What Billy Graham Said About Racial Reconciliation
Billy Graham was once asked, “If you could eradicate any problem in America, what would it be?” The evangelist’s answer: “The racial division and strife in our nation.”
America is not the only nation where racism has reared its ugly head, and racial reconciliation matters.
Racism and hatred of other races is from the pit of hell. It’s a sin in the heart of mankind. As a sin issue, the body of Christ should be at the forefront of racial reconciliation. But if we’re honest, there’s even racism in the church.
Martin Luther King once said, “We need a powerful sense of determination to banish the ugly blemish of racism scarring the image of America. We can, of course, try to temporize, negotiate small, inadequate changes and prolong the timetable of freedom in the hope that the narcotics of delay will dull the pain of progress. We can try, but we shall certainly fail. The shape of the world will not permit us the luxury of gradualism and procrastination. Not only is it immoral, it will not work … it will not work because it retards the progress not only of the Negro, but of the nation as a whole.”
Racial reconciliation efforts honor God. John 3:16 tells us plainly, “‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.'” God created mankind and loves all of mankind, despite race or ethnicity.
Racial reconciliation is part of God’s plan. Revelation 5:9 (ISV) says, “And they sang a new song, saying: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.'”
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Prayer Points
— (Join our corporate prayer call here.)
— Ask for forgiveness for all the racially divided organizations promoting division and supremacy (Phil. 2:3).
— Ask for forgiveness for allowing slavery to be established in our nation (James 5:16).
— Pray for cross-racial alignment in the body of Christ to form.
— Pray to uproot racial history and heal our land of its tragedy, shame, and blood shed; that it would be through our repenting hearts.
— Pray to honor the redemptive gifts and values in differ racial groups.
— Pray for covenant friendships bond by David-Jonathan love and unity that defies and overrides their prejudices and hate.
— Pray for God to shift the mindset of behaviors the church and nations regarding race.
— Pray that parents will begin raising children to love and teach them compassion that will break across color lines.
— Pray for justice, equality, reconciliation (Amos) prophets to rise; for Jonah prophets to have their Damascus moment; for the body to be ministers of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18).
— Pray God would give leaders strategies to integrate cross racial boundaries in their sphere of influence.
— Pray the body of Christ would not be afraid to evangelize and minister in “those” neighborhoods; and that they wouldn’t come into these neighborhoods with a wrong intent/motive.
— Pray that the “them versus us” mindset would be demolished.
— Pray God would help us see people as He sees them, through eyes of love and their God given potential (John 1:12-13).
— Pray those who have been wronged would enter into radical forgiveness for their own sake (Eph. 4:32).
— Pray for hearts to be healed that are hurting due to generational mistreatment because of skin color (Matt. 6:14).
— Pray we would get a deeper revelation of 1 John 4:20, “If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar. For whoever does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” and 1 John 4:21, “We have this commandment from Him: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.”
We decree the light of truth on this lie of one race being better than another. We are each precious and created equal in your image God (Gen. 1:27).
We renounce any seeds of racism planted in us or our family line. Forgive us Lord and cleanse our bloodline (Heb. 12:4).
We cast the mountain of racism that has divided people to be thrown into the sea (Matt. 11:22-23).
We command the enemy fueling this lie and hatred to be silent (1 Pet. 5:8).
We decree what the enemy meant for evil you shall use for good. You turn the tables on the enemy in using people to love others as we love ourselves and to love like you love Jesus (Gen. 50:20, Matt. 22:39, John 15:12).
We decree radical encounters for those being used by the devil to stir up hatred (Acts 9:4).
We decree our nation shall be healed of racism and that our prayers and our voices are part of the solution. {eoa}
Jennifer LeClaire is an internationally recognized author, apostolic-prophetic voice to her generation, and conference speaker. She is the senior leader of Awakening House of Prayer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, founder of the Ignite Network and founder of the Awakening Prayer Hubs prayer movement.
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