Pure Hearts and Prayer for Our City

Summary

On the National Day of Prayer, the preacher calls believers across America to join together in praying for the welfare of the country and for the troubles of this hour to be resolved by God's hand. He reminds the church that there is no other source able to inspire faith and prayer than the Word of God itself.

From 1 Peter 1:22 he teaches that obedience to the truth through the Spirit purifies our souls. Before we pray for anything else, we must ask God to cleanse our hearts, for the pure in heart will see God, and out of the heart flow the springs of life. The cleansing begins within us.

Drawing on Jeremiah 29:7, he urges believers to seek the welfare of the city where God has placed them, because in its peace they too will find peace. We cannot obey in our own strength, but the Holy Spirit stretches out His hands to help us and even intercedes through us with groanings too deep for words, so that we love one another from a clean heart.

Key Points

• Scripture is the only source that truly inspires faith and prayer
• Purify your heart first, then bring everything else to God
• The pure in heart will see God, so guard the heart from which life flows
• God commands us to pray for the welfare of the city and nation where He has placed us
• We are weak on our own; only the Holy Spirit enables real obedience
• The Spirit intercedes through us with groanings beyond words
• A heart cleansed by Christ's blood overflows in love for one another