May 1, 2025

Honoring Our National Day of Prayer

Today is the National Day of Prayer in America. This year’s theme is “Pour Out to the God of Hope and Be Filled.” Please take some time today to join with others in praying for our nation. You can visit the National Day of Prayer website for information on how and what to pray, how to find prayer gatherings in your area, and join the National Day of Prayer Committee in their live event. Many cities and states will also be conducting gatherings for prayer, as will local churches. Join with others today and spend some quality time agreeing in prayer for America! A significant turnaround has begun, and we must pray that it will be sustained.

I always encourage praying the suggested prayer points and subjects highlighted by the National Day of Prayer Committee and others on this day. Agreement is invaluable (Matthew 18:19). I also want to briefly mention praying for revival/awakening.

As I regularly observe what is taking place in America, I am consistently reminded that true revival, a great awakening, is critical. Evil and deception are now entrenched in America at such a thorough and deep level that human effort alone, regardless of how well it is done, won’t be enough to save and reform our nation. WE MUST HAVE REVIVAL. Thankfully, it has begun and will set the stage for reformation.

When people are truly born again - not a perfunctory prayer to stay out of hell, but genuinely saved - several things occur:

God writes His laws in their heart; they have the mind of Christ (Romans 2:15; 1 Corinthians 2:16)
Their spirit comes alive (Romans 6:13; 2 Corinthians 4:16)
Holy Spirit takes up residence and speaks to them in their heart (1 Corinthians 3:16)
Their conscience is activated and influenced by Holy Spirit (Romans 1:15, 9:1)
They become children of light (versus walking in darkness) (Ephesians 5:8)
These and other changes awaken intuition and common sense (Hebrews 5:14)

Obviously, this is a simplified list; books could be written on all of these subjects. However, one of my points is that people begin to think differently when they are born again. They perceive things they could not previously see or understand, and their desires are transformed. These transformative changes will need to occur in millions of Americans in order to see the nation effectively transformed. A return to morality and other necessary changes cannot be forced; they must be chosen.

When speaking of America being saved, I am quick to point out the difference between revival and reformation. Our salvation as a nation will involve both. By revival or awakening, I am referring to Mark 16:15-20–on steroids: millions being delivered and born again. By reformation, I am referring to Matthew 28:18-20 occurring on a grand scale, resulting in the discipling of a nation. Revival changes hearts; reformation changes minds.

In the 1960s and 70s, America simultaneously experienced the Charismatic and Jesus People movements - true revivals. Millions came to Christ. Yet, we had no paradigm for discipling nations, as Matthew 28 describes. Frankly, the eschatology of most who were part of these movements would have prevented it even had the paradigm existed. There was such a preoccupation with Christ’s imminent return that most evangelicals didn’t see the need to impact the cultural mountains of government, education, media, etc. The result? The church did Mark 16 - worked to get people saved; unbelievers did Matthew 28 - worked to disciple and reform the nation. Both succeeded. We experienced revival…and lost our nation.

We prepared people for heaven; unbelievers focused on the earth. We planned to leave; they planned to stay. We taught our kids for an hour in Sunday School; they took over our public schools and indoctrinated them 5 days a week, all day long. In short, we gave the culture in America to unbelievers. From their positions of leadership, progressives, liberals, Marxists, secularists, and humanists have for 50-60 years embedded their ideals, morals, and philosophies into our nation. And they have been very successful. God has been rejected, and with Him went morality, self-control, the family unit, patriotism, and soundness of mind. America has been led by fools, taught by Marxists and globalists, and controlled by evil.

In our time, as the church becomes active in speaking out and involving ourselves in efforts to reform America, let’s not make the opposite mistake–prioritizing reformation while leaving out revival. We must experience both. Revival precedes and empowers reformation; it is reformation’s forerunner, preparing the way for its fruit. Reformation codifies revival, multiplying and preserving its fruit.

Americans now need a radical heart transformation to make possible radical brain transformation! Our actions won’t change until our minds change; our minds won’t change until our beliefs change; and our beliefs won’t change until our hearts change.

In Conclusion

America is being saved - not just because God has promised this, but because He is receiving what is required of us. Believers are praying, which allows Him to deliver what He promised. As you pray today, continue declaring that America will repent, awaken, and experience revival, a great Holy Spirit outpouring. Through this, she will be saved…and reformed.

Pray with me:

Father, this is a significant day in America, a set-apart day when Your church crosses denominational, cultural, and political lines, humbles herself, and prays together for our nation. It is so important that we set apart a national, government-honored day to seek You. America is in desperate need of Your guidance and direction. Forgive us for our national sin of rejecting You and neglecting to seek Your plans and Your ways. We have wandered far from You, yet You are merciful.

You multiply power when we pray in unity; we do so now. We pray that the spiritual atmosphere over our nation shifts, that the united prayers of Your people would be used to usher in transformation, justice, and Your intervention in every sphere of society.

And in the spirit of unity and the power of agreement, we pray the prayer released by the National Day of Prayer Committee:

“God of hope, fill us with all joy and peace in believing, so that we will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

“You have caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead; therefore, we hope in what we do not see. This world is not our home or reality, but the Lord is our Rock, our Truth, and our certainty.

“God of hope, we pour out our praise and are filled with Your powerful presence. We pour out repentance of sin and are filled with forgiveness and righteousness.

“We pour out pain from the attacks of the enemy—anxiousness, fear, anger—and You fill us with courage, assurance, and love. We pour out our needs, the desires of our hearts, and are filled with Your Kingdom provision and purpose.

“We pour out our hearts for our nation, for the people and places, relationships and responsibilities the Lord has established: the Church, Family, Education, Business, Military, Arts, Entertainment, Media, and Government. May all who live, serve, and steward in these be filled with Your purpose, wisdom, strength, and truth.

“Let Your lovingkindness, O Lord, be upon us, as we have hoped in You. In abounding hope, anchored by our hope in the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen!”(1)

Our decree:

We decree that as we agree in prayer on the National Day of Prayer, power will be released to accomplish a mighty move of God's Spirit, bringing healing and restoration to America.

Click on the link below to watch the full video.

Written by NDP Task Force President Kathy Branzell, https://www.nationaldayofprayer.org/equipping/2025-national-prayer