the lost, who at this point, if Christ should return, if you would send some calamity, or they would die of natural causes, would be separated from you and your love for eternity and this terrifies us for them. We confess that you would be justified in your judgment of the ungodly. We could offer no argument against your justice. We would not complain against your fairness. You are God and we are but dust. But nevertheless, like Abraham, we appeal to your mercy and grace O Lord. Please extend your patience with those who stand in rebellion against you this moment. They have been blinded by the devil. They have no clear view of you. Their minds have been warped by the spirit of he age and they are full of themselves and their supposed wisdom. Behold, somewhat like Abraham, we have now undertaken, in this petition before you, to speak to you O Lord.  As Abraham said to you, so I repeat- Oh let not the Lord be angry and we will speak… We have loved ones who do not know Christ. They are living in spiritual blindness and corruption. We have friends and family members who are moving through this life oblivious to the riches of Jesus and the glory of worshiping you. They are worshiping themselves, on the way to sure damnation. Outwardly they appear content and happy, but inwardly they are in disarray, they lack peace, they are full of turmoil, and they are lonely. O Lord, may you give them new life in Christ the way you have given it to us! Lord, may your name be glorified and made famous by saving our lost loved ones from their sin and your right judgment! O Lord, many in our church family have children who were raised to know and love you, they may be sitting with us, but do not confess you as Lord. They have made an alliance with this world. This breaks our hearts, we know where this leads and we fear for their fate. We long for them to cry out to you in dependence. O Lord, spare them the judgment they deserve for their unbelief by removing the scales from their eyes that they might see their sin and run to Christ. Lord, do not give them what they deserve- but rather- in your mercy- by the work of your Holy Spirit, regenerate them unto union with Jesus Christ for eternity. O Lord, we are humbled before you. You are the sovereign One. You can do whatever you want to do, and whatever you want to do is right. We will praise you for your judgment of sinners as well as for your redemption of sinners. But you have not given us a final verdict on our lost loved ones- our friends and neighbors who do not, as of yet, depend on Christ, so we appeal to you with all of our hearts- please O Lord- save them. Bring them to yourself as you have done for us. We no more deserved salvation than anyone else on this earth. We ask you to do the same for our friends, our coworkers, our children, our family members and loved ones, those who are lost and on the road to judgment and damnation- separation from you and your love. Please O Lord, with all humility, we appeal to your lovingkindness through Jesus Christ to  pluck them from the edge of the eternal abyss and save them. O Lord, in the spirit of Abraham- as he prayed to you for Sodom and it’s inhabitants- do not be angry and we will speak again but just this once. This time I pray for America. We are a nation in undeniable rebellion against you.  But you have placed your people here. You have established your church throughout this land in all our imperfections. O Lord, please send revival to your people first. Make us to be the salt and light Jesus said we are to be. Where we have been complicit in this country’s slide in to godlessness, rebellion, and wickedness, forgive us O Lord! Grant us true repentance! Lord, we live in godless days in America. Our sins are too many to list. We murder the unborn- people created in your image- we do so, so that we can act out on our sexual passions and desires. We do violence to each other by how we use each other for our own godless pleasures- and then insist on freedom to kill the offspring of these unions- so we can maintain our liberty to keep doing more of the same wicked things. God, have patience with us! Men use women and children. Women manipulate men and children. Children act out in unruly rebellion. Our national sins are many O Lord, but your gracious lovingkindness is so great! Please O Lord, for the sake of the people whom you love- your church in this country- give us effectiveness in evangelism so that through our witness of Christ, the lost in this country would be found. By the proclamation of your gospel and the godly devotion of your church, draw our countrymen to our Savior so He would become their Savior and Lord too! Humble your church and give us Your Spirit so we might pray to you and that you might bring salvation and healing to our sick country that is spiraling downward. Only you can stop this free fall of country and culture. Lord we live in days of rebellion and you would be justified in bringing swift judgment upon America.  O Lord, with humility and knowledge of our participation in some level of our country’s idolatry and worship of self, we ask for you to spare us from the oppression of other nations. Though we deserve discipline, please have mercy upon us and our children and grand children. Please stay your hand against any number of the judgments you would be right to send upon us. Please O Lord, grant your church a voice that is heeded and an impact that brings widespread repentance and faith to these United States. Stop us from our feverish pursuit of self and stuff. Stop us from our destructive gluttony and infatuation with mind altering substances.  Stop us from our sensual anarchy.  Clear up the mass confusion of the age with regard to your created order for men, women, children, marriage, sexuality, and human life. Grant us compassion for the downcast and poor, healing for the sick, provision for the hungry, guidance for those who lack understanding, wisdom for the foolish, self control for those who lack it and are enslaved, kindness for those who are mean and angry. Lord, if you rained sulfur and brimstone upon America, not a one of us could say you would be unjustified in doing so. Maybe you should. But O Lord- humbly and with trepidation- and through the shed blood of Jesus Christ- would it not be more glorious for your name if you would grant your gospel such power and success that all the men and women of this country threw down their crowns of self worship at your feet and fall down before you and worshiped you?  This will happen, O Lord, if you will it to be so. It is our desire that this would be so! Yes, you would be right to cast all of us in to hell. But you have not done that! You have saved a people for yourself! You have scattered us among our countrymen. Now O Lord, If it would please you- If you would be so merciful- use the people who you have saved for yourself- indeed, use us- to boldly declare the forgiveness of sins for all who turn to Christ and believe. Not on a small scale, but on a full scale!  Sweep through this nation with your gospel and bring salvation to the lost and rebellious. Lord, as it stands, if you ended things today, a great many people would die apart from you and condemned to eternal destruction. Whatever you do is right and we will praise you for it. But O Lord, if it pleases you, will you please continue in your patience for the sake of our lost friends, family members, and country men.  O Lord, I have not even begun to pray for the lost of the world beyond our national borders…but our burden is for them as well. O Lord, you have placed far more than 50 righteous people in America. Despite the backsliding of your church on the whole, you have thousands, if not millions of your adopted children positioned all over this land.  Awaken every one of us to speak for Christ and the mercy that can be found in him. Give us changed lives that authenticate the message that we preach. Will you then sweep away this country and not spare it, O Lord? There are so many who trust in you. They love you. We love you. Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” Instead O Lord, grant your people reformation and revival. Grant your people conviction and clarity about the gospel of your grace through Christ. Please, O Lord, empower the true church of Jesus Christ to gain a resounding voice in America so that the whole of our people will turn to Christ and believe on Him. What more powerful testimony to your greatness and grace could there be than sending a revival through your church that leads to the conversion of the masses of people in this country. Greater than mass judgment, in our view, would be mass transference of men, women, and children, from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of your beloved son! Please O Lord, bring glory to your name through the salvation of 300 million sinners through Christ. If you send judgment, your people will praise you.  We are just asking…with all humility…to instead, if it be your will, to send an unstoppable, saving, movement of your Holy Spirit, to make the masses alive together with Christ- all for the glory of your holy name.  Amen.