Shakespeare on Obama

After chatting with my 89 year-old, Christian, WW2 vet, conservative Dad this morning (a blessing indeed), something struck me regarding the Church's attitude toward our President-elect. A goodly number of Christians voted for McCain and therefore felt disappointment at the results because, among other issues, Obama has an abysmal abortion record. So, knowing the election is concluded, how should we then live? We have been hearing, and rightly so, that the Church needs to pray for President-elect Obama. This is biblical. Romans 13 states that "authority is instituted" by God. And 1 Timothy 2 tells us to pray for those in authority. This has always been the rule within the context of the believing community. 

So, do we Christians pray about it? Does the Church? Not, do we agree we should, but do we do it? That's the most important question. 

"If to do were as easy as to know what were good to do, chapels had been churches and poor men's cottages, princes' palaces." --Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice-Act 1, Scene 2    

Or, as my mother so often used to quote: 

"If wishes were horses, beggars would ride."

Both of the above quotations say essentially the same thing. Agreeing that we should do something does nothing but incriminate us unless we do it. It may assuage our spiritual conscience to discuss it, but in the end, this knowledge will leave us ill-equipped to battle the forces of evil. All of the agreement in the world will not amount to anything good, unless the church actually prays. 

Here's what "hit" me about this. How many churches have prayer meetings in which they pray? And if a church does not have a prayer meeting currently, how will they practice the kind of prayer called for in 1 Timothy, chapter two? It'll just be yet another call to the church which is left unheeded.

The simple answer is, "Just do it!" At all cost, DO IT! Why? ". . . so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain" (Philippians 2:16). Let me suggest several things:

1) Practice individual prayer, and especially so if you're a Pastor or leader in the Church. A call to corporate prayer will necessarily ring hollow if we are not praying leaders.

2) Encourage the Elders or Deacons to pray individually and to attend prayer meeting willingly. Everyone's busy. The leaders need to know how important prayer truly is. Don't assume that they do. We know well the words of the early apostles, "But we will devote ourselves to prayer . . ." (Acts 6:4). An old saying says, "If you're too busy to pray, you're too busy."  

3) Make prayer meeting a top priority in the church, but not a program. A couple of years ago, prior to our moving prayer meeting from Wednesday night to Sunday night, this truth captivated my heart--prayer is not another program in the church. If it were, we could opt out of it. After all, no one is expected to do everything, right? The fact is that the early church prayed. Period. It was not an option; it was a privilege. This was their source for more boldness and power.It certainly was not a program instituted to "get people involved." By virtue of their salvation, God's people ARE involved. And God's people pray! 

Most of all, don't talk about doing this. Do it! Yes, it may start small, but if we are committed to praying privately, and if we promote it as our God-given privilege, God will bless it. Prayer meetings are irreplaceable. No methodologies or fancy speakers can off-set it's neglect. The Church is anemic today, and in no small way, the lack of true praying is the greatest culprit. Let's turn our "cottages" into "palaces" of prayer.