National Day of Prayer
“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
(Ephesians 3:20–21 ESV)
Yesterdays article about the National Day of Prayer made more than few people angry.
Some were already angry with me because while I am a biblical conservative, I do not always tow the conservative line politically.
Politics is not my field of either expertise or interest, but some issues we deal with politically have biblical principles that should (at the very least) inform us.
In that process of attempting to be biblically informed about these matters, I have reached some conclusions that do not fit in with the mainstream of evangelicalism.
This has caused many to not just express their disagreement with me, but to impute wicked and ungodly motives and actions to me.
Over the past year, we’ve lost a number of readers and more than a little support.
I’ve lost a lot of friends.
So, on this National Day of Prayer I will pray.
I will pray for an end to the division on political lines that is ripping the family of God apart.
I will pray that we will learn once again how to dialog with each other as family and not as enemies.
I will pray that both sides of the division will seek truth and seek to speak truth to power.
I will repent of my part in creating division and ask God that by the power of the Holy Spirit I will be an agent of reconciliation instead of a carrier of strife.
I will pray that we will be known for our love…for Christ, for each other, and for the world
More than anything else I will pray that His kingdom come and His will be done in my home, my community, my state, and this country.
May God hear and answer.
Amen.
amen and amen
From your lips to God’s ears, as the saying goes! Your prayer reminded me of another saint’s prayer. I have witnessed over the years how you seek to bring hope to those in despair, risk being unloved to speak the truth, to understand those of other traditions who name the name of Christ , to remain a friend to even those whose faith is on the rocks, and to ask for and extend forgiveness when the enevitable conflicts arise among such a motley crew.
Lord, make me a channel of Thy peace;
Where there is hatred, let me bring your love
Where there is injury, your pardon;Lord
Where there is doubt, true faith in you;
Make me a channel of your peace
Where there’s despair in life,let me bring hope;
Where there is darkness, only light;
And where there’s sadness, ever joy.
Oh, Master grant that I never seek
So much to be consoled, as to console;
To be understood, as to understand;
To be loved as to love with all my soul
Make me a channel of your peace
It’s in pardoning that we are pardoned;
In giving to all men that we receive;
And in dying that we’re born to eternal life. – St. Francis
I think even acknowledging a National Day of Prayer is a nod to the conservative religious right.
Why not just ignore it and let it pass. I didn’t think about it this year until you brought is up.
Anne,
Thank you for the kind words, my friend.
MLD,
I don’t think it can be ignored.
If you could read my email you would understand the depths of passion and anger that is felt by evangelicals in this country toward anyone they consider “liberal”.
The basis of fellowship is no longer Christ but where we stand on the political spectrum.
The church is compromised badly in my opinion, and we have to address it.
If you didn’t mention your political leanings this would not be an issue.
Do people really care how you vote? I mean people who matter?
I live in south OC a pretty conservative area and my church not only reflects the population but we also have many retired marines as we are close to Camp Pendleton. In discussion although I consider myself pretty conservative I have told people I voted for Jerry Brown the past 2 elections, I have voted for Diane Feinstein the last 2 go arounds and Barbara Boxer after 911 and will vote for Hillary in 2016 – no one seems to care – no one has left my class. But then they are folks I have a relationship with.
If someone unfriended me because of that, I probably wouldn’t even notice or care.
MLD,
My greatest weakness is that I do care…and I care about the state of the church when it’s this divided over worldly issues.
Your voting record is far more ‘liberal” than mine… 🙂
“and I care about the state of the church when it’s this divided over worldly issues.”
If you don’t want division, then vote with the conservatives – that would settle it… wouldn’t it? 😉
I will admit, my wife is angry at me each election day 🙂
Amen, Anne. Love that prayer from Brother Frances….(I think). Amen.
Michael…love your words “that we would be known by our love, for Christ, for one another, for the world” Seriously, “for God so loved the world”. …. amen. …
Go libertarian. You can tell the “left” that it’s classical liberalism, tell the “right” that it’s more conservative than the GOP, and tell everyone that it’s the only political philosophy that is consistent with Christian thought, as it’s primary precept is the non-aggression principle.
Small “L”. The political party is whacked.
Jim,
There are attractive aspects to libertarianism, though I’m mostly ignorant of it’s precepts.
My concern would be that the implementation of it’s ideas would cause catastrophic suffering to a huge percentage of the population at this point.
Eternal ruler of the Spiritual Realm and Father of all matter, hear my prayer. Praise You for You are worthy of Praise. Thank You for You are Good. Please grant me my request to know You better and too become more of what You Created me to be. Allow this day of National Prayer to open up the hearts of this Nation and join in together addressing our need to Praise You and Thank You, both individually and collectively. All humanistic goals desired to be accomplished (for even the best of reasons) are doomed to fail without the process of reaching that goal to include Your Will. Keep me aware that my most sincere objective is often contrary to Your Supreme Knowledge of Righteousness. Accept the number of prayers lifted up to You today to be the gathering of many of Your Created. Gathered to Praise You and to Thank You for Your Holy Will.
I pray this in the name of Your Son, in whom You are “Well pleased”; my Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ of Nazareth. Amen
Michael,
I’ll just say this and then leave it alone. I’m going to assume that you’re referring to welfare. I think you’re smart enough to discern that the welfare state did not end poverty, and destroyed the black family. The data is easy to find.
True libertarians are the most morally consistent people I know. If theft is wrong, then wealth distribution (by force) is wrong. If something is wrong, you want it to stop, trusting that people are smart enough to solve problems in a moral manner.
The situation is much like slavery. ‘Who will pick the cotton?” We end the immoral act because it’s immoral.
I wonder if a libertarian (big L or little l) elected president, would be able to form a government and / or form coalitions with the 2 other parties without losing whatever makes him libertarian.
If a libertarian got elected to congress, who would they caucus with? they cannot stand alone. All the independents seem to caucus with the liberals.
So in the end, it would still be the same old same old. Perhaps on a city council or water board, they could be effective.
I think that anything “Christian” in America has been so politicized that I might puke. I can’t participate with any of it anymore. I think that the MD stuff at MH was the end of it for me.
Mind you, I think we all should express our concerns to God as we see fit and I deny no one the right to do so. I am just tired of our “leaders” showing their faces at these big events and telling us all how we should pray when many of them live in lala land or their grand corporate castles,whatever that might be, and who are begging for money online, on radio or tv, for us to support their version of the “empire”, as if God is a poor beggar.
While I begrudge no Christian the right to do whatever their conscience calls for, I can’t participate with the majority of it. While I love God’s people, and I do, I am not thrilled by what I see called Christianity in America. I’m not sure Christ would recognize a lot of it as anything he started.
I am sure that will make me very unpopular, but my heart breaks with every single one of these events because scripture is clear and we ignore most of it.
Does anyone think that the current situation with the bird flu, wiping out millions of hens and turkeys, cattle diseases rampant throughout the US, drought in California Texas etc have anything to do with end times prophecy?
Thank you.
Charles,
I’m sure somebody does, but probably not here.