A wise prayer
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Elections are next week. As I've been keeping up with the news, this prayer has come to mind again and again. I read it on pages 131-132 in Christ Among the Dragons: Finding Our Way Through Cultural Challenges
by James Emery White. It was written by him prior to the last presidential election. You could insert any office in place of "Mr. President" below and make other changes as necessary, but it's not hard to adapt. That's what I've been doing in preparation for the elections.
by James Emery White. It was written by him prior to the last presidential election. You could insert any office in place of "Mr. President" below and make other changes as necessary, but it's not hard to adapt. That's what I've been doing in preparation for the elections.Dear Mr. President,
I do not yet know your name, but in a few days you will be elected to our nation's highest office, and become the leader of the free world at the end of a long and engaging election season.
I wanted you to know that I will be praying for you. Not praying against you, or about you, but for you. That is both my pledge, and my obligation as a follower of Christ.
In the Bible, the apostle Paul writes, "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness."
And I will do so with a full and undivided heart.
I will be praying for you from my position as a father of four children, and God willing, future grandchildren; that you will have the foresight to think through what your decisions will mean for them as the next generation.
I will be praying for you as a citizen of the United States; that you will seek wisdom from God and humbly submit yourself to His leadership as you lead our nation through economic turbulence, domestic divides, and cultural diversities.
I will be praying for you as a member of the global population; that you will work with other well-intentioned leaders from around the world as we face environmental challenges, wars and rumors of wars, and humanitarian crises.
And finally, I will be praying for you as a Christian, that you will encourage faith in God to flourish and never allow deeply held spiritual convictions to become a matter of ridicule, instead of encouraging everyone to grant them a respectful hearing, even if they go against the political policy of your party.
It is being widely spoken that the next president will inherit more that needs immediate attention than any other president in recent memory. As a result, it has been a hard-fought and hotly contested election. Yes, I will vote, and I do not know if you will be the one for whom I cast my ballot. But following November 4th, all that must be set aside no matter how deep the divides may be.
So while I do not know if you will be the candidate I voted for, I do know that no matter your name, I will support you in one way without question.
When he preached the sermon after the election, he added this bit of encouragement to his congregation:I will be praying for you.
Work for your beliefs. Make your convictions known. Join the political process, but never let yourself become so partisan that you become more of a Republican or a Democrat than a Christian. And never forget that as important as this election was, government pales in comparison to the church.(Photo credit: White House photo, Lawrence Jackson)