New Year 2023 – An Outlook of Hope
The title for this column may seem counterintuitive to my faithful readers considering the disappointments we’ve endured through 2022. As we have diligently tried to give chronicle and advice to American leadership and citizens, few glimmers of goodness emerged.
However, let us never forget we serve the Sovereign of all who loves us and as Scripture declares, “‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’” (Jeremiah 29:11 – NASB).
It is the essence of wisdom to know man will fail, but our God never can. As we cling to Him and His eternal promises, we can stand boldly for His righteousness with hearts filled with love, joy, and hope.
As our Father speaks to us through His Word, we can make supplication to Him through prayer. The most powerful force we can wield to fight evil is not fists, verbal attacks, guns, or bombs; it is prayer. Uniting with the Creator and Sustainer of every good thing to tear down the strongholds of Satan and empower His people will be our triumph.
I invite you to join us in prayer as we move into a new year and constant opportunities to shine the light of the Gospel on our darkened world. Here are a few things you can add to your daily prayer list if they’re not already there. Pray for:
· The Church. Without the resurgence of biblical fellowship, discipleship, and outreach, moral clarity cannot be returned to our society
· Our nation. The weakness and decline of biblical ministry have brought us to the point of a detachment from reality and sanity:
o Unborn babies have the inalienable right to life. (Job 31:15)
o Men and women are genetically different and never can one become the other. (Genesis 1:27)
o The sexualizing of our children by the government school system is evil at its roots and the basest form of child abuse. (Matthew 18:6)
o Government is not meant to be sovereign over its citizens. (Exodus 20:3)
o Man is not the arbiter of truth. (John 14:6)
o Sexual deviance is not love. (Jude 1:7)
o Lying is sin. (Revelation 21:8)
· The restoration of America’s founding principles found in the Declaration of Independence and our Constitution
· Civil leaders from school boards to the president. May those who work against America and our God, repent or be purged from leadership and influence. We must eschew electing personalities and cast our votes for those who will uphold their oaths to protect and defend the Constitution
· Our military and first responders. Progressive ideology must be excised from our military and it returned to constant preparedness to defend our nation against our adversaries. Our police, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel must be well funded and supported by government and communities
· Freedom. We must peacefully reject government encroachment on our rights. No more medical mandates, no more infringement of our First and Second Amendments rights, no more unlawful surveillance and legal persecution
· Our national security. The tide of people flowing over our southern border are an existential threat to America and themselves.
Tom Nelson, pastor of Denton Bible Church characterizes the duality of prayer and action this way, “Don’t lean on your shovel and pray for a hole.” God’s people are to be the most active positive force on Earth, first in prayer and Bible absorption, then in service.
For 2023 I pray the Body of Christ will arise as they did in the formation of our great nation. The only thing standing against the complete destruction of our land is the Church. I will continue to speak, write, and publish until the Lord calls me to pass through the veil between this terrestrial journey to His Eternal Kingdom. What will you do?
Oliver L. North is a combat-decorated U.S. Marine, No.1 bestselling author, founder and CEO of Fidelis Publishing LLC and Fidelis Media. His latest book, "The Giant Awakes," is available at faithfultext.com and other book retailers. Find out more at www.olivernorth.com
COPYRIGHT 2021 OLIVER L. NORTH