{"id":23209,"date":"2018-05-28T03:30:42","date_gmt":"2018-05-28T10:30:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lccredding.org\/church\/?p=23209"},"modified":"2018-05-23T16:46:51","modified_gmt":"2018-05-23T23:46:51","slug":"may-28-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lccredding.org\/church\/2018\/05\/28\/may-28-2018\/","title":{"rendered":"May 28, 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u201cNow King Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned\u2026. But neither he nor his servants nor the people of the land gave heed to the words of the LORD which He spoke by the prophet Jeremiah. And the king sent [men] to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, \u2018Pray now to the LORD our God for us.\u2019\u201d <\/em>Jeremiah 37:1-3<\/p>\n

Someone Else\u2019s Faith<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Billy Graham was a man of great faith. He traveled all over the world preaching the gospel to crowds in massive stadiums and other venues, often at the invitation of world leaders in both free and oppressed nations. An audience with him was sought by 12 of our own presidents, including our current president. He was invited to appear on television talk shows with men and women who had every intention of discrediting him and his ministry. Billy never wavered in his message: We\u2019re all sinners; Jesus died on the cross for you; repent and be saved. There was no question what he stood for or what message he would give when he spoke.<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t think of another man or woman in this generation whose presence was so sought after. Even movie stars and music stars do not have a bigger stage on which to stand. Decade after decade, it seemed everyone in the world could see his faith.\u00a0\u00a0 Perhaps the world leaders knew Billy dispensed the wisdom of God. Perhaps they saw his unwavering message of truth as a source of strength for them. Perhaps their intent was less noble: stand by a great man, and you will be seen as the friend of greatness. In many cases, these great leaders searched out the presence of Billy Graham far more than they searched for the presence of God.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m sure they sought his prayers. When someone walks with God, people can tell. \u201cNow when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus\u201d\u00a0<\/em>(Acts 4:13). We trust men and women who walk with God. We seek their wisdom and covet their prayers, even when we, ourselves, are strong in the faith.<\/p>\n

This was exactly the scene in today\u2019s Scripture. A new king had been put in place, and he knew doom and destruction of his nation was near. He did the only thing he could\u2014he sought the prayers of a righteous man. He knew he was not close to God. He knew he had not heeded God\u2019s Word. He surely knew his prayers would not be heard by the God who says, \u201cOne who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination\u201d\u00a0<\/em>(Proverbs 28:9).<\/p>\n

Why was Jeremiah asked to pray for the king and nation? Why was Billy Graham so sought after? They could be trusted\u2014they never wavered in their stand. They spent time in God\u2019s Word, in prayer, and in the presence of God\u2014and everyone could see the results.<\/p>\n

\u201cFather, may we live in unwavering faith, strong in Your Word, knowing our prayers are heard by You. In Jesus\u2019 Name, Amen.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

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