“Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.” -2 Chronicle 7:14 NLT

A Time to Think… 
“When I was a kid, man, I used to love standing for the national anthem and I still love standing for the National Anthem. I think of our troops, but most importantly, I think of the American population and everybody as a whole.” -Mike Evans NFL Wide-receiver, and founder of Mike Evans Family Foundation-its mission is to share Christ by making a difference in the lives of children in need and families that are impacted by domestic violence. 

A Time to Act…
On this National Anthem Day, it is fitting to know the story of our song. At sea, Francis Scott Key had a similar night. Being a religious man, one who believed the war could have been avoided, he watched the bombs bursting in air over the water and steadily pummeling Fort McHenry. It was undoubtedly a sight to behold. For 25 hours, the star-shaped fort manned by approximately 1,000 American soldiers endured over 1,500 cannon shots. The Fort answered with their own with almost no effect. In the early morning of September 14th, after Major George Armistead’s troops stopped the British landing party in a blaze of gunfire, the major ordered the oversized American flag raised in all its glory over Fort McHenry. Key was so moved by the experience he immediately began penning the lyrics to a song which were later published by his brother-in-law, and it soon became our National Anthem.

A Time to Pray… 
O Lord, countries around the world sing anthems for the country, state, cities, etc. It is the pride in our hearts where we live. It is the gift you have given us to live and grow up in such places. Yet we have many who are also hurt by our country, bigotry, color of your skin, our first peoples who lived here long before we called it America, and so much more. Today is a good day to pray that we come together and stop the divisions. We can stand and sing, sit and sing, get on our knees and sing or not sing. There is no mandate on this but there is a mandate from you, that we shall love one another…always! AMEN.