What would YOU Pray on Jan 20th?

Baptist pastor Rick Warren is privileged to lead our entire nation in prayer at the upcoming inauguration. This is a summary of what I sent him as my thoughts on prayer in the most public forum January 20th.

Paul suggested a possible outline to such prayer. "First of all, then, I intreat each of you to make requests, use earnest words, intercede, and use grateful language to God be made for everyone - for kings and all who are in high positions - so that we [believers] may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior"

So his prayer should include
1 - requests for God's hand, blessing, righteousness, repentance, wisdom, etc
2 - earnest/sincere words about the President and his awesom responsbilities
3 - intercession on behalf of Obama, as prophets of old interceded for pagan kings, etc
4 - gratitude toward God for being Sovereign of the universe, raising up kings as a "cup of gold" and a "servant" (even though unbelievers)

For all the flaws of the new President, his present thinking on issues very "wrong" in relationship to the Word of God, we ALL must pray for God to use him as He did Cyrus of Persia and Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. I just completed 24 Sunday messages from Jeremiah and am reminded again how God used even these pagan leaders to do HIS work.

I am praying daily for true repentance and faith to illumine Presdient Obama's heart. What a model of God's amazing grace he will be when God does a supernatural work in our new President. (BTW, I still pray for Bill & Hillary in the same vein. God is not through with them yet)

What would YOU suggest to brother Warren to include in his prayer?

Thanks.

 

Thought of two totally pagan kings that God used in mighty ways.

Ezra records: In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing:

"This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: "'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Anyone of his people among you--may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem. And the people of any place where survivors may now be living are to provide him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.'"

Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites--everyone whose heart God had moved--prepared to go up and build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem. All their neighbors assisted them with articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with valuable gifts, in addition to all the freewill offerings.

And Daniel, 50 years earlier recorded: As the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, he said, "Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?"

The words were still on his lips when a voice came from heaven, "This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes."

Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like cattle. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird.

"At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: 'What have you done?'

At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before.

Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.