Melissa Killian wrote this in 2004, but when it was shared with me this week I knew immediately that it was still God's word for today. This is literally a word for all of us this inaugural week. The original book is Breath Prayers: Simple Whispers That Keep You in God's Presence, published in 2004 by David C. Cook.
First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. - 1 Timothy 2:1-2
Listen to the news. Read the papers. Hear what people are saying. Most reports about our elected leaders are critical and negative. It doesn't take long to recognize the difficult position in which many of our public officials find themselves, especially as viewpoints grow diverse and naysayers become louder. We know that the loudest voices are not necessarily the wisest and that it is impossible to please everyone.
Pray for our leaders. Pray that moral clarity and excellence will govern our elected leaders. As small interest groups become more vocal, pray that principle takes precedence over popularity. In today's media-driven political campaigns, pray that character is valued more than charisma. Today more than ever, we must pray for our political system and its leaders.
....Killian goes on to write that the three simple words, Guide our leaders, can be prayed on our breath in each of these instances:
- when they are struggling with decisions in foreign-policy
- when fear and confusion blind us to justice and truth
- when moral clarity is confused by complexity
- when Christian leadership faces strong opposition
- when their first reaction is to blame the other side
Let this be our prayer for leaders of both parties: Lord, Guide our leaders. May our first reaction to every news story be pray and not anything else. Grace and peace, Scott
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