One Prayer the Church in America Urgently Needs Right Now

May I ask you this question. What does the color of your skin, the political party you belong to, your opinion about social issues, your economic status, or who is in office have to do with how you treat your brother or sister? If these things change the way you treat your brother or sister, then you have united around the wrong thing. Please carefully read the words of Paul.

What Paul is saying is that if you are in Christ, all other ties fall away and become secondary because we are first children of God through faith.

I am not trying to paint a Pollyanna picture here. I recognize there are issues in our society. However, if you think all we have to do is elect the right officials, or have the right party in power, or change the right laws, then it is clear you don’t understand the power of sin and the true condition of men’s hearts.

Yes, we should fight to change laws that are not good, but we must recognize that while laws may change conditions, laws cannot change hearts. If you remember Romans 8, the law was powerless because it was weakened by our sinful nature. That has not changed. This means if the society is going to change, if there is going to be transformation in the hearts of men, it is not going to come simply by changing laws. There must be an inward change that can only come through the gospel of Jesus Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit. This is where we the body of Christ come into play and why we must become one, because people’s eternal destination is at stake.

Let me remind you that Jesus prayed that the church would be one so the world would know you sent me. This doesn’t mean they would all believe in Jesus, but at least they would know that he was who he said he was.

For this reason, there is one thing we need to pray for in the church in America more than anything else – that we would become one. That we would lay aside every possible thing that could bring division and that we would stand united around the message and hope of the gospel. That we would love each other and be the body of Christ and his representatives in the earth. That we as one body would pray for each other and pray that the message of the gospel would go forth with the power of the Holy Spirit.

As you go to pray, let this be the prayer you pray for the church in America. I hope you see the urgency of this matter and recognize there is nothing else that is more important.

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Clarence L. Haynes Jr. is a dynamic speaker, Bible teacher, and co-founder of The Bible Study Club, dedicated to helping people live with purpose and clarity. In addition to his ministry work, Clarence has spent the last 13 years as a trusted financial educator, guiding thousands of people across the country—including employees at many Fortune 500 companies—toward lasting financial wellness. His unique ability to blend practical wisdom with spiritual insight equips people to thrive in every area of life.

He is the author of The Pursuit of Purpose, which helps readers understand how God leads them into his will, and the author of The Pursuit of Victory: How To Conquer Your Greatest Challenges and Win In Your Christian Life. Clarence is also committed to helping 10,000 people learn how to study the Bible and has released his first course, Bible Study Basics, to achieve that goal. To learn more about his ministry and resources, please visit clarencehaynes.com.