Can We Stop Praying Now?
It was an amazing year as far as prayer is concerned. In my 20-plus years in the prayer movement, I have never I seen anything like the amount of praying that went on during 2016. From multiple ministries coming together as Pray As One to rally prayer for the nation and elections, to perhaps 400,000 believers gathered to pray on the Washington Mall at Together 2016 in July, to churches calling for prayer meetings—this has truly been a phenomenal year.
This magazine’s parent ministry, Harvest Prayer Ministries, saw its reach expand in multiple ways as well. One resource, Desperate for Change: 40 Days of Prayer for America, had great sales for several months in 2012. But then it sold just 2,000 or so a year—until 2016. More than 18,000 sold in the nine months prior to the elections. Our election prayer guide, “There’s Still Hope,” which first appeared in our March Prayer Connect issue, sold more than 40,000 copies in its booklet form and was viewed online or downloaded by another 50,000-plus. That same election issue of Prayer Connect sold 2,000 more individual copies than any previous issue. And our web traffic this past fall was up more than 900 percent, with most viewers coming to the Pray for America section.
A nerve of desperation was clearly struck!
One has to admit it was an unprecedented election result. Almost no one saw Donald Trump winning, yet he did. Intercessors were praying desperately for truth to be revealed, for a standard of righteousness, and for God’s purposes for our nation to be released. We know from Scriptures that God raises up and takes down kings and rulers, so we have to trust that He did just that in this election. Clearly God has a purpose for bringing this seemingly absurd, long-shot candidate to power.
What Do We Do Now?
Many believers will now sit back, believing the elections are over and “God’s individual” is in leadership. But that would be the absolutely wrong thing to do. We need to raise up even more prayer. Why?
First, President Trump cannot be described as a godly man. He needs prayer to make godly decisions for the nation. Only God’s intervention can turn our nation back to Him.
Second, most major revivals in history came during times of serious social desperation. When people are unsettled and in major discomfort, they look heavenward for answers. Hundreds of thousands of believers have been praying for revival in the American Church and for spiritual awakening in our nation. Social desperation certainly describes our nation in this hour. I think we are on the cusp of the significant revival and awakening we have been seeking.
To help us all pray, a number of ministries have come together to launch Pray 100, a prayer initiative to pray for President Trump and the nation, starting on Inauguration Day, January 20, 2017, and running for 100 days. Check it out at facebook.com/prayfirst100. And keep praying!
–Jonathan Graf
