Restrain Us

^' So God gave them just what their lustful hearts desired. As a result, they violated their bodies and invited shame into their lives.  How? By choosing a foolish lie over God’s truth. They gave their lives and devotion to the creature rather than to the Creator Himself, who is blessed forever and ever. Amen.  This is why God released them to their own vile pursuits, and this is what happened: they chose sexual counterfeits—women had sexual relations with other women and men committed unnatural, shameful acts because they burned with lust for other men. This sin was rife, and they suffered painful consequences.' Romans 1:24-27 (VOICE)

Some people did not want to think about God. God gave them up. He removed his restraining grace and handed them over to their own lusts and to Satan. They forsook God so he forsook them. The beginning to the downward spiral is always a contempt for religion.Then it gets worse. First comes the worship of idols. Then they defiled their own bodies. Then the vile unnatural affections occurred and with judgment came the painful consequences.

Dear Father

Thank you for your Word. We praise you for your restraining hand of grace and for your judgments that produce pain and wake us up to the truths of what we have done and are capable of doing. We have done many evil deeds in your sight. We have walked away from you in our own ignorance and lusts of the flesh. We have seen where our own sins will lead us and we are afraid. Lord we are afraid of what we are capable of and what we might do without Holy Spirit. Lord we cry out to you, please restore your favor. Please Lord save us. Men that don't know you are capable of much evil. We see evidence of the wickedness that is in their hearts. We hear their lies. We know the deceitfulness of their actions. We condemn it. We condemn violence. We condemn the hate. To what we see, there is no end of it in sight without you.

We seek You first. We just want to live according to you ways. This day we need Your Love. Love pushes back. Love holds back the anger and resentment. Love softens hardened hearts. Love restores the truth and the trust. Love is the answer. Love is the cure. Heal us today Lord. 

Jesus, you died for us even as we were yet sinners. Thank you for that amazing act of love and sacrifice. Thank you for redeeming us of our sins. Bring us all to the foot of the Cross. Bring us all to Faith in you. Bring us all to knowledge and grace.

We pray for the election only twenty-six days from now. The stakes couldn't be higher. We have a clear choice in candidates between freedom and tyranny. We have the threat of socialism over capitalism on the ballot and that is a choice between good and evil. We love the freedom and opportunities and choices that capitalism has given us. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. We have politicians promoting a system that puts government power over everything and that denies you even exist! Why has it ever come to this?

Why Lord? Free will. What were we thinking? Have we lost our minds? We are on a painful course headed for destruction. Some of us have chosen the fake and a lie over the truth. We need the Truth. The Truth convicts and reveals. The Truth draws us up and out of the downward spiral of pain. Do that for us yet again Lord. I know that you have your limits to what you will tolerate. That's why you have let us go, so that all could see more clearly where some paths will take us. Have your way Lord. Amen.

Reach down and rescue us from ourselves. Only you can save us. Encourage us to make right choices. Keep us on your mind, within your boundless love of grace. I know that you are in control and trust that you have your reasons for allowing us to get to this point. It's a daily battle. Forgive us. We won't disappoint you. We are a Christian nation that still cares about souls. We will not make it a point of no return. So we pray. 

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

Source: 'Drummingthemessagehome', October 8, 2020 blog post.