by Dr. Paul Chappell

“In the house of the righteous is much treasure: but in the revenues of the wicked is trouble. The lips of the wise disperse knowledge: but the heart of the foolish doeth not so. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight. The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the LORD: but he loveth him that followeth after righteousness.”

Proverbs 15:6–9

Anyone can complain, but until we begin earnestly praying for God’s revival, no good will come.

In a speech delivered to the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C., William J. Bennett noted the following problems our nation faces:

Last year I compiled the Index of Leading Cultural Indicators, a statistical portrait of American behavioral trends of the past three decades. Among the findings: Since 1960, while the gross domestic product has nearly tripled, violent crime has increased at least 560%. Divorces have more than doubled. The percentage of children in single-parent homes had tripled. And by the end of the decade 40% of all American births and 80% of minority births will occur out of wedlock. These are not good things to get used to.

In 1940 teachers identified the top problems in America's schools as: Talking out of turn, chewing gum, making noise and running in the hall. In 1990, teachers listed drugs, alcohol, pregnancy, suicide, rape and assault. These are not good things to get used to, either.

When the novelist Walker Percy was asked what concerned him most about America's future, he answered, “Probably the fear of seeing America, with all its great strength and beauty and freedom...gradually subside into decay through default and be defeated, not by the communist movement, but from within, from weariness, boredom, cynicism, greed and in the end helplessness before its great problems.”

We could talk for hours about what’s wrong with America. Indeed, our country has strayed from its foundation. But rather than only looking at the negatives of our society and country, God desires that we would be faithful to pray for our land.

How often do you pray for America? Complaining about the government, laws, direction of our land, and wayward leaders can be done by anyone. But what good does complaining do? What does that accomplish?

Proverbs informs us of God’s delight in the prayers of His people, “the prayer of the upright is his delight.” God knows what’s happening and controls everything in our world, yet He wants to hear you pray for His will to be done. He desires for you to faithfully beseech His blessings on our land.

Anyone can complain, but until we begin earnestly praying for God’s revival, no good will come. Will you simply be another critic, complaining about everything and everyone in control of our nation? Or will you commit to praying for revival in our nation, begging God to once again control our land?

To learn more about the ministries of Lancaster Baptist Church and Pastor Chappell, please visit lancasterbaptist.org, paulchappell.com, or follow him on twitter.

Daily Bible Reading
Psalms 136-138 | 1 Corinthians 10:19-35