[1]RICHMOND, Va. (BP)–When it came time for Doyle Chauncey to pray, he interceded for America’s churches.
“Lord how need a revival that begins in the house of God,” Chauncey, executive director/treasurer for the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia, prayed midway during a National Day of Prayer observance May 3 on the lawn of Virginia’s state capital in downtown Richmond.
“Be with the pastors of our churches, be with the leadership of our churches. Father, just touch our lives that we might be the ministers of God in our country, that Jesus might be lifted up, that the house of God — the church of America — might preach Jesus crucified, and Jesus as the Savior of the world, the King of kings and Lord of lords,” Chauncey prayed.
In a later interview, Chauncey said, “The Bible instructs Christians to pray for many things; but in this day and time, I strongly believe that few things need more fervent prayer than our country’s churches. Praying for them is vital and is directly related to the spiritual health and blessing of our nation.”
Citing the National Day of Prayer theme, “One Nation Under God,” Chauncey said that if Christ was willing to die for the church, the church, in turn, should be willing to die for him. “Instead, we seem to be alive to every sort of distraction and besetting sin that keep us from two things: God’s blessing and a culture that honors him.
“While there are many churches in America doing commendable work for the Lord, for which we all are grateful, there are some others that have become too closely aligned with a popular culture that is moving away from God and toward a less-than-biblical stance that the Bible prescribes for those who claim the name of Christ,” Chauncey said.
[2]“Every day should be a national day of prayer, and every day we ought to thank God for his continued blessings and also for staying his hand from judgment on a nation that has strayed so far from its heritage of reliance upon him.”
Chauncey’s remarks underscored those of keynote speaker, Danny Lovett, dean of Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. Lovett cited numerous verses of Scripture on prayer and righteousness, and the effects of both on any nation “whose God is the Lord.”
“We need Jesus to return to our churches,” Lovett said. Drawing from a popular Bible verse, 2 Chronicles 7:14, Lovett said churches “must turn from our pollution.” Lovett said his pastor, Jerry Farwell, has preached for years against such sins as abortion, divorce, homosexuality, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, sexual perversion, pornography, materialism and the teaching of evolution. “We’ve got to turn from those sins and exalt Jesus Christ. We’ve got to be living testimonies and examples.”
With the occasional intrusion of sirens, church chimes and a helicopter, Lovett called for “our nation and communities and homes to return to the Lord. We need to return biblical morality back to our public schools. We’ve taken the [Ten] Commandments out and put the condoms in. We’ve taken prayer out and put the pot in. We’ve taken discipline out, which has brought destruction. We need Jesus to return to our school system.”
–30–
(BP) photo posted in the BP Photo Library at http://www.bpnews.net. Photo title: DOYLE CHAUNCEY.