National Day of Prayer

Today is the National Day of Prayer.  Interestingly, this morning during my morning prayers, I was thinking of, and praying for, our Christian communities around the world that are being persecuted around the world.  Then, I opened up the American Thinker and find an article by Lela Gilbert and Arielle Del Turco entitled National Day of Prayer: Remembering Those Suffering Worldwide For Their Faith. God does truly inspire, for while I often pray for people I know, I don't often think about the many people in far off places where fellow Christians are being persecuted.

It does truly amaze me, though, that what one Christian believes so offends others that they want to shut him up, any way they can.  It's as if they think that if Christianity becomes widespread, it might threaten their power.  But that is just crazy, right?  If Christianity became widespread in China, would that truly take down the Chinese Communist Party?  Hmmm...

Now, in places where Islam is the dominant religion, I understand the need to root out Christian belief more.  After all, while the God of Creation, maker of Heaven and Earth, with our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit is worshiped by Christians, the evil one is the god of Islam, to whom the Muslims dedicate their lives and pray 5 times a day.

To believe in the Christian God is to struggle with God, the very meaning of Israel.  Indeed, that is how Jacob became Israel, by wrestling with God all night long.  Indeed, to read the Bible and try to put it into practice in our daily lives is to struggle with God and his Word:

Genesis 32:22-32 New King James Version (NKJV) Wrestling with God

22 And he arose that night and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of Jabbok. 23 He took them, sent them [a]over the brook, and sent over what he had. 24 Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the [b]breaking of day. 25 Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He [c]touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him.

26 And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.” But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!” 27 So He said to him, “What is your name?” He said, “Jacob.” 28 And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but [d]Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.”

29 Then Jacob asked, saying, “Tell me Your name, I pray.” And He said, “Why is it that you ask about My name?” And He blessed him there.

30 So Jacob called the name of the place [e]Peniel: “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” 31 Just as he crossed over [f]Penuel the sun rose on him, and he limped on his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the children of Israel do not eat the muscle that shrank, which is on the hip socket, because He [g]touched the socket of Jacob’s hip in the muscle that shrank.

Islam, by contrast, means to submit.  Their god does not want you to struggle with him, but to merely obey.  Thus to two religions are profoundly different.  One is the Truth, and the other is an impostor, posing as a real god.  It is a shame that this false god has taken over so much of the world.  We should pray for them also.

But more than that, we should pray more often for the Universal Church, and all its people