Evangelical Essentials
Mind Your Prayer Language
- Details
- Written by R. T. Kendall
Are you praying for President Obama (while secretly hoping he will fail)?
The majority of evangelical Americans did not vote for Barack Obama to be president. He knows that. But all Christians know they should pray for him (see 1 Tim. 2:1-2). Paul’s admonition came when Caesar was emperor. We aren’t required to agree with our leaders; but we must pray for them. The question is, when we pray for President Obama, do we merely say, “Lord, I commit him to you”—avoiding any prayer for blessing? Or do we perfunctorily pray that God will bless him but hope God won’t?
When Jesus said love and pray for your enemies, He didn’t mean that we merely say, “Lord, I commit them to You.” He told us to go beyond just praying for them; we are to love them, sincerely asking God to bless them (see Matt. 5:44). Do we hope Obama will fail? Do our political and theological views exempt us from blessing him? Pharisees in Jesus’ day loved their theology more than people. They literally preferred a person to stay blind, crippled or maimed than be healed by Jesus. Are we political Pharisees? You may not agree with the president on issues such as sanctity of life, sexuality, health care and economics, but you can love him.
If you don’t, ask God to help you love him until you truly do. Christians once feared Saul of Tarsus; some today fear Obama. Yet someone prayed for Saul, and look what God did!
I had a special relationship with the late Yasser Arafat. I was always welcome at his headquarters in Ramallah after we met together. Why? Arafat knew I loved him. I didn’t merely say to him, “Jesus loves you”; I said, “Jesus loves you, and I love you.” Tears filled his eyes. He couldn’t imagine an American evangelical talking to him like that. But he could feel it as well.
I lunched with him, anointed him with oil, showed him Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ (Arafat wept through it) and stressed that Jesus died for him (contrary to Islamic teaching). And I always prayed with him during our five visits. Some friends said to me, “R.T., you will never reach a Jew now. You have sided with their enemy.” Wrong—though it appeared that way.
On the last day I saw Arafat, I ate breakfast with Rabbi David Rosen, Israel’s most distinguished orthodox rabbi. We agreed that same day to do our book, The Christian and the Pharisee, in which I put my views that Jesus is Israel’s true Messiah. David wrote his views on that as well. Some Jews are reading the book. The irony is, I have reached more Jews since meeting Arafat than ever before!
If we keep our eyes on Jesus and do what Jesus would do instead of looking over our shoulders, God will open doors no man can shut. If evangelicals sincerely prayed for President Obama—and honestly loved him—they would get a whole lot further with him than by wanting him to fail.
We are in a major national crisis. Our nation desperately and urgently needs prudent leadership. If Christians have the right point of view and want to be heard, how far do you suppose they will get with President Obama if he thinks they hope for his failure?
I sincerely pray he will succeed. When you start praying for a person sincerely it is amazing how your feelings toward him or her change. I loved Arafat. I now love Barack Obama. I wish 10 million Americans would pray daily for him—with all their hearts. Who knows what God might do? Remember Saul of Tarsus.
Jesus loves Barack Obama. Do you?
R.T. Kendall was the pastor of Westminster Chapel in London for 25 years. He is the author of numerous books, including God Gives Second Chances. Visit his Web site at rtkendallministries.com.
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Comments
Leadership. And as I, like the prophets in the Old Testament, see my country fall into the same wickedness because of the leadership (not just President Obama), my obedience will be first to God and second to our nation. If the two are not in agreement, then for me to live is Christ and to die is gain, words that the Apostle Paul wrote as the Apostle Peter and him were executed because of their unwavering obedience to God, not Caesar.
Why do people paint the love of Jesus as some hippie flower child type of love? That love means we just look at the destructive ways of some wayward, deceived or plain evil people and just cry saying its allright I love you and Jesus loves you? This same Jesus publicly chided the sadducees and pharisees. He publicly called King Herod "that fox". So where is this so called love that ignores all the evil of leaderships? Question is, would Jesus want you to "love" and pray "blessings" on Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, Pol pot? In accordance with the whole new testament, we should pray for leadership. If however, these leaders are a obstruction for the Church and its mission, (like obama who supports many socialist, athiest style of policies) we can pray they be removed from office ( by proper legal means obviously)
by losing the next election and such!
You don't mean restore the same folks who destroyed the nation, do ya?
I do not have to hope he will fail. I compare this to a wayward child who ran away from home and God and is living like the prodigal son. A parent does not secretly hope their child will fail they know the child will fail and they are concerned for the child. In the same way, judging from President Obama's ideas I know he will fail and I am concerned for our country's future. We need to pray for our nation and vote in our upcoming midterm elections.
Rewind!
Barak Husen Obama has clearly stated that he is a committed Christian. The Leftist Liberal Progressives identify with Obama's overall belief system so now they finally have the leader that they have always wanted.
We should pray for our leaders regardless of whether they are an unbeliever, another religion, hypocritical, not born again, or struggling or solid Christian.
We should always pray for the souls and health of our leaders, and their loved ones to understand the Truth of God's Word and receive wisdom for natural and spiritual decisions.
WE CAN and SHOULD PRAY FOR or AGAINST certain agendas, policies, laws that are contrary to Christians leading a godly and peaceable lives.
Wise Christians discern what the Word means regarding praying for our governmental, or spiritual leaders.
Can you pray for someone and then speak so negatively about them?
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