Our God-Given Prayer Assignments
It was an accident. I did not intend to speak at our local school board meeting.
A friend asked if I would show up to pray while several parents planned to speak out against the sexually explicit materials available to children in the school resource center.
My friend directed me to a website where supposedly I needed to register my attendance. I was surprised a few hours later when I received a notice from the school board chairperson that I had mistakenly signed up to speak—and I was allotted just three minutes!
This was clearly not my sweet spot of public speaking. I had just a few hours to decide if I would bail or if I could put together a coherent message to the school board. I joked that God tricked me, but I managed to gather my thoughts about protecting the innocence of children and allowing parents to make critical decisions for those under their care.
It was challenging and a bit ugly. The room was packed and divided by opposing viewpoints. One man spoke with a voice dripping with hatred and threats as he called out those of us who spoke to the removal of materials—stating that we should be berated, shamed, and never allowed to run for public office.
People from both sides showed up to subsequent meetings to hold the school board accountable for a decision. Eventually, the board decided to take away the voices of concerned parents. Only one school board member—a strong believer—stood with parents who desired to protect their children.
Time to Step Up
It was especially disheartening because parents who needed to speak for their children were either afraid or disengaged. Much of the Church failed to show up.
As the months dragged on, reality set in. This is a spiritual battle that goes beyond elections and public engagement—although both are critical. This is a battle for the souls of children and the next generation. Demonically inspired agendas are taking over our schools and our nation.
This is a battle that must be fought on a whole new level—strategic intercession with a warfare mindset. We have God-given prayer assignments to shape the direction of our schools, our cities, and our nation. It’s a battlefield like none we’ve ever encountered—and it feels like it is the final hour to step up.
In This Issue
Dave Kubal writes about America’s unique destiny and how God has given His Church divine authority to rule with Him and help direct the nations. We as citizens must be fervent in our prayers and discerning in our votes. We have an assignment to be relentless pray-ers.
According to Bunni Pounds, God’s people are called to stand in the gap and intercede for our nation—for the upholding of Christ’s righteous standards. She proposes a strategy of pray, vote, and engage to impact a nation.
As a pastor, Geoff Eckart tackles the challenge of leading a congregation to pray in unprecedented ways for unity in unprecedented division—even within the Church.
I thought I made a reasonable argument to the school board, but they couldn’t hear it. My prayers have since expanded beyond protecting the children to the salvation of our leaders. Whether on a local level or in our national leadership, everyone needs to encounter Jesus. It’s the way forward to shape our nation in God-honoring ways.
CAROL MADISON is editor of Prayer Connect and author of Prayer That’s Caught and Taught.
