The life of every citizen of every nation is impacted by a multitude of individuals who lead us and influence us…….elected officials, judges, lawyers, doctors, police officers, military officers, business executives and managers, church leaders, educators, etc.
All deserve our prayers for them. Here are some things, based on Scripture we can pray for them.
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1. That they be God-fearing and recognize that they are accountable to Him for each decision and act (Prov. 9-10)
2. That they be granted wisdom, knowledge and understanding. (James 1:5)
3. That they value and regard the Ten Commandments and the teachings of Jesus Christ. (Ps. 19:7-11) (John 8:31-32)
4. That they be honest in financial, tax, and ethical matters. (1 Cor. 6:10) (1 Tim. 6:6-10)
5. That they desire honesty, integrity and loyalty. (Ps. 26) (Prov. 11:3)
6. That they have courage to resist manipulation, pressure, and the fear of man. (Prov. 29:25) (2 Tim. 1:7)
7. That they endeavor to restore the sanctity of life, families, divine order and morality in our nation. (Eph. 5:22-6:4)
8. That they be prepared to give account to Almighty God. (Heb. 9:27)
Editors note: Adapted from “Intercessors for America” newsletter (Vol. 22, No. 3)
Here’s a prayer that applies to everyone, and isn’t affected by men who are motivated by personal religious agendas and contrived interpretations of scripture.
“Let the rain come and wash away the ancient grudges, the bitter hatreds held and nurtured over generations. Let the rain wash away the memory of the hurt, the neglect. Then let the sun come out and fill the sky with rainbows. Let the warmth of the sun heal us wherever we are broken. Let it burn away the fog so that we can see each other clearly. So that we can see beyond labels, gender or skin color. Let the warmth of the sun melt our selfishness. So that we can share the joys and feel the sorrows of our neighbors. And let the light of the sun be so strong that we will see all people as our neighbors. Let the earth, nourished by rain, bring forth flowers to surround us with beauty. And let the mountains teach our hearts to reach upward to heaven. Amen.”
Very clever….a “prayer” that ignores the fact that God is the source of goodness, the Creator of all. All of these things are a gift from God. Did you write this prayer? The rain doesn’t wash away grudges and hatred……the grace of God does. The sun doesn’t heal us, burn away the fog in our minds and hearts, eliminate prejudice or selfishness……..the grace of God does. The stength and power of the sun is awesome but nothing compared to the power of God. Mountains teach, do they? God will lift our minds and hearts upward……you have only to believe and to accept God into your heart. And to whom do you pray this “prayer?” The trees, the rain, the sun?
I didn’t write it, It was written by Rabbi Harold S. Kushner, a wise and spiritual Jewish leader and author. It was first published in Parade magazine. Parade asked the Rabbi to write a prayer for all people of all faiths, one that just might be able to break through the barriers erected by those who have no tolerance for others of differing faiths. It’s a beautiful prayer, and the fact you would question a Rabbi’s faith is not surprising. You are afterall a self-taught fundamentalist.
Are you going to kill this post too, like the last one I sent you?
Assuming that you are speaking truth in that this “prayer” was written by a rabbi, it doesn’t change the fact that it ignores God. It’s a nice piece of prose, flowery and lovely, but as a “prayer” leaves much to be desired. I have great tolerance of those of differing faith……..faith in God, not the sun, the mountains or prosaic beauty. BTW I haven’t killed any of your posts.
Why not take 5 seconds and Google the prayer and be done with it? I’d also like to suggest you consider the phrase “The laws of Nature and of Nature’s God” written in our Declaration, before you claim Rabbi Kushner’s beautiful prayer “ignores God.”
Rabbi Kushner’s prayer (as presented by you) does not mention God. Clever of you to try to change the focus to the Declaration of Independence. Wont work though. Rabbi’s “prayer” is a secular piece of writing that could well have been written by an atheist or a nature worshipper.
God is implied through the use of nature, the two are inseparable. I’m not trying to change your focus, that’s impossible because you believe you know the one true way to God, I get that. But your path is broken, with no direct link to the past. The Jews are the only direct link to the God of Abraham, and I think Rabbi Kushner has forgotten more about God than you’ll ever know.
You edited my brief account of how early Christianity was edited by and in effect created by the men in charge of the Roman Empire. They arbitrarily discarded many many holy scriptures during their consolidation process.
Or was that another post, they all run together sometimes.
I don’t “edit” comments.