Dear ladies, I hardly know what to say. I am so incredibly saddened by the events transpiring in our nation right now.

I spent most of yesterday watching the protests at the United States Capitol on YouTube. As a citizen, I am deeply troubled by the election irregularities that I have seen, especially in my own state. At the same time, in no way do I condone violence.

For the past several years, I’ve been somewhat detached from politics. But this election cycle, I’ve let worry for the future creep in, which is wrong of me. I do not want my children to live in a socialist nation…I want the standards of God to rule our country. At the same time, I cannot expect the Lord to bless a nation whose inhabitants have largely rejected Him. Grave sin is the law of the land. How can we ask Him to bless that? And yet, my mama heart hurts…

I don’t think the answer lies in putting all of our efforts into electing Christian officials. A largely non-Christian population is not going to do this. In Georgia, our home alone has received hundreds of mailers warning against the socialism likely to come from the democratic senate run-off candidates. These warnings did not help the election outcome. What our nation needs is repentance.

When we truly repent, God will heal our land.

I don’t know if this is going to happen. But we can still take heart. We need to realize that America has not replaced Israel as God’s chosen nation, and that our true citizenship isn’t with this country. We are grafted in citizens of Israel.

So much wrong takes place in America today. Besides the obvious sins of abortion and homosexuality in our nation, we are sinning in less obvious ways.

Today I have been studying the difference between sun worship, the true worship of God, and how it relates to America and Israel. So many of the tenants of American Christianity are based off of sun worship. For example, Sunday worship and the celebration of Christmas. Ezekiel 8:9-16 talks of the seriousness of this.

He said to me: “Go and see the wicked abominations that they do here.” So I went in and saw, behold, every detestable image of creeping things and beasts and all the idols of the house of Israel, engraved on the surrounding walls. Standing there before them were 70 men of the elders of the house of Israel, Jaazaniah son of Shaphan standing in their midst, each man with his censer in his hand. A thick cloud of incense went up. Then He said to me: “Son of man, do you see what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in his chamber of his carved idol? For they say, ‘ Adonai does not see us. Adonai has forsaken the land.’” He said further to me, “You will see still greater abominations that they are doing.” He brought me to the door of the gate of Adonai ’s House, which was toward the north. Behold, the women sat there weeping for Tammuz. He said to me, “Have you seen this, son of man? You will again see even greater abominations than these.” So He brought me into the inner court of Adonai ’s House. Behold, at the door of the Temple of Adonai , between the porch and the altar, were about 25 men, with their backs toward the Temple of Adonai and their faces toward the east—and they were bowing in worship eastward toward the sun.

Ezekiel 8:9‭-‬16 TLV

Instead of praying towards the sun, Israel was instructed to pray towards Jerusalem. (1 Kings 8:29-48, Psalm 138:2, and Daniel 6:10). I spent some time in 1 Kings this morning, and was so encouraged.

You have said: ‘My name shall be there;’ listening to the prayer which Your servant shall pray towards this place.

1 Kings 8:29

While this verse is referring to the Temple, subsequent verses also refer to praying towards Jerusalem when not physically there.

When Your people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatever way You send them, and they pray to Adonai toward the city which You have chosen and toward the House which I have built for Your Name…

1 Kings 8:44

…and they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who carries them into exile, and pray to You toward their land that You gave to their fathers, the city that you have chosen and the House which I have built for Your Name…

1 Kings 8:48

1 Kings 8:41-43 also speaks of God’s blessing reaching foreigners when they pray towards His house.

“Moreover concerning the foreigner who is not of Your people Israel, when he comes from a distant country because of Your Name— for they will hear of Your great Name, of Your mighty hand and Your outstretched arm—when he comes to pray toward this House, then may you hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all that the foreigner asks of You. So all the peoples of the earth may know Your Name, to fear You as Your people Israel do, and know that this House that I have built is called by Your Name.”

1 Kings 8:41‭-‬43 TLV

While it is God’s will that I live where I do, His heart for Israel is great. As believers we have been grafted into Israel. Take heart! (See Romans 11).

I bow down toward your Holy Temple and praise Your Name for Your love and Your faithfulness.

Psalm 138:2

May our prayers face toward God and His will.

Related: A Prayerful Start to 2021

I will be praying for so much, including America. I will be praying for safety, wisdom, and courage. We must pray for repentance, starting in our own hearts.

Many blessings to you and your families as we serve our great God.