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1 Timothy 2:1-6 NLT “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. For, There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time.”

It continues to grieve my heart and my spirit concerning the tension and division increasingly growing, especially politically, in our nation. Any attempt of civility seems to no longer be of value between political lines, while social media has given the average citizen an easily accessible place to erect a soap box. Everyday folks like you and me still have the right to vote and the right to free speech. We have a choice for who we will cast our vote to elect and how we will use our voice and influence when we practice free speech.

I have my personal political convictions, ones I hope are defined by Biblical truth and not human preference, but my main mission in life is to proclaim the convictions of the Cross of Christ and His Kingdom. As well, I am extremely proud to be an American, and even more a Texas, even if I married into it, and feel great patriotism about this great land. With that, still my priority is to the Kingdom of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I’m convinced the greatest thing we can do at this juncture of history is to pray. Pray for our world, the healing of COVID-19, our governmental leaders and foe the salvation of those who do not know Jesus.

I would like to challenge everyone who reads this to join me in a specific time of prayer starting May 17 through May 30. The 14 days before the celebration of the birth of the church, Pentecost, Sunday, May 31! I would like to invite us to stop and pray at 2 pm each of those days, specifically for what I mentioned above. I believe this is the greatest thing any of us can do at this time.

I leave us with this: “Then one night the Lord appeared to Solomon and said, “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this Temple as the place for making sacrifices. At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or command grasshoppers to devour your crops, or send plagues among you. Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place. For I have chosen this Temple and set it apart to be holy—a place where my name will be honored forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to my heart.”

2 Chronicles 7:12-16 NLT

Yours for the Kingdom!

Rev. Brad McKenzie is Lead Pastor at Orange First Church of the Nazarene, 3810 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Orange.