National Day of Prayer

The day came and went without a ceremony at the White House and with a belated proclamation announcing the event. I suppose that when your narcissism has elevated to the level apparent in “the one,” it becomes easier to ignore God.

Although the acknowledgement of prayer as a necessary element of government has had some loose identity over the country’s history it has been generally recognized by our leadership. Early in the Reagan administration, the day was formalized to the first Thursday in May. Many citizens join the leadership to thank Almighty God for the blessings He has given and to ask for His guidance and wisdom in our further affairs. It presents an opportunity for each and every person to recognize their personal higher power.

For further wisdom on the matter I turned to Dr. Charles Stanley of In Touch Ministries. As usual, he rose to the occasion and had the following on his website:

“PRAYING FOR THE PRESIDENT AND THOSE IN AUTHORITY

1 Timothy 2:1-2, the apostle Paul says, “I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.”

Most of us realize that we should be interceding for our country’s leaders. But sometimes we have difficulty knowing what to ask. Below are a few suggestions.

Pray that our elected officials would:

1. Recognize their personal sinfulness and need for the cleansing power of Jesus Christ.

2. Understand their inadequacy for the task before them and their need to pray for God’s wisdom, knowledge and courage.

3. Reject all counsel that violates the spiritual principles of God’s Word and be willing to trust God to lead them in the right direction.

4. Resist the pressures of those who would lead them astray or tempt them to disobey the Lord and His will for their lives.

5. Work to reverse the trend towards ungodliness in our land and to restore America’s Christ-centered values.

6. Be prepared to make godly choices in the best interest of America, regardless of the cost.

7. Rely on the Word of God and prayer for strength and success.

8. Maintain dignity, honor, trustworthiness, and righteousness in office.

9. Strive to be a godly example to the men, women, and children of this land.

10. Remember that while in office, they are accountable to God for their attitudes, actions, and motives.

If God’s people pray consistently and passionately for those in authority, the entire nation will be affected. “The effective prayer of a righteous man [or woman] can accomplish much” (James 5:16).

Dr. Charles Stanley”

Thank you, Dr. Stanley.

I am absolutely convinced that God, and God alone can provide that which is missing from our administration. We needed a National Day of Prayer to get in touch with our Creator and ask for His assistance. He has counseled us repeatedly to seek Him and share our concerns about everything.

If we our minds and hearts are clouded by personal feelings and differences with our president I would suggest it would have a negative affect on our prayers. We need to impart that our concerns are “for” the nation and its people and not just limited to criticism of our leadership.

In this current situation, it would be appropriate to make every day a national day of prayer.

In His abiding love,

Cecil Moon