Worldwide Upheaval Leads to Spiritual Soul-Searching
Christian Leaders offer answers to the past, hope for the future.

Sandpoint, Idaho-On the heels of the bloodiest century in human history, the twenty-first century dawned with hope for the perfectibility of mankind. It was not to be. Instead, it brought carnage, despair, and fear - and gave us new definitions of evil.

In Watch and Pray: Standing in the Gap for Your Nation and Community (Chosen), Don Otis explains that God is more interested in eradicating the evil that resides within the human heart. To accomplish this mission, God will often allow hardship, disappointment, or crisis to help us reorder our priorities.

Otis has assembled short chapters from top Christian leaders who address the spiritual challenges facing the Church and world since September 11, 2001. What is the nature of evil? What is God saying to His people? How does crisis build character? Where is God when bad things happen? How can people of faith use uncertainty to influence their communities?

Watch and Pray identifies five primary themes: Ultimate security is found only in Christ Jesus, Judgment is God's way of getting our attention, God is calling His people to pray and repentance, God's patience has limits, and uncertainty can serve as a catalyst for change.

Otis points to what he calls, "A prescription for deliverance" found in the Bible. It is a clearly defined solution to personal, community-wide, or even a national turnaround. This includes four essential points: inquiring of the Lord, proclaiming a fast, calling God's people together, and seeking God's help for our problems. "One of our primary challenges as individuals and as a nation is the mistaken notion that we can solve all our own problems," says Otis. "God is calling His people to dependence upon Him, to trust in His protection and in His desire to transform our lives, homes, and communities."

In Watch & Pray, Otis solicits the perspective of a cross-section of top Christian leaders including Dr. Bill Bright, Dr. Jack Hayford, Jill Briscoe, Pastor David Wilkerson and others. Otis does not hesitate to admit his personal discovery that America's greatest problem right now is that "there is no consensus among Christian leaders." He also adds that "mercy only comes with true repentance but America has a problem with that because we're prideful." Otis also believes that America is sitting on the precipice of God's judgment.

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