Dear Church that meets in America,

We are a people of prayer and praise! We rejoice always (Philippians 4:4)! Every circumstance, whether good or bad, just or unjust, edifying or demeaning is met with praise.

We are spiritual heirs of Paul and Silas. When unfairly imprisoned, they did not spend the night complaining about the unfairness of their situation. They did not speak harshly of their jailers, mocking them and calling them names. They did not pronounce judgment on their jailers. Instead they prayed and worshiped. They rejoiced always.

Dear Church that meets in America, that is who we are. We worship when persecuted. We pray when we are unfairly treated. We demonstrate supreme trust in God to deliver us. Because like the jailers were listening to Paul and Silas, the world is listening to us.

Our joy not our indignation is contagious.
Our hope not our anger is inviting.
Our faith in God not our trust in politics produces hunger for God.
Our grace and mercy not our judgment empowers freedom from sin.
Our kindness not our rules will lead others to repentance.

We are the Church that meets in America. We respond to unfair treatment with prayer and praise. Our persecutors see our joy, our steadfast faith, our hope and the power of our God. We make the world so thirsty for our God, they fall to their knees and ask, “What must I do to be saved?”

Go out today and be the Church.

“But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.

And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?””
‭‭Acts‬ ‭16:25-26, 30‬ ‭NKJV‬‬