Prayer - proper use of
I wonder if J. Lee Grady (see below) would have advocated that Americans pray for Hitler in 1938, as he was beginning his Sherman-like march through Europe, and pulling the entire free world into mortal danger of its very existence.
His call to prayer is misguided - it's based on an assumption that Obama is just another liberal and misguided Dem who can be nudged and nuanced to wiser decisions for the benefit of our collective nation. But that's not what he is, and he's not interested in pursuing advancements of our collective nation. He wants to 'break free' from the constraints of the US Constitution (i.e. 'destroy' the foundational lynchpins of our country). Obama is an enemy of the America that you and I know and love.
I don't recall where in the Bible that Jesus told Christians and Jews to pray for Caesar (he said 'render to Caesar that which is Caesar's, and to God that which is God's'). Nor did he offer up soft somnolent prayers for the money changers in the Temple. He grabbed them by the scruff of their neck and threw them out on their cans.
J. Lee Grady reminds me of one of those pie in the sky Christians that Col. Thieme used to parody "they walk around with their eyes turned Heavenward, chanting "Praise God" while they step off the curb and get run over by a bus".
John Kerry was misguided and a victim of errant thinking - I would have prayed for him.
Obama is the product of a hippy mom that hated her country and acted out in the most blatant way she could think of for that day and age, and he's the product of that hatred, and Marxist influences of his father and stepfather, and his anger over his abandonment by his mom (and the transferral of his anger toward the target of her hatred, ironically - the US). He's not misguided - he's broken, and now inside, he and his agenda is as dangerous as any enemy the US has ever had. The way to beat Texas Tech is not to pray for it - it's to block and tackle better than they do, to have a sound game plan and execute that plan better than Tech does theirs. That means coherent Republican strategy and grassroots work by dedicated people (both in time and effort and money). Praying for that should be the call.
I'm not praying for Obama - I'm praying for steadfast and successful opposition to Obama.
1. Pray for Obama’s protection. We already know that some weird, neo-Nazi fanatics in Tennessee plotted to kill Sen. Obama during his campaign. Let’s pray that racist hatred is not allowed to spread. Let’s cancel every assassin’s bullet in the name of Jesus. May civility triumph over bigotry.
ME: agreed
2. Cover his wife and daughters in prayer. It is not easy to live under constant media scrutiny. Pray for Obama’s wife, Michelle, and their two daughters, Malia and Natasha, as they face invasive cameras, nosy reporters, maniacal fans and dangerous enemies. Obama is not only a politician but also a husband and a father.
ME: Nosy reporters? Nosy reporters didn't exist during Obama's campaign, why should they somehow 'get' nosy now? Did J. Lee miss the campaign?
3. Pray that Obama will govern with God’s wisdom. God rewarded Solomon because he asked for wisdom instead of wealth, long life or vengeance on his enemies (see 1 Kings 3:11-12). Pray that Obama will order his priorities like that. Despite Solomon’s tragic character flaws, his legacy was wisdom. We can ask God to give our president the same grace.
ME: Solomon 'asked' GOD for wisdom so that he could govern his beloved country well. Obama has his priorities, but it is to rip our country's mooring from the lynchpin of the US Constitution.
4. Ask God to keep our president humble. Many great American leaders became corrupt after they moved to Washington. The fatal attraction of fame, wealth and power proved irresistible. The only thing that will guard a man or woman from this pitfall is humility. May God deliver President Obama from the curse of pride.
ME: "keep our president humble"? Too late (he's stated he knows more about good government than the Founding Fathers).
5. Pray for wise and righteous advisers to surround him. Godly leaders cannot do their job alone. Even the best leaders have failed because they trusted the wrong people. Pray that Obama will not select his counselors based on party, race, pedigree or political cronyism but on godly character and proven wisdom. Pray also that he will not allow secret traitors into his inner circle.
ME: I do pray for wise advisers to surround him. But to hope that "he will not allow secret traitors into his inner circle" is to miss the point - these traitors (Ayers, Khalidi, Wright) have been a part of his inner circle for 20 years (and none too secret, either)!
6. Ask for the spirit of reconciliation. Some segments of our deeply divided society want nothing to do with Obama now that he has won the presidency. Even some Christians will be tempted to harbor resentment and nurse political grudges throughout his term in office. Pray that God will grant forgiveness and healing so that leaders on all political levels can have constructive dialogue.
ME: pretty is as pretty does. He'll be judged based upon what he does going forward, but I'll be wary of him - based upon his past words and deeds - until he proves that he's now of different thinking and different doings.
7. Pray that Obama will adopt pro-life convictions. Many politicians have changed their views on key issues while in office. In the 1800s some leaders who favored slavery later denounced it. In the 1950s some who opposed racial integration later became champions of it. Even though Obama won approval from many voters because he sanctions abortion, God could soften and change his heart.
ME: Yes, I will pray for this, as I believe in miracles, and this would definitely qualify. Everything Obama has said screams out the magnitude of the miracle that this would take.
8. Bind all evil forces assigned to manipulate our president. The specter of Islamic terrorism looms over the United States, and dark forces are ready to infiltrate. Our only hope lies in prayer to the God who is able to expose and outwit the schemes of the wicked. This is truly a time for spiritual warfare, and intercessors must not come off the wall in this hour! Pray that no foreign government, terrorist organization or demonic principality will use Obama as a tool. We must stand strong against the spirit of antichrist that promotes dictatorship, persecution of Christians and hostility toward Israel.
ME: agreed. But what if Obama is part of that dark force? For what then do we pray?
9. Pray that Obama’s door will remain open to the church. The loudest voices of secular culturefrom Bill Maher in Hollywood to atheists in academia would be happy if religion were removed from public life. Pray that Obama, who claims to have a personal faith in Jesus Christ, will unapologetically welcome Christian leaders into his company and seek their counsel. And pray that false religious leaders (who claim to know Christ but deny His power) will not have his ear.
ME: False religious leaders (Wright, Phleuger) have had his ear and his allegiance for 20 years. I'll pray that that changes drastically (but keep my eyes open).
10. Pray that our nation will enjoy God’s peace and blessing during the Obama administration. The apostle Paul instructed early believers to pray for all in authority “so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity” (1 Tim. 2:2, NASB). God’s will is for America to experience peace and prosperity so that we can continue to export the gospel to the nations. This must happen whether a Democrat or a Republican is in the White House. As we cry out for God’s mercy on our wayward nation, pray that He will allow us to be a light to the world as we finance global missions, feed and heal the world’s poor and share Christ’s love at home and abroad.
ME: God's will - I believe - is for America to be a client nation to Him, personally believing in Him and growing in the Faith, and nationally conducting our affairs according to His Laws of Divine Establishment. If we do those things as a nation, then we will experience peace and prosperity. If we do not do those things, then we will be disciplined progressively. Our primary mission, imo, is not to 'finance global missions'. It is to grow in our knowledge and desire for Jesus Christ, so that we may discern His will and purpose for us personally and nationally, and progress toward the attainment of that Plan.
His call to prayer is misguided - it's based on an assumption that Obama is just another liberal and misguided Dem who can be nudged and nuanced to wiser decisions for the benefit of our collective nation. But that's not what he is, and he's not interested in pursuing advancements of our collective nation. He wants to 'break free' from the constraints of the US Constitution (i.e. 'destroy' the foundational lynchpins of our country). Obama is an enemy of the America that you and I know and love.
I don't recall where in the Bible that Jesus told Christians and Jews to pray for Caesar (he said 'render to Caesar that which is Caesar's, and to God that which is God's'). Nor did he offer up soft somnolent prayers for the money changers in the Temple. He grabbed them by the scruff of their neck and threw them out on their cans.
J. Lee Grady reminds me of one of those pie in the sky Christians that Col. Thieme used to parody "they walk around with their eyes turned Heavenward, chanting "Praise God" while they step off the curb and get run over by a bus".
John Kerry was misguided and a victim of errant thinking - I would have prayed for him.
Obama is the product of a hippy mom that hated her country and acted out in the most blatant way she could think of for that day and age, and he's the product of that hatred, and Marxist influences of his father and stepfather, and his anger over his abandonment by his mom (and the transferral of his anger toward the target of her hatred, ironically - the US). He's not misguided - he's broken, and now inside, he and his agenda is as dangerous as any enemy the US has ever had. The way to beat Texas Tech is not to pray for it - it's to block and tackle better than they do, to have a sound game plan and execute that plan better than Tech does theirs. That means coherent Republican strategy and grassroots work by dedicated people (both in time and effort and money). Praying for that should be the call.
I'm not praying for Obama - I'm praying for steadfast and successful opposition to Obama.
1. Pray for Obama’s protection. We already know that some weird, neo-Nazi fanatics in Tennessee plotted to kill Sen. Obama during his campaign. Let’s pray that racist hatred is not allowed to spread. Let’s cancel every assassin’s bullet in the name of Jesus. May civility triumph over bigotry.
ME: agreed
2. Cover his wife and daughters in prayer. It is not easy to live under constant media scrutiny. Pray for Obama’s wife, Michelle, and their two daughters, Malia and Natasha, as they face invasive cameras, nosy reporters, maniacal fans and dangerous enemies. Obama is not only a politician but also a husband and a father.
ME: Nosy reporters? Nosy reporters didn't exist during Obama's campaign, why should they somehow 'get' nosy now? Did J. Lee miss the campaign?
3. Pray that Obama will govern with God’s wisdom. God rewarded Solomon because he asked for wisdom instead of wealth, long life or vengeance on his enemies (see 1 Kings 3:11-12). Pray that Obama will order his priorities like that. Despite Solomon’s tragic character flaws, his legacy was wisdom. We can ask God to give our president the same grace.
ME: Solomon 'asked' GOD for wisdom so that he could govern his beloved country well. Obama has his priorities, but it is to rip our country's mooring from the lynchpin of the US Constitution.
4. Ask God to keep our president humble. Many great American leaders became corrupt after they moved to Washington. The fatal attraction of fame, wealth and power proved irresistible. The only thing that will guard a man or woman from this pitfall is humility. May God deliver President Obama from the curse of pride.
ME: "keep our president humble"? Too late (he's stated he knows more about good government than the Founding Fathers).
5. Pray for wise and righteous advisers to surround him. Godly leaders cannot do their job alone. Even the best leaders have failed because they trusted the wrong people. Pray that Obama will not select his counselors based on party, race, pedigree or political cronyism but on godly character and proven wisdom. Pray also that he will not allow secret traitors into his inner circle.
ME: I do pray for wise advisers to surround him. But to hope that "he will not allow secret traitors into his inner circle" is to miss the point - these traitors (Ayers, Khalidi, Wright) have been a part of his inner circle for 20 years (and none too secret, either)!
6. Ask for the spirit of reconciliation. Some segments of our deeply divided society want nothing to do with Obama now that he has won the presidency. Even some Christians will be tempted to harbor resentment and nurse political grudges throughout his term in office. Pray that God will grant forgiveness and healing so that leaders on all political levels can have constructive dialogue.
ME: pretty is as pretty does. He'll be judged based upon what he does going forward, but I'll be wary of him - based upon his past words and deeds - until he proves that he's now of different thinking and different doings.
7. Pray that Obama will adopt pro-life convictions. Many politicians have changed their views on key issues while in office. In the 1800s some leaders who favored slavery later denounced it. In the 1950s some who opposed racial integration later became champions of it. Even though Obama won approval from many voters because he sanctions abortion, God could soften and change his heart.
ME: Yes, I will pray for this, as I believe in miracles, and this would definitely qualify. Everything Obama has said screams out the magnitude of the miracle that this would take.
8. Bind all evil forces assigned to manipulate our president. The specter of Islamic terrorism looms over the United States, and dark forces are ready to infiltrate. Our only hope lies in prayer to the God who is able to expose and outwit the schemes of the wicked. This is truly a time for spiritual warfare, and intercessors must not come off the wall in this hour! Pray that no foreign government, terrorist organization or demonic principality will use Obama as a tool. We must stand strong against the spirit of antichrist that promotes dictatorship, persecution of Christians and hostility toward Israel.
ME: agreed. But what if Obama is part of that dark force? For what then do we pray?
9. Pray that Obama’s door will remain open to the church. The loudest voices of secular culturefrom Bill Maher in Hollywood to atheists in academia would be happy if religion were removed from public life. Pray that Obama, who claims to have a personal faith in Jesus Christ, will unapologetically welcome Christian leaders into his company and seek their counsel. And pray that false religious leaders (who claim to know Christ but deny His power) will not have his ear.
ME: False religious leaders (Wright, Phleuger) have had his ear and his allegiance for 20 years. I'll pray that that changes drastically (but keep my eyes open).
10. Pray that our nation will enjoy God’s peace and blessing during the Obama administration. The apostle Paul instructed early believers to pray for all in authority “so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity” (1 Tim. 2:2, NASB). God’s will is for America to experience peace and prosperity so that we can continue to export the gospel to the nations. This must happen whether a Democrat or a Republican is in the White House. As we cry out for God’s mercy on our wayward nation, pray that He will allow us to be a light to the world as we finance global missions, feed and heal the world’s poor and share Christ’s love at home and abroad.
ME: God's will - I believe - is for America to be a client nation to Him, personally believing in Him and growing in the Faith, and nationally conducting our affairs according to His Laws of Divine Establishment. If we do those things as a nation, then we will experience peace and prosperity. If we do not do those things, then we will be disciplined progressively. Our primary mission, imo, is not to 'finance global missions'. It is to grow in our knowledge and desire for Jesus Christ, so that we may discern His will and purpose for us personally and nationally, and progress toward the attainment of that Plan.
posted by Lawrence 3X at 10:47 AM
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