Prayer and Intercession

The passions were deep. The emotions were intense. The issues that divided the country were so severe that they erupted into a bloody war that resulted in more than 600,000 deaths. In fact, the scars of the American Civil War still are felt by many.

One hundred years ago today, American President Woodrow Wilson spoke in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to a gathering of Civil War veterans, from both North and South. He reminded them of those who fought in the famous battle on those grounds 50 years earlier.

Now these men who had been fierce rivals “found one another again as brothers and comrades in arms, enemies no longer…our battles long past, the quarrel forgotten.” President Wilson reminded them of the power of forgiveness. Although much healing had taken place over the years, more needed to be done.

Wilson noted that those who fought in those ancient battles “set us a great example of devotion and utter sacrifice.” He reminded his audience of the challenges ahead, saying that a different kind of sacrifice was needed. They had “harder things to do.”

He acknowledged that “here is the nation God has built by our hands.” But he asked the Civil War veterans, “Who stands ready to act?”

Today, people in America and every nation need to remember God’s call on our lives. This is a calling to pray and to serve.

In your life, remember to pray for your nation. Pray for God’s protection and guidance, for His correction and blessing. Also, pray for your leaders and for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. And dedicate yourself to being God’s servant, a soldier in His army.