Roger Marsh: Greetings, and welcome back to Family Talk, I'm Roger Marsh. We have a very timely interview to share with you today. Recently, Dr. Tim Clinton, our co-host and the JDFI resident authority on relationships and mental health, attended the National Day of Prayer in Washington, DC. This year, the National Day of Prayer was Thursday, May the fifth. By federal law and presidential decree, it is celebrated on the first Thursday of May every year.
Dr. Clinton caught up with today's guest before she presided over an official ceremony, kicking off two days of powerful and prayerful events in our nation's capital. And what better place than Washington, DC, for us to ask God for his mercy, his wisdom and guidance for our leaders there? Dr. Clinton's guest today here on the program is Kathy Branzell, president of the National Day of Prayer Task Force. During their conversation, Kathy will share about her friendship with the Dobsons and why she has come to hold such a high view of prayer. She'll also talk about the history of the National Day of Prayer and the function and purpose of the National Day of Prayer Task Force. You'll get to know Kathy a little bit better as a prayer warrior, a mom, and a faith leader, who relied upon her faith to get her through some challenging times. Let's join Dr. Tim Clinton right now on today's edition of Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk.
Dr. Tim Clinton: Hello and welcome to Family Talk. I'm Dr. Tim Clinton, your co-host and president of the American Association of Christian Counselors. We're coming to you today from Washington DC, on the day before the National Day of Prayer. The air is buzzing right here as Christian leaders from all over the nation are coming to the capital to lift up our country in prayer to almighty God. Here at Family Talk, the National Day of Prayer holds a special place in our heart, Dr. Dobson's wife, Shirley Dobson led the National Day of Prayer Task Force for 25 years, from 1991 until 2016 when she stepped down from her post. The baton was passed to Anne Graham Lotz, on to Dr. Ronnie Floyd and ultimately to our guest today here on the broadcast. Her name, Kathy Branzell, and let me tell you, this woman has a true heart and zeal for the Lord and for prayer.
Let me tell you a little bit more about her. Kathy Branzell serves as president of the National Day of Prayer Task Force. She also served as longtime member of the board of directors, having led and served alongside of Vonette Bright, Shirley Dobson, Anne Graham Lotz and Dr. Ronnie Floyd. Along with her work with the National Day of Prayer Task Force, she was the founder and president of Fellowship And Christian Encouragement for Educators where she authored 17 years of weekly scripture reading, prayer prompts and devotionals for educators to use in their weekly prayer meetings throughout the school year.
Kathy is the author and co-author of five books, including An Invitation To Prayer, Prayer Warrior, 40 Days of Love, and A Prayer Warrior's Guide To Spiritual Battle. Kathy earned her bachelor's degree in education and human development from the University of Georgia, her master's degree in biblical studies from, I know this university, Liberty University. Kathy is married to her childhood sweetheart Russ, mom of two grown kids, son Chandler, and a daughter Emily. Kathy, welcome into Family Talk, we're delighted to have you. Dr. Dobson and his wife, Shirley have such love and high regard for you, they wish they could be here. They wanted you to know of their prayers for all that God's doing in and through you and the National Day of Prayer.
Kathy Branzell: Oh, what an honor. I love them so much, and they've been such a big part of my life now for 22 years.
Dr. Tim Clinton: Tomorrow, millions are going to gather to pray for our nation, and I guess we should begin this way. We know that prayer is powerful, nothing of eternal significance, Dr. Jerry Falwell used to say, happens apart from prayer.
Kathy Branzell: That's right.
Dr. Tim Clinton: It transcends race, political division, so much more. And by the way, 2 Chronicles 7:14 says that prayer changes nations. Kathy, dial us in to what's going to be happening here in the capital, and what we're asking God to do?
Kathy Branzell: Well, first and foremost, our theme this year is exalt the Lord who has established us. And our scripture verses from this year's theme comes from Colossians 2:6-7, which says, "As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, having been firmly rooted, and now being built up in him, established in your faith just as you were instructed and overflowing with gratitude." Interestingly, this year is about praising the Lord before we start asking him, and we will be interceding for our nation throughout the day, but first we want to fill the throne room of Heaven with praise. We just want to adore the Lord.
Scripture says, "From the overflow of our heart, the mouth speaks." And I had to spend some time with the Lord, convicted and then in repentance for what has come out of my mouth, maybe in not such a loving way and not such a God glorifying way, and not such a God exalting way over the last few years, and retrain my brain to know, if I have time to complain about it, I have time to pray about it. But God is still on his throne, he has not left the building, he's not dead.
Dr. Tim Clinton: Amen.
Kathy Branzell: We want to praise God, adore him, and build up our hope again in him first and foremost, and then come to him with God-sized prayers for America and for this world.
Dr. Tim Clinton: For such a time as this.
Kathy Branzell: Absolutely.
Dr. Tim Clinton: Kathy, I wanted to ask you before we go too much further, a little bit about your relationship with Shirley Dobson. And I know you mentioned her briefly, but you guys have quite a history. I hear you guys talk, text quite a bit-
Kathy Branzell: Yes.
Dr. Tim Clinton: ... stay in touch, and I know she's been a mentor, but there's a special bond there between the two of you.
Kathy Branzell: There is, I honor her so much, but I have such a sweet affection for her and for Doctor, as they prayed for my children, they prayed me through cancer. But Shirley used to call me her Nancy Drew and that was such a compliment. If she needed something researched or she needed more information, or she wanted a prayerful perspective or some big administration feat that was outside even the parameters of the very limited but wonderful staff of the National Day of Prayer Task Force, she would ask me. So I had the privilege of helping with the summits, the four Pray for America bus tours that we did. I got to travel with Shirley, we played golf with her and Doctor, and traveled with them. And we have prayed hundreds of prayers together, I just love her so much.
Dr. Tim Clinton: Now some of the history, go back, I believe that President Ronald Reagan is the one who actually signed into law, if you will, the National Day of Prayer piece.
Kathy Branzell: Okay, so I'm going to take you back even further to in the beginning. Of course we know that prayer helped establish this nation.
Dr. Tim Clinton: Absolutely.
Kathy Branzell: That when the Continental Congress couldn't agree, they said, "Stop everything, we're going to go pray." But in 1952, now this is really where the National Day or Prayer began, Dr. Billy Graham stood just steps away from where you and I are today, and he challenged Congress to call for a National Day of Prayer. So Congress took him seriously, he took that challenge seriously, and within weeks, a unanimous vote in Congress for a resolution to establish a National Day of Prayer, and then President Truman signed it into law. This is our 71st observance of having a National Day of Prayer. And then we know Vonette Bright began to knock on doors of Congress in 1986 and '87. We knew we needed a day, the same day every year, and in 1988, President Reagan signed a resolution to give us the first Thursday of May, every year, by law the President must proclaim a day of prayer for our nation.
Dr. Tim Clinton: Every president.
Kathy Branzell: Yes, by law.
Dr. Tim Clinton: Interesting, and so meaningful. Kathy, I wanted to connect the dots a little bit deeper with you for a moment. You have been asked through the years to be a part of leading this, and you've turned it down, turned it down type thing, but somewhere all this comes together and you make a decision to go ahead and head this National Day of Prayer Task Force, and now serve as president over this entity. Tell us a little bit about what led up to... I think you turned it down three times or something?
Kathy Branzell: I did, after Dr. Ronnie Floyd let us know that he was going to be going back to the Southern Baptist Convention on the executive team, our chairman told the board of directors, "Just pray, do not talk to each other, just pray and ask the Lord where we should go and who should be the next president of the National Day of Prayer." We all went into a time of prayer and he said, "If you get a name, call me." Four days later he called and he said, "Kathy, do you have a name?" And I said, "No, not yet." And he said, "Well, everybody else does." And I think, "Oh gosh, God's not talking to me, what have I done?" And I said, "Oh, well, who are some of the names?" He goes, "No, just one name." And I said, "The board is in agreement over one person? Well tell me who it is." And he goes, "You." And I said, "Tell the board to go back and pray again."
Did that twice, and so Dick Eastman from Every Hope for Christ, he is on our board of directors. On the third time he rebuked me and he said, "Kathy, are you praying about this?" And I said, "Of course I am." And he goes, "No, no. Are you asking God to give us another name, or are you asking God if it's you?" I went back and I prayed and fasted, and on the third day, I'm on the floor, saying, "Lord, I'm not a Bright, I'm not a Dobson, I'm not a Graham, I'm not a Floyd. Nobody knows my name." And in my spirit, I just heard the Lord say, "I know your name."
Dr. Tim Clinton: I know your name.
Kathy Branzell: And it was just... I said, "Then I don't care if anybody ever knows my name, as long as they know yours." With the fear of the Lord and knowing that we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for the good works he's already prepared, I humbly said, "Yes." And rely on him every day. I'm a glory story waiting to happen, because he chooses the weak and the foolish. And here I am, getting to do such an amazing, amazing thing to gather millions of people throughout the year and every year, to love Jesus and pray.
Dr. Tim Clinton: Kathy, I've heard nothing but amazing stories about you and how God's working in your heart and what he's doing through this, and I celebrate that with you. As you have stepped into this role, you've been called by God to this moment, to this hour, and I wonder what you think as you canvas the country, everybody's up on social media, this is an insane time. A lot of people are crying out to God and we're praying that God would hear the prayers of his people. What do you see? What's in your heart as you look at the nation in this hour?
Kathy Branzell: Oh, so many things, but mostly that God is a jealous God and he doesn't share his glory. He has told us time and time and again, "First you will have no other gods before me." And so thus the exalt the Lord piece this year, right? Let's get back to praising him and remembering he is our hope. And then secondly, he said, "Be anxious for nothing, don't worry." All of the emotional things that we've gotten wrapped up in, we have to unplug our heart from our feelings, that is when your heart is plugged into your flesh, to culture. And we need to re-plug our hearts into the Holy Spirit so that we start experiencing fruitfulness, love, joy, peace, all those things people are hunting for and can't find.
As I look out at the nation and I meet everyday people who are hurtful, hopeless, hateful, I just pray for them. They are missing our Lord Jesus Christ. Every fruit has a root, as you know as a counselor, you have to get to the root of whatever, good or bad fruit they're exhibiting. In our nation there is a harvest of fruitfulness coming, there is a harvest of souls coming, and we are called to run to the front line, as followers of Jesus Christ, lock our shields together, run to the front line and contend for the soul of this nation in prayer. And that's what I see right now across America.
Dr. Tim Clinton: I have in my hand, a devotional that you put together called An Invitation to Prayer. On the cover, peace, love, wisdom, happiness, purpose, and so much more. Ronnie Floyd, by the way who I love, wrote the foreword to it. But Kathy, in that book you challenge people to get beyond the insanity, to come into the presence of God, and then to journey with God in an intimate way, getting to know him. Because when we press into God's heart, when we are with him, when we abide with him, it begins to calm things. And by the way, reorient our minds, it recalibrates the way we see the world, because he is who he says he is. And it's like, God, we need your protection, we need your provision, we need your power, we need your presence like never before. That's the substance that's driving what's behind this National Day of Prayer Task Force Team, what's in your heart and so much more. Take us back to where those seeds got sown because those go deep into your past and how you grew up.
Kathy Branzell: Absolutely. I grew up a military brat. By the time I was 15, we had lived 18 different places. When scripture talks about being firmly rooted, our roots, we were just in little pots and we got carried all around the world. We never had deep roots, except in the Lord. And I was so grateful. It didn't matter if we were going to be somewhere for six weeks, the first thing my parents did was we went to church. We established church membership and got involved in our community, even if we were going to be there for six weeks, because God established us there for such a time as this. That's where those seeds were so deeply rooted in me, and then in the trials and the triumphs of life.
Dr. Tim Clinton: And Kathy, you've had a few, by the way.
Kathy Branzell: Just a few, yeah. I fought a brain tumor for 14 years. And then a year after I was healed, our son who was in high school, was diagnosed with a very rare blood cancer, and we got to glorify God through two years of infusions of chemo and that with him. And I'll tell you, when my 16 year old was diagnosed with cancer, he said, "Doc, either way, I win." And the doctor at Children's Hospital in Denver had no idea how to respond to him. And he said, "Let me explain to you, sir." He said, "If by the miracle of medication, the Lord allows you, Jesus allows you to cure me, then great. I live longer and I am not done with my destiny." He goes, "But Doc, if the Lord calls me home and I get to go be in Heaven with Jesus, that's a bigger win." He said, "Doc, just so you know, no guilt for you if I die, but no glory for you if I live."
That was something else for a young doctor who did not know Jesus at the time, to hear from a 16 year old. But I was so grateful that he knew through 14 years of my experience, that this was an opportunity to talk to people about Jesus in infusion rooms and labs, and radiology, and hospitals around all over our neighborhoods.
Dr. Tim Clinton: Kathy, we're pressing a little bit with time here. I wanted to ask you, for those who are out there who struggle with prayer, sometimes they wonder whether or not it matters. What do you say to that person, right now, encouraging them? I mean, you guys are out mobilizing millions of people to stand united in prayer, and why is it important that they get this piece right?
Kathy Branzell: Because, well, E.M. Bounds, the great writer says that-
Dr. Tim Clinton: Like Bounds.
Kathy Branzell: I love E.M. Bounds, but one of my favorite quotes is, "Our prayers project our faith on God, and God on the world." And there is nothing I can give the world greater than to project God on them, but it happens in relationship. So if you struggle in prayer, I just need to remind you that you have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, or I pray that you do. And if you don't, find out how you can. And I just want to encourage you to have a conversation and to listen, for God to speak to your spirit, but just let it be sweet and intimate. The other thing is to find other people to pray with, because prayer is caught, not taught. Notice that when they said "Lord, teach us to pray," Jesus prays.
Dr. Tim Clinton: He does.
Kathy Branzell: He doesn't sit down and go, "Okay, let me explain praise to you, let me explain thanks to you. Let me explain intercession to you." Although those are great things, but if you want a more intense and intimate prayer life, start listening to the prayers of others. I just want to encourage you, every single day, to talk to our Lord Jesus Christ, who loves you more than you could ever understand, whose thoughts towards you outnumber the grains of sand on this planet, and who inclines his ear to hear your voice.
Dr. Tim Clinton: He loves the prayers of his people and he hears the prayers of his people, and prayer is powerful. I love that Bounds quote, E.M. Bounds, "Little prayer, little power. More prayer, more power. Much prayer, much power." I wanted to ask you in closing, how do you mobilize so many people to prayer? And what are you asking, again, God to do in our country for such a time as this? With such great division and so much more?
Kathy Branzell: Well we have over 17,000 volunteer coordinators, who week end and week out, say, "Kathy, what are we doing this week? Kathy, what are we praying about this week?" We have articles, you can go to nationaldayofprayer.org and receive our Thursday articles. I do a Friday Facebook post video. It's all prayer, it's all scripture. And we are praying that millions of hearts and voices unite in prayer and exalt the Lord. And as their strength returns, as their hope returns, as they remember how great and mighty our God is, that it will not just be on the National Day of Prayer, but that it will launch a lifestyle of exalting the Lord.
Dr. Tim Clinton: Amen. Kathy, if people wanted to learn more or support National Day of Prayer, what would they do?
Kathy Branzell: The best thing to do is go to nationaldayofprayer.org, and you can click on the event finder, you can click on the resources. If you did not see the broadcast on May 5th, if you missed that or you want to watch it again, the link will still be up and you can watch the National Day of Prayer, broadcast. 90 minutes of prayer, some of your favorite pastors and influencers, and authors, and worship leaders. So pray with us, you can click that donate button if God has called you to give to him through the ministry of National Day of Prayer, we appreciate that. But we want to resource you, we want to pray for you and pray with you, and look forward to hearing from you.
Dr. Tim Clinton: Philippians 4:6 says, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests, your prayers be made known to God." 1 Thessalonians 5:7, "Pray without ceasing." Romans 12:12, "Rejoice and hope, be patient in tribulation. Be constant in prayer." Kathy, such a delight to be, again with you. We're praying God's amazing hand of guidance and blessing over the good work. Probably a fitting way for us to close out this broadcast would be to just maybe ask you to pray for those who are listening and pray for our nation in this hour. Would you do that for us?
Kathy Branzell: Oh, I would love to, thank you. Oh Lord Jesus, you are the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, the Alpha and the Omega. Lord I pray for every person listening right now and beyond, Lord that they would be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord. That they would know your love, that they would know you as creator, sustainer, redeemer. That there is no sin that they have committed that you are not willing to forgive, that they would draw near to you. I pray, Lord that hope would be restored, that faith would be strengthened, that you and you alone would be exalted in this nation. Lord, that they would know you have been pursuing them because you are their creator, their Abba Father, and you love us more than we could ever understand. Lord, I pray America would love and bless you back, that we would be one nation under God. Thank you, Jesus. We love you, be exalted, because it is you who have established us, and it's in your powerful, wonderful, beautiful name we always pray. Amen.
Dr. Tim Clinton: Amen. What a gift and privilege we have to be able to go before our Heavenly Father. Kathy's such a delight again to have you. On behalf of Dr. Dobson, his wife, Shirley, the team at Family Talk, we salute you and pray that God would go before you, establish your ways, and may the Lord be exalted in and through it all. Thank you for joining us.
Kathy Branzell: Thank you.
Roger Marsh: A timely reminder of the power and importance of prayer in every believer's life. And for that matter, the importance of praying for our country and our leaders as well. You've been listening to Family Talk, and that was our co-host Dr. Tim Clinton with his special guest, Kathy Branzell, president of the National Day of Prayer Task Force. Their conversation was recorded on May the 4th, 2022, the day before this year's National Day of Prayer. Kathy Branzell is a prayer warrior and also a personal friend of Doctor and Shirley Dobson. I know that she would covet your prayers right now as she continues to lead the National Day of Prayer Task Force. Now to learn more about Kathy Branzell or the National Day of Prayer, visit drjamesdobson.org/familytalk or give us a call at (877) 732-6825. And when you do call, don't hesitate to share your prayer request as well. We have team members waiting to pray with and for you, 24/7. That number once again is (877) 732-6825.
Now before we go, I want to let you know that some very special friends of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute have generously given the ministry a matching gift of $300,000 for the month of June. This means that any donation you make to the JDFI and Family Talk in the month of June, will be matched dollar for dollar. So a $100 gift becomes a $200 donation. A $1,000 gift becomes $2,000, you get the idea. Won't you please prayerfully consider taking this opportunity to have your impact doubled? That's twice the amount of families served nationwide and literally all over the world. To make your donation online today, just visit drjamesdobson.org, or you can give us a call at (877) 732-6825. I'm Roger Marsh, thanks again for making us a part of your day and please join us again next time right here for another edition of Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk.
Announcer: This has been a presentation of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute.