As you know, my wife, Carol, prepares a monthly prayer alert.  I hope you will share Carol's thoughts with your friends and fellow worshipers.  Thank you for taking an interest in her monthly devotion. -- Gary

The new year dawned in Washington with the arrival of the 118th Congress.  The first week of the new session was dominated by the hard-fought election of a new speaker of the House precipitated by narrow Republican control of the House of Representatives.  Nancy Pelosi’s days as an iron fisted speaker are over. 
 
It was interesting to watch the pull and tug of factions within the Republican Party and the eventual outcome – a new speaker in Kevin McCarthy, who is well-aware of the interests he represents and the power they hold. 
 
I also believe the transparent process makes him a stronger, more accountable speaker, and so makes the GOP caucus more responsive to everyday Republican voters who elected the new majority.
 
The new 118th Congress has 74 freshman House members and seven new senators.  That means 17% of this Congress are newly-minted members.  Their lives are drastically changing. 
 
Families are being uprooted to move to the Washington, D.C,. area or those still back home are adjusting to life in their hometown with Mom or Dad absent a great deal of the time. 
 
Hours are long, demands are intense, travel is constant, opportunities to make poor political or personal decisions are everywhere.  The spotlight never goes out. 
 
Each member moves into a new office, hires a staff and hunkers down to become knowledgeable on their committee assignments and the inner workings of the House and Senate.  The stakes are high.
 
 
 
Heavenly Father, you know the hearts of our newly-elected members of the House and Senate.  You know the personal challenges each is facing at a time when their lives must feel very disjointed.  May they recognize their own inadequacies and turn to You for guidance.  Meet them where they are. 
 
Prompt us to pray for them and encourage them as they make decisions affecting our children, grandchildren and the country’s future. Give them strength and peace and a vision for what is best for our beloved country.
 
 
 
If you are like me, the month of January unfolds at a slightly slower pace. After a busy Thanksgiving and Christmas season, I caught my breath and was able to read an excellent book by Eric Metaxas entitled, Letter to the American Church. Gary knows Eric well and has been recommending this book as a “must read,” especially for America’s pastors.
 

 

It is a clear and concise charge to men and women of faith.  American cultural elites in academia, medicine, Hollywood, sports, politics and the press seem intent on sidelining believers and preventing them from living out their faith in their careers and even in public discourse. 
 
These forces want to put the American faith community in a box and undermine any chance at effectiveness. They will only succeed if they have our help.
 
Metaxas deftly challenges this trend with startling historical comparisons to Germany in the 1930s and 1940s.  Then, the German church was more focused on beliefs rather than on one’s faith prompting works. 
 
The rise of Hitler and his Jew-hating authoritarianism was possible because too many in the German church had become merely cultural Christians and just didn’t want to become involved in the rough and tumble politics of the time. 
 
This desire to stay “above the fray” implied an unwillingness to stand for the Confessing Church, leaving the door open to the nightmare rise of Hitler.  The failure to be vocal, involved and supportive of those who did speak out was taken as weakness.  The rest is history.
 
Today, there are relentless attacks on truth and the beliefs of men and women of faith across the culture.  From Critical Race Theory, rooted in race-based beliefs rather than character-based beliefs, to redefining marriage to pushing trans ideology on the young to shutting down free thinking. . . the list is endless and growing. 
 
Men and women of faith must step up, step out and band together to encourage one another.  Failure to do so will push us to a future where our beliefs will not be tolerated.
 
This book is sobering yet inspiring, and written for our times.  It is a reminder we all need to hear.  Be not afraid!
 
 
 
Heavenly Father, open our eyes to the efforts around us to minimize or shut down the ability of men and women of faith to live out our belief in You and the truth. 
 
Help us not to be lulled into inaction by churches and leadership who refuse to enter the fray or convince themselves that the world of politics will not affect the future of Your church. 
 
Give us insight, strength, wisdom, and courage to be Your people that these times demand.  Help us to network and find others among your people so we may support and encourage one another.  Fill us with courage not fear!
 
 

 

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