Sometimes it feels like it.
Scripture tells us to pray for those who despitefully use us... to pray for our enemies. We are told to pray for those in authority over us. We are told to pray for our daily needs, forgiveness of our sin, and wisdom. We are told to pray for healings, to intercede on the behalf of our brothers and sisters. We are told to pray for God's will to be done. Then when we see an outcome that fails to measure up with our thoughts of what needs to be done, we question God's permissive will.
Most folks I know are devoted Christians. Many are calling for us to pray for the president of our country-- no matter how we feel about his election. They cite scripture passages that command us to pray for our leaders. Most folks I know are eager to pray for their president and the leaders in authority over them. I prayed that President Obama gets wisdom from God and heeds the wisdom he receives--
that his heart would fall in love with Jesus. That is what I said I would continue to pray
for him for the next four years. What Obama does with the wisdom from God is up to him. We all have the free will to obey or ignore God's direction. I cannot pray for Obama's success as a leader because I do not agree with the majority of his policies. His thoughts are not my thoughts and I do not believe from his actions that they are very close to God's thoughts.
So, yes; I do wonder sometimes if it is futile to pray for this man. It seems as though, with all the Christians who have prayed for him in the past four years, that he has ignored all wisdom from God. Then again, it may be me. Maybe it is the many Christians I know who have it all wrong. I don't think so. As I struggle, along with my brothers and sisters in Christ, on how to pray for our president, I found a more specific way to pray for him which does not violate my conscience, nor does it conflict with a sincere prayer from my heart as a Christian. Perhaps others can benefit from what Janice Harvey, wrote on a facebook post to Joe McKeever, regarding how she would pray for the president:
"Bro.
Joe, you well know how I have opposed the re-election of this
president. I feel he has hurt us and divided us more than we have been
since the Civil War. It has been a sort of torture to get my mind and
heart right to pray for him these past four
years after watching him use backdoor tactics and knowing what he has
endorsed that is clearly in conflict with the Word of God. I also
question his respect and adherence to our Constitution and Bill of
Rights. These are fundamental and very difficult "struggles" for me
with this one president...I've never questioned the actual patriotism of
any other president before. I am being sincere and expressing what
causes some of the real problems with Barack Obama. Here's what I can
and will pray for President Obama:
~I will pray that the Holy Spirit
commands Barack Obama's attention every day and that if he is not in
personal relationship with the Lord, that he will be drawn toward Christ
in a mighty way (and soon).
~I will pray that he can demonstrate-with no
more question- his true love of country, his absolute allegiance to our
Constitution and Bill of Rights.
~I pray he will not hesitate any
longer to proudly stand with Israel regarding any threat to them and
honor them as our greatest allies in the Middle East.
~I pray that he
will do a much better job in the next four years to unite us and inspire
us in love and caring for one another and that he will have the
strength, energy, and desire to let his ego slide in favor of working
with Congress to make the better and best choices for our future.
~I pray
for his character and example...for his motives...that they will be in
the favor of righteous things.
~I pray that he will read, learn and
trust in the Bible and that he will have daily fellowship with godly
people who pray with him, teach him, and love him to do the best he can
during these next four years.
It would be a great, great joy at the end
of these next four years, if we who were so opposed to so much we see in
him could say, "Thank God for the profound work the Lord has done
through him." God can and will do these kinds of things in a man, if
that man is pliable and willing. I pray our president will be." ~Janice Garner Harvey (with permission)
We can pray. We can pray all the right things. And things may not change. People may not change. Our world may not change. Our prayers may all seem futile. But that does not mean it is futile to pray. God seeks us to be dependent upon Him and rely on Him. He is sufficient to meet our needs... not the government, not the president, not the political parties.
~selahV today
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