What About Praying?

I must admit, the candidate I voted for did not win the presidency. I must also admit that I find a great deal of consolation in the fact that our country has come far enough from it's dark days of slavery and years of prejudice that it can elect a black man to our highest office. In all of this God does not change, nor does our responsibility as a citizen. I know there will be those who will be making critical remarks, and hanging their heads in disappointment. and saying, "what are we going to do?"

By The Way, I remember sharing my disappoint in the behavior of president Clinton during those embarrassing days of his sexual misbehavior and his effort to deny it. Marie said to me, " Ray, even though we deplore his behavior, we still must respect his office and pray for him." She was right.

The Scripture says in 1 Timothy 2:1-3 "The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live." (The Message)

Several years ago while I was attending College at Southwest Baptist University (College back then), I pastored a little church about 70 miles to the east of Bolivar, MO by the name of Pine Creek Baptist Church. One Sunday, a short time after we had accepted to pastor the church, we ate lunch with one of the very faithful widows. She told us about a former pastor who had become quite unpopular in the congregation. Another lady had come to her house and was complaining about the pastor. Said she, "I just don't know what I am going to do about him." Our very thoughtful widow said to her, "have you every tried praying for him?" She answered, "no, I guess I haven't." She tried it and liked it, and her dilemma was solved.

As citizens of this great country we have an obligation to vote and participate in the political process as much as we can, but our greatest and continuing obligation is to pray. We need to respect the office of president, and respect our newly elected president, and pray for him. We need a spiritual and moral revival in our nation, but God never said it would start with the leaders of our government. It will start with Gods people. 1 Peter 4:17 says "For the time has come for judgment to begin with God's household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God?"(CHSB)

And we can be confident that God is and always will be the real Commander in Chief. Proverbs 21:1 says, "Good leadership is a channel of water controlled by God; he directs it to whatever ends he chooses." (The Message)

Ladies and Gentlemen, let us pray!