Prayer for Our New President 11-5-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Nations and economies and political leaders may rise and fall, but You are on Your throne. Be enthroned in my life and our land today. ... "For just as the body is one and has many members, and all members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we are all baptized into one body -- Jews or Greeks, slaves or free -- and we were all made to drink of one Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:12-13). Our nation elected Barak Obama as President of the United States of America yesterday. And as one nation, under God, may we be united as one in prayer for Your hand to anoint him, Your Holy Spirit to fill him, Your Word to guide him, and Your ways to lead him. Form Your thoughts in his mind and Your desires in his heart. Draw him daily in humility to his knees in prayer and grow him to maturity in the faith in Christ he proclaims (Ephesians 4:13). Protect him from the influences of power and deception as You pour into him Your wisdom and revelation, that he may grow, as every Christian must, in his personal relationship and desperate dependence upon You alone as his Source of inspiration, guidance, and strength (Ephesians 1:17-19). As the first African-American President, his election is a sign of redemption from our national, generational sin of slavery and prejudice. In his Christian faith and dynamic leadership, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. drew from the inspiration of Your prophet Isaiah in his longing and praying for a day like this in America: "I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain made low ... and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together" (from Isaiah 40:4). Your teaching from the Sermon on the Mount inspired the "dignified social action" and the "creative suffering" of the non-violent revolution that would lead to a day where our nation would freely choose to elect a Black man as the leader of our nation. In his last speech before Rev. King lost his life waging the war of hearts and minds for racial justice and unity in our nation, he remembered the story of Moses on Mt. Nebo overlooking the promised land he longed to see: "Like anybody, I would like to live a long life ... But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain, and I've looked over, and I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the promised land." He's watching from the "great cloud of witnesses" in the communion of saints of heaven as we cross over into history as a nation today (Hebrews 12:1). We have far to go, as a people and a nation, to fully cross over into the fullness of the promises of God, to fulfill our inheritance and destiny as a nation. We do not fully honor life and the authority of Your Word for our lives in many ways that will continue to necessitate Your correction and discipline, but always out of Your love and will for our redemption (Hebrews 12:5-13). But may we come together as one body in Christ, united by the one Spirit of Christ, to pray for our President -- the one leaving office and the one coming into office -- to follow You and walk in Your ways. Like Rev. Dr. King, may he live his life and use his influence "to do God's will." Then, as a follower of Christ, growing in the mind and nature of Christ, may he "increase in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and with men" (Luke 2:42, NKJV). Let the things that break Your heart break his heart and things that bring You joy bring him joy. And may he lead us, as he follows You, into the land of Your promises, so that the best days of our destiny may be yet to come. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 or send a note to Marilyn at DirOfMinistries@aol.com Come to the Mountain! every Monday night at 7 pm to pray for Israel and the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray of our ministry. Meeting at Southland Evangelical Methodist Church 2601 Clays Mill Rd (corner of Clays Mill and Hill n' Dale). All are welcome! Subscribe free by email to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" http://www.messiah-ministries.org/ 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order my book and our resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org