Prayer for the Obamas

I worked on the Bush campaign. I shook his hand. I have always been a Republican, and though I am thinking of changing my affiliation to Independent, still identify with more Republican ideology than Democrat. My father is also a Republican. My sister called him the night after the election to see if he was upset, and do you know what he said? He said "I'm an Obama-man now, he is going to be our President and we respect and support our President." To be clear, this does not mean he agrees with him anymore than he did the day before, but you can respect someone because of their position without agreeing with them. I did not vote for Obama either, but I share my father's sentiments. I bring this all up, only to say that as a Christian, I feel that it is important to pray for our President-elect, his family and his administration. I received this link today in an email (which has prompted this post) and wanted to share it.

http://the-rest-stop.blogspot.com/2008/11/prayer-for-barack-obama.html

A Prayer for Barack Obama

By now you know that Barack Obama has been elected as the next President of the United States. At least, I hope you know. If you are getting your news from The Rest Stop, your world is probably a tad askew since the present writer knows very little about anything. But one thing I do know is that, like it or not, Barack Obama is the President-elect ... and God tells us to pray for men in his position, not because we agree or disagree with them, because government is God's instrument to do us good. So, if for no other reason, because the person in the Oval Office is charged, by God Himself, with doing the nation good ... Mr. Obama needs our prayers, and God's help. Here's my effort. I'd encourage you - whether you particularly like Mr. Obama or not - to pray these things for him and his family.

Father, believing that “the king’s heart is like channels of waters in the hand of the Lord” and that You “turn it wherever [You] wish” (Proverbs 21.1); and knowing that You command Your people, unqualifiedly, to pray for their leaders (1 Timothy 2.1-2), we do now humbly pray for our president-elect, Senator Barack Obama.

First, regardless of how we voted on Tuesday, we thank you that the United States has come to a place in her history where it is possible to rise to the highest position of responsibility and honor regardless of the color of one’s skin. In this regard, make president-elect Obama an example of hope to us all.

Father, we repent of the sordid history we have in the area of race-relations and lament the fact that there are those who hate the very idea of a black man in office. Protect our leaders from the hatred of those whose opposition runs much deeper than political ideology.

Guard Mr. Obama’s family, as well. None of us can imagine the strain they will face as they live in the public eye, travel more than they ever thought they would, and find family time sparser than they’d like over the next four years. So bless Mr. and Mrs. Obama’s marriage, and make these years happy ones for their children.

Recognizing that the love of money is the root of all sorts of evil, we do not confidently assume that the prosperity of the American economy is, necessarily, your will. So again, Lord, guide the president’s heart like channels of water – and produce for this nation the economic status that would be best for our eternal souls – whether prosperous or not.

We ask, too, that you would guide our president-elect in knowing how and why to either continue or conclude the conflicts in the Middle East. Make him a wise commander in chief, and protect us, we pray.

In accordance with Your word, we pray that you would impress on Mr. Obama the importance of upholding the law of our land, the Constitution, which is written in such a way that the biblical goals (Romans 13) for secular government (rewarding good, defending the helpless, and upholding basic human rights) might be upheld. Especially, we pray that you might change his and his administration’s mind (indeed change our nation’s collective mind) so that we stop making it easier and easier to kill unborn babies. Please frustrate any designs the president or congress may have of passing the murderous Freedom of Choice Act. O Lord, use this administration – or some administration – to remove the blood-guiltiness from our land.

Finally, Lord, we pray for our future president’s soul. Father, would you so bring Mr. Obama to the feet of Jesus that he would love and treasure and trust your Son with all of His heart?

We don’t deserve anything we’ve asked, Father. But we need a president who will honor You and Your ways. Give us, as you so often have done in times past, far better than we deserve.

Author: Kurt Strassner at 11:33 PM