An Appeal to Heaven
What Should That Sound Like for America Today
as We Celebrate Our 250th Anniversary?
On January 5, 2021, we witnessed flags in the hands of some of the assailants at the Capitol that read, “An Appeal to Heaven.” This past week, I was Zooming with a friend. I could see posted on the back wall of his office the same banner: “An Appeal to Heaven.”
That made me wonder: Where did that flag come from? What do the words mean? What does such an appeal sound like?
So, as usual (!), I consulted my Gemini AI and learned this:
Originating among New England colonists, the flag was officially commissioned in 1775 by General George Washington for Massachusetts privateers, which caused it to grow in popularity across the colonies as an early symbol of colonial resolve against British rule, representing their reliance on divine providence.
I’m not sure how our forefathers composed their “appeal” for divine providence and intervention. But in this 250th-year celebration of America’s founding as a nation, I’d like to suggest that the prayer (appeal) I’m going to share with you represents how all God’s people throughout the land should be praying for our nation in this crisis hour.
Here’s a truly powerful prayer—an appeal to heaven for America today. (Hint: Most of us have never prayed for our nation like this before!)
It is composed by my dear friend Steve Hall. Steve has served for many years with International Renewal Ministries as well as on the board of Proclaim Hope / Christ Now.
Just this past week, I joined a Zoom call with the national staff of a major Christian organization. We actually prayed this prayer—and built on this prayer—during the evening.
Please join with Steve and me—and thousands of others—as we pray this prayer together, starting this very week. Then, let’s pray it often throughout the year as we celebrate America’s 250th birthday!
David Bryant
An Appeal to Heaven for America
on Her 250th Anniversary
FATHER: As we make our appeal to Heaven for your divine intervention in the life of our nation in crisis, we begin with the declaration of Isaiah 64:
“Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down,
that the mountains would tremble before you! ….
[C]ome down to make your name known to your enemies
and cause the nations to quake before you!
For when you did awesome things that we did not expect,
you came down …
Since ancient times no one has heard,
no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who acts on behalf of those who wait for him” (vv. 1-4, NIV).
Accordingly, WE CALL DOWN UPON AMERICA—upon our churches and all our citizens—the spectacular supremacy of Jesus, in order to renew, reclaim, and rebuild the entire American experiment from the ground up, as Jesus takes his rightful place as our Chief Cornerstone.
WE CALL DOWN the promise of Jesus to bring a spiritual revolution to those who seek him for it. We call down his willingness to revive us with his risen, reigning life. We call down his power to bring forth on this continent a new nation that has been thoroughly awakened to Christ for ALL he is.
WE CALL DOWN the justice of Jesus to overcome every kind of oppression and inequity. We call down his righteousness to purge us of our great immoralities. We call down his honesty and purity to liberate us from all our corruptions.
WE CALL DOWN the empathy of Jesus to flood the hearts of protesters. We call down his reconciling blood to dispel hatred and racism of every kind. We call down his truth to overcome all deceptions and lies.
WE CALL DOWN the redeeming reign of Jesus to invade and redirect the lives of our leaders. We call down his graciousness and respect to redefine and recalibrate our many political disagreements. We call down his sovereign intervention in the selection of candidates in upcoming elections, in our choices of who should lead us into a time of national renewal.
WE CALL DOWN the victories of Jesus to triumph over the hearts of terrorists, domestic or otherwise. We call down his protection and discipline for all law enforcement to release in them a predisposition toward justice, compassion, courage, and self-control. We call down his kingdom transformation to confront and cure every system of injustice, racial and otherwise, throughout our land.
WE CALL DOWN the compassionate deliverance of Jesus to be poured out with great effect upon the poor, the disenfranchised, the hungry, the abandoned, the homeless, and the sinned-against.
WE CALL DOWN the peace of Jesus to prevail in all places of fear, discord, distrust, hostility, and hatred, just as he promised: “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
ULTIMATELY, WE CALL DOWN a revolution by the revelation of Jesus— so that the spectacular greatness and glory, fullness and power, authority and sovereignty, lordship and love of the Lamb of God who reigns forever at the center of the Throne would saturate the whole Church and all the people of our nation! (See Revelation 5.)
FATHER, we make this heart-cry with abounding expectations that you will answer us “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (Ephesians 3:20, NKJV).
Thus, we seal this united prayer with the benediction of Jude 1:
Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling
and to present you blameless
before the presence of his glory with great joy,
to the only God, our Savior,
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority,
before all time and now and forever.
AMEN!
(vv. 24-25, ESV, emphasis added)
Steve Hall is an ordained pastor and represents International Renewal Ministries in Washington State and the Philippines. His consuming passion for more than 40 years has been to know Christ all he possibly can and to help other Christian leaders grow in their awe and love of Him by constantly encouraging them to live in Christ’s supremacy and to unite in seeking Him.
Steve wrote a daily devotional book called I Want to Know More of Christ. It is based on 365 names or attributes of Christ to help readers worship and love Christ more and surrender themselves completely to Him. You can read these devotions or listen to the audio version every day here at ChristNow.com.
If you want to talk more about Christ and his greatness, please contact Steve anytime at stevehall_irm@msn.com.
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