For God’s Sake

President Ronald Reagan in 1988 officially designated the first Thursday in May as the National Day of Prayer.

There have been attempts to overturn the law as unconstitutional without success. However, should the law ever be overturned, nothing should change for the Christian. The first Thursday in May will still be a day of prayer for our nation, and so will the second Thursday and the third and every other day of the year. Every day should be a day of prayer for our nation.

In 1 Timothy 2, the Apostle Paul writes, “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.”

I have many Christian friends who champion this passage by regularly posting on social media encouragements for us to pray for President Donald Trump and his administration.

This is commendable. The Apostle Paul would agree, “This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior.” What is not commendable was their silence during the Obama administration.

I am not making a political statement here. I am sure that there were those calling for prayer during the Obama administration who are silent now. It cuts both ways. Where we fall into error is misunderstanding the purpose of prayer for our leaders. Our prayers for them are not votes in favor of them or their decisions, they are appeals to God to bless them with wisdom and integrity in their governance, “that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” We are praying for our own benefit. It makes more sense that we stir up the faithful to pray when we have an administration that we believe is acting in an ungodly way.

For years while I served a church in Naples, Florida, I had the privilege of giving the invocation several times a year at the bimonthly Board of County Commissioners meetings. I was instructed that my prayer must be nonsectarian, which I assumed meant that I wasn’t to preach or proselytize. In the minutes before I was to pray, I would read 1 Timothy 2 to remind myself of how and why I was to pray. I would also review Romans 13 reminding myself that these officials are God’s servants for our good.

I needed those reminders for there were several commissioners whose voting record and public statements I found to be intolerable. Next to the call to order, my words would be the first words of the meeting. So, my prayers would always reiterate those biblical themes and sometimes be the words of those very passages. I was never very nonsectarian. Nonetheless, I became their go-to guy for last-minute cancellations. I believe I found favor because I always prayed for the commissioners, not at them. So, let us pray for our leaders today and every day. Let every day be a National Day of Prayer.