I don’t consider myself a prayer warrior, but in recent years I have felt God calling me to pray more often—having teenagers in the home helps with that motivation. However, this has been especially true as the days in the American Republic grow darker.

Prayer doesn’t come natural to me. In the past when people told me prayer requests, I would often forget about them if I didn’t write them down. Later I’d see the person I was supposed to pray for and feel embarrassed that I forgot. So I searched for a prayer app and settled on PrayerMate by a British group. I find it useful to track prayer requests, and it offers links to ministries to pray for and prayer guides to help you pray for family, friends, or your church.

Today, the first Thursday of May, is the National Day of Prayer. Many articles appear in the Christian press on this event each year. I found this piece, “Oh God, Rend the Heavens…Heal Our Crippled Churches and Dying Nation” by Shane Idelman, inspiring and convicting.

Yes, Lord, pour out your spirit on this dry and broken land. Rekindle the fire in me and in the church. We’ve been comfortable too long, and now our land lies in spiritual ruin. I love America and don’t want to see her die. I love the church, and don’t like watching her being ineffective or even going astray from the gospel.

Make the crooked ways straight. Raise up those who have fallen in the ditch. Bind up the brokenhearted. Urge and strengthen your church to be your hands and feet in this despairing world. May your spirit and love flow through us and touch everyone around us. Rain down the spirit of revival. Amen.