As did her Israelite ancestors, the United States has for much of her existence found herself experiencing one major catastrophe after another. Periodic wars, disease epidemics, economic recessions, a depression, invasion, weather disasters, etc. have continually plagued this God-established, God-blessed nation. As a result of her insistence on sinning, presidents and other known figures have often called for a national day of humiliation in which the people would be asked to fast and pray for forgiveness and deliverance. Following their prayers, God would hear from on high and lift them out of their sin-caused, self-inflicted abyss. But America cannot tolerate success. Within a few years she would find herself once again at the bottom of the spiritual barrel and facing yet another crisis.

Being ignorant of her biological and spiritual heritage and therefore dismissive of what God had done to ancient ancestors because of their sins, generations of Americans have been content to rise and fall like the ocean tide. And like her ancestors, America thought that the sin-repent-forgiveness-sin-repent-forgiveness cycle could continue indefinitely. After all, isn’t she a Christian nation? As a woman said to me after I explained what had been going on and what the Almighty had promised to do about it, “God wouldn’t do that to us” because of our religious heritage. Because of her rejection of His Word, He told me He was going to kill her and how He was going to do it. He did exactly what He said He would do, exactly as He said He would do it because, as He said to me: “She will not believe My Word.” She was one of three pillars of the church whom He killed after telling me He was going to do so because they did not believe what I told them.  America, including professing Christendom, does not believe God’s Word. For this reason she must be put down. But isn’t prayer the answer to America’s problems? as we are told repeatedly from pulpit and podium. Let us allow God’s Word, along with recent experiences, to answer that question.

Following Hurricane Harvey’s devastation in the Houston area in August of 2017, Texas Governor Greg Abbott called it “one of the largest disasters America ever faced.” A spokesman for The National Weather Service stated, “This event is unprecedented, and all impacts are unknown and beyond anything (ever before) experienced.” Following the devastation, the Texas Governor called for a day of prayer. On September 1 President Trump signed a proclamation for a National Day of Prayer. It is believed that millions of people prayed to God for forgiveness and help that day. A few days later Hurricane Irma crushed the Caribbean Islands and devastated the East Coast of the United States. Irma was the largest hurricane to ever strike America’s Eastern Seaboard. Not long after that Hurricane Maria obliterated Puerto Rico–and American protectorate. More than 1000 people died and hundreds of millions of dollars in material damage were sustained as a result of those storms. As stated in the previous posting, the nation’s problems are not only arising more frequently, they are increasing in their devastation. IS PRAYER THE ANSWER TO AMERICA’S PROBLEMS? Ask the people on America’s east coast. Ask the farmers in America’s Midwest. Ask the people in southern California.

As stated in a previous posting in this series, there was a time when God did hear the nation’s prayers and come to her rescue, just as He had anciently for the nation of Israel. Just as her ancestors cried out for God to “bless Israel,” we have often heard people ask Him to “bless America.” For many years He heard and answered both prayers. But looking back we find that, because of their sins, both northern and southern Israel (the Jews) were defeated, destroyed and enslaved by Assyria and Babylon respectively. The United States is about to experience military defeat, mass death and enslavement of survivors, and for the same reason–sin. Incredibly, Bible-toting, Scripture-quoting America does not know what sin is. Having done away with God’s Law which defines sin (1 Jn. 2:6), she has concocted her own definitions of sin. Being ignorant of God’s definition of sin, she has not confessed and repented of it. Therefore Americans are, as God said, “still in their sins.”

To better explain why He is no longer hearing America’s prayers, let us examine the number one forgiveness-providing prayer that is voiced repeatedly, often on international television. It is found in 2 Chronicles 7:14. The prayer is perfect and, if prayed in an attitude of true repentance, is guaranteed to be answered. But there is a problem.

Many Americans consider this a Christian nation. When problems arise the nation’s Christians, reportedly 70% of the population, turn to the Bible and its Author for help and solace. We saw this tendency in the days before Hurricane Harvey struct. Deadly incidences had continued to occur with increasing frequency over the preceding years. As a result of this trend, political and religious figures have publicly recited 2 Chronicles 7:14 as the cure-all for the nation’s ever-increasing ills. In the focal passage God makes a promise: “If my people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin and heal their land.” The formula is simple: if we do certain things, God will do certain things. Thus says the One who cannot lie. But there is a problem–pride–which causes those doing the praying to leave out the most important part of God’s promise. Invariably, when preachers and politicians recite 2 Chronicles 7:14 they conveniently leave out the words “turn from their wicked ways” and “forgive their sins.”  Why? Because man, especially religious man, refuses to admit that he is indeed wicked and sinful. Wickedness and sinfulness are but fleeting inconveniences. Being a Christian, Jesus instantly forgives and forgets all of his sins which he sheds daily. Following the “sinner saved by grace’s” nightly prayer, he is again free from sin. And Satan smiles, knowing that the his victim has taken Jesus as his Savior, but not his Lord–a deadly mistake made by multiplied billions of salvation seekers over the past 2000 years. L.J.