Now Is Not the Time to Stop Praying

Election Day is over. That means, mercifully, annoying political TV ads have ceased, mailboxes are no longer overflowing with promotional flyers touting this candidate or that, and phone calls and texts generated by many campaigns no longer plague us.

 

In some quarters there’s been great celebration and rejoicing, while elsewhere there’s been grumbling and gnashing of teeth. Prior to the election, some celebrities boldly declared if their candidate did not win, they’d be leaving the country. No word on whether they’ve obtained their plane tickets yet.

 

Days before the election there was a call for prayer, asking God to guide the outcome. Millions of men and women answered that call. Many of them were pleased with how they believe the Lord responded, but others were not. Either way, since then the sun has continued to rise and set. Soon thoughts will shift to more immediate matters, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas.

 

But before moving on, let’s revisit this matter of prayer and its role regarding what transpires in the public square. For some of us, prayer is an activity we undertake only in times of crisis and distress. Hence the eagerness of many to engage in praying for the outcome of the recent election. But God never intended for prayer to be a tool for crisis management.

 

We’re told in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (the first Bible verse I ever learned) to, “pray without ceasing.” As another translation expresses it, “pray continually.” To pray we don’t need to retreat to a special place, or to assume a specific posture. We can do it in the car (with eyes open), during a business meeting (no need to fold hands), in the midst of a conversation, or while cleaning a bathroom. Even in the middle of the night if we awaken and God brings someone or something to mind.

 

Too rarely do many of us remember the admonition of 1 Timothy 2:1-2, “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” 

 

Years ago, I had a good friend who said he was praying every day not only for family members, friends and people he knew, but also – by name – for the leaders of the then-Soviet Union. I probably scratched my head then, wondering why we should pray for atheistic, Communist authorities. But my friend prayed – and on Nov. 9, 1989, the Berlin wall fell. Not long afterward, the U.S.S.R. collapsed. 

 

Did this all occur because of my friend’s faithful prayers? I suspect he was just one of many whom God had impressed to pray in such a way. He understood clearly the biblical instruction that “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God” (Romans 13:1).

 

Which brings us back to the current state of our nation and its impending transition of power. Whether we appreciated the outcome of the election or not, there’s no better time than now to commit to faithfully praying for “all those in authority,” that God would direct their deliberations and decisions. 

 

My own prayers will include the request that steps will be taken to return the United States to being a nation that recognizes and honors the involvement of God in the affairs of humankind. Our U.S. currency still declares, “In God We Trust,” and the Pledge of Allegiance, whenever it’s recited, includes the words, “One Nation Under God.”

 

Psalm 33:12 declares, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people He chose for His inheritance.” Some may disagree, but I believe one reason our country has prospered is because it was established with Judeo-Christian principles – drawn from the Scriptures – as its foundation. Can we expect His continued blessings if we as a society persist in drifting further and further from Him? 

 

In less than two years, our nation will be observing the 250^th anniversary of its founding – its semiquincentennial. (I’ve just added that word to my vocabulary.) This is a duration longer than many revered societies over the course of history have endured, so we’d hope to find the United States of America in a healthy place on July 4, 2026.

A good start toward that end would be a regular observance, as I’ve noted in the past, of the exhortation from 2 Chronicles 7:14, “if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 

United States of America – More Untied Than United?

This beautiful image from Jacquie Lawson's e-cards
reflects the joy of celebrating our nation's birth.

Back in my newspaper days I once published a photo of someone’s tattered American flag, offering the editorial opinion that flying our star-spangled banner in such condition was disrespectful, and it should have been replaced by one not worn and torn. Fast forward to today – we might conclude that flag would be more reflective of the state of our nation.

With the 250^th anniversary of its founding just three years away, the United States of America appears in some ways more untied than united. I remember the 1960s, when our country endured great tensions over the Vietnam War. However, the schisms plaguing our country today seem even greater. The art of political compromise is often referred to as “reaching across the aisle,” but that aisle has become more like a chasm in many respects.

 

So, here we find ourselves with another Fourth of July/Independence Day celebration amid great societal and political disarray. How do we respond? How should we respond?

 

Since I was born on July 4^th, “a real live nephew of my Uncle Sam” as the song goes, for a long time I thought the fireworks and celebratory hoopla were intended for my benefit. Of course, that wasn’t the case, but I grew up proud to be an American, a patriot. Today the term “patriot” has been disparaged in some quarters. There are those who, despite enjoying the benefits of living in the ole U.S.A., express their disdain for it – our history, social customs and mores, even our form of government. 

Nevertheless, I remain – to borrow the words from the Lee Greenwood anthem – “proud to be an American.” And I hold out hope that perhaps our nation can again return to its glory days. However, that will require a lot of work, blood, sweat and tears, much like those invested by hardy citizens in decades past.

 

We might start by revisiting “the basics.” In our Declaration of Independence, ratified on July 4, 1776 by 13 colonies that became united states of America, it states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness….”

 

The focus these days seems to be on the words “equal” and “rights,” with considerable debate about what those mean. Rarely do we dwell on the significance of “endowed by their Creator,” or the assertion in the preceding paragraph about “the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them.” 

 

John Adams, the second President of the United States and one of its founding fathers, declared, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” Many other founders expressed similar conclusions, that a religious foundation and reliance on God were essential for guiding the republic the Declaration and U.S. Constitution were establishing.

 

When I was going to grade school in the 1950s and early ‘60s, each day started with the Lord’s Prayer, a brief reading from the Bible – usually from the Psalms – and the Pledge of Allegiance, which included the phrase, “one nation under God.” In those days the greatest problems in the schools were throwing paper spitballs, running in hallways and chewing gum. In the early ‘60s, however, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled prayer and Bible reading in public schools were “unconstitutional.” Decades later, absent any intentional acknowledgement of God, our schools are filled with violence, drug abuse and other forms of mayhem. Might there be a correlation?

 

We seem to be seeing the warning of Proverbs 29:18 fulfilled on a daily basis: “Where there is no vision the people run wild.” Another translation expresses it, “Where there is no [prophetic] revelation, the people cast off restraint.” Can we deny this is happening?

 

It’s not a popular sentiment in our age when so many seem defiant in their belief that “who needs God?!” But I would contend there is but one answer to that question, both individually and as a nation: We all do! We have God’s promise in 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

 

If only we, on this time of celebrating the anniversary of our nation’s independence, would indeed humble ourselves and pray and seek God’s face and turn from our wicked ways. Perhaps then we would see God graciously bless America as He has in years past, bringing healing and restoring unity.

Just How ‘United’ Is the U.S.A.?

Being born on July 4^th, making me what composer George M. Cohan called “A Yankee Doodle Dandy,” I’ve always had great fondness for Independence Day. I wear American flag T-shirts, we proudly display the American flag in front of our house, and I’m always stirred when patriotic songs like “Stars and Stripes Forever” are played.

The observance, of course, commemorates bold statesmen like Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Patrick Henry signing documents in 1776 declaring the new nation’s independence from Great Britain. (Wish I could have been there!) This act created the United States of America, but 236 years later one has to wonder just how “united” the U.S.A. really is.

We’re a nation polarized on many issues. A great divide tears at the very fabric of the U.S.A., with citizens in sharp, passionate and sometimes vitriolic disagreement on issues ranging from abortion to firearms, from healthcare to immigration, from sexual preferences to whether we should be “one nation under God.” We seem more untied these days than united.

How did we get this way?

Over the past several years I’ve had the privilege of writing two books about successful, privately owned companies that have now reached the fourth generation of family ownership. These businesses are among the tiny minority of companies that manage to remain “in the family” for more than two generations. That’s because it’s not easy to pass along values, vision and ideals from one generation to the next. Especially in a complex entity like a company – or a country. These businesses have been the exceptions.

A “generation” is typically defined as about 30 years, the span during which children grow up and start producing the next generation. Doing the math, this would mean the U.S.A. is well into its eighth generation. Considering how difficult it is to perpetuate a successful enterprise even to generation No. 4, it’s little wonder our nation is wobbling with generations 7 and 8.

It used to be “democracy” was synonymous with being governed by the majority, but in recent decades, “minority rule” seems to have taken over. Every special interest group is flexing its muscle, the vocal minority imposing its will on a comparatively silent majority.

Perhaps one factor contributing to this fragmentation is confusing unity with uniformity or unanimity. When the U.S. Constitution states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,” that does not mean identical. When it talks about the “inalienable right” to “the pursuit of happiness,” this does not imply guarantees or entitlement. The individual carries the responsibility for engaging in this pursuit. But as a society, we seem to have forgotten that.

The Bible offers one of the best descriptions of unity found anywhere: “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose” (Philippians 2:1-2).

Of course, we can’t consider this as a guideline because of the U.S. Supreme Court’s edict in 1947 about the so-called “separation of church and state.” This judgment has since become construed to mean not only that the state cannot impose religion upon the people, but also that people must avoid any inclusion of faith in the public square.

Gradually, our nation has drifted away from a conscious awareness of God’s involvement in daily affairs of mankind – despite declarations to the contrary by founding fathers like Jefferson, Adams, George Washington and others. And it seems God, understanding He’s no longer welcome, has graciously withdrawn. Without a constant spiritual compass, we’ve acquired a condition described in the Bible as “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). This description seems apt for where our “tolerant,” politically correct society today.

So the real question is not how did we get this way, but rather, where will we go from here?