If My People

Today is the National Day of Prayer, a time to pause and reflect.
Millions will gather to seek God's face aware of the need to connect.
Our nation, once humble before the Lord with values from holy writ,
Is now embroiled in a culture war with society torn and split.

There was a time when America acknowledged truth from heaven above.
A time when she sat on crowded pew to learn of the Savior's love.
Faithful believers employed their clout condemning slavery's perversion.
Exposing the lies within and without, calling for moral conversion.

Way back in the colonial days, the culture was sliding down hill,
But faithful preachers knelt to pray and preached against moral ills.
Edwards, Whitfield and many more proclaimed redemption's story.
The gospel won this spiritual war and the colonies regained their glory.

It took about one hundred years for moral decline to grow strong.
The people abandoned godly fear; the culture was going wrong.
Drunkenness and love of self, a desire for selfish taking—
These were the values that prevailed before the Second Awakening.

Frontier preachers and city pastors called for repentance and prayer.
Thousands attended camps and preaching. The presence of God was there.
The West was tamed, for the gospel restrained tremendous moral pollution.
The social renewal brought us to the industrial revolution.

There was the time America shined, when her young men answered the call.
Our soldiers beat back the Nazi attack fighting to save us all.
This ushered in the golden era, the optimistic 50's,
But spiritual decline rose in its time to dominate the 60's.

In my lifetime from the 50's on, dependence on God declined.
False philosophies continued strong with messages smooth and refined.
The Truth still stands on America's bookshelves simply gathering dust.
If we hope to be saved from ourselves, the Scriptures are a must.

We gather today in thousands of places to petition for intervention.
It is our duty to acknowledge sin, confess our inattention.
If God's people called by His name will humble themselves and pray.
Perhaps we will see another awakening like those of yesterday.

This poem was a finalist in the May 2010 poetry contest