"American Dream"

I had a dream the other night,

I admit an inner fight,

In it, all I loved took flight,

From villains chasing me.

They came to take our land away,

They said that freedom ends today,

And hatred for the good held sway,

We were no longer free.

My weapons gone, defenseless we,

As they took my home from me,

There was no way to fight, you see,

America was gone.

And I wondered in my mind,

If there was a way to find,

What we lost and left behind,

Our blessing for so long.

I woke up in a sweat-drenched bed,

Are you all right, that’s what she said,

But all that loss was in my head,

I said I’d be okay.

And as I pondered, thought it through,

I wondered what one man can do,

To never let that dream come true,

Then I knelt down to pray.

The Lord, He felt so very near,

I felt His presence, whisper clear,

Call the people, do not fear,

My grace is still the same.

Tell them if they turn to Me,

Awakening is what they’ll see,

That nightmare won’t come to be,

Just call upon My name.

“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.” (1 Timothy 2:1-2, NLT)

Prayer is the first line defense against evil. The idea that we should pray when all else fails shows how little we understand the power of spiritual intercession. Prayer is presented in scripture as a first rather than last resort. People often trivialize prayer by implying that prayer is unproductive unless we put legs to it. I get what they’re saying. We are called to obey the Lord and be doers of the Word, no doubt. But prayer itself is actually doing something, and oftentimes that’s where the battle is won or lost. Let us pray for America, in Jesus’ name.

Lord, we pray for all people and for spiritual renewal in our nation, in Jesus’ name.

Art by R.S. Riddick, rsriddick.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Mr. Riddick, and God bless you.