Our President Needs Prayer. Here's Why.

The Scriptures are clear.   Christ-followers have a specific model to follow in civic life, as outlined in the Scriptures, and are exhorted to pray for leaders and people in authority. 
1 Timothy 2: 1-5:

 I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. ² Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. ³ This is good and pleases God our Savior, ⁴ who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. ⁵ For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus.

This article will help us to understand how to pray for our President and leaders, based upon trends, priorities, reviewing the agenda he wishes to make the same for America.  

The following biblical narrative is not all that dissimilar to God's method of dealing with mankind and nations today though it took place hundreds and hundreds of years ago.

Notice how God's Word, His Will, reverence and fear for Him, were both a dread and a mandate as we see Samuel, God's delegated authority representative and mouthpiece, was welcomed and received.  The nation's response to God was that indicator which determined whether that nation would be under an open Heaven and blessed or under a brass heavens and the absence of God's favor. 

Samuel Anoints David as King - 1 Samuel 16:7

16 Now the Lord said to Samuel, “You have mourned long enough for Saul. I have rejected him as king of Israel, so fill your flask with olive oil and go to Bethlehem. Find a man named Jesse who lives there, for I have selected one of his sons to be my king.”

² But Samuel asked, “How can I do that? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.”
“Take a heifer with you,” the Lord replied, “and say that you have come to make a sacrifice to the Lord. ³ Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you which of his sons to anoint for me.”
⁴ So Samuel did as the Lord instructed. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town came trembling to meet him. “What’s wrong?” they asked. “Do you come in peace?”
⁵ “Yes,” Samuel replied. “I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Purify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then Samuel performed the purification rite for Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice, too.
⁶ When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Surely this is the Lord’s anointed!”
⁷ But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

 It is not  far-fetched to say that someone might be sought out, approved and endorsed based on looks, alone, or, in other words, without regarding his/her's heart attitudes toward Jehovah God.  It is verifiable that elections have been won and lost based on even a moment's look or appearance a politician has and how the nation viewed them at that moment.  Elections have been lost and won based upon the ill-timing of a statement or a single phrase or gesture that the constituents just could not forget.  Again, outward appearances mean everything - more than the kind of Faith Paul describes to Timothy - the Faith that is the absolute Foundation of this Nation (which is being discarded by our leaders, churches and Christ-followers).

We have reached a point where so much is based on appearance, rather than substance, that like Israel of old, we know what we want and demand what we want, regardless the substance of one's heart towards the righteous decrees of God's sacred Word.  It is the outward appearance that evokes a response, stimulates and speaks louder than anything else - even God.

I was nudged to write this article after  I read one from a global, Christian magazine this morning that informs us about our President's response to Thanksgiving - once again eliminating any reference to God, unlike each and everyone of his predecessors.  The silence of such, especially in the midst of our great needs and God's continued mercy is far too loud to ignore. 

What is the reasoning behind such a clear, obvious act?  It certainly is not accidental, but, very much to the contrary, a deliberate effort by our President to distance himself and our Nation from the One we do desperately need to please and confer with in these dark and challenging times.

It has never been an uncommon thing for our President's to invoke the mercy, grace and help of Jehovah during times of great National crisis - history books don't hide such facts.  The new history books will not include any such occurrences from our President, and, accordingly, they will not even ask why.

In years to come, no one will question the absence of our President's references to Jehovah God, especially at such historic, venerated and sacred times as Thanksgiving because we will have drifted still farther away from God in this godless current.  Unless God has mercy, in time, no one will be able to locate, as a reference point, the shoreline of National faith.

I have taken time to list a number of occurrences whereby our President has intentionally ignored God and discredited our National faith.  I regret not being able to provide the single reference where these details were garnered.  However, each point carries adequate attribution.  Additionally, these reports are very well referenced and footnoted for further research and study.  

The following is shared, not for the purpose of debate or strife, but to illustrate how terribly important it is that we follow the Apostle Paul's instructions to Timothy - pray for those who are in authority so that we might lead a quiet and peaceable life.

The following points illustrate our President and his Administration's approach toward Jehovah God, the Bible, the Church and our National faith.  If these incidents are factual, as the footnotes attest, then Christ-followers of any and every political persuasion should be able to weigh every action up against and alongside the Bible and determine whether our President is, in reality, God-fearing and God honoring.  What nature of fruit is his 'tree' (life, faith, beliefs) producing? 

Unfortunately, many have an allegiance to our President that is blind, so blind in devotion that they find it hard, if not impossible, to lift up and show unmitigated devotion to God's Word as the highest and best Good and Help in our Land.

If anyone feels the data is not factual, I would appreciate a note alerting me to any discrepancies.  

Whether one supported President Obama or not, it behooves every Christ-follower to reference such data and additional sources such as Poltifact, Fact-Check, etc. in order to be able to study issues and gain solid, verifiable details and facts in order to know how to pray for our President effectively. 

 

1.  February 2009 – Mr. Obama announces plans to revoke conscience protection for health workers who refuse to participate in medical activities that go against their beliefs, and fully implements the plan in February 2011.

2.  April 2009 – When speaking at Georgetown University, President Obama orders that a monogram symbolizing Jesus' name be covered when he is making his speech.

3.  May 2009 –  President Obama declines to host services for the National Prayer Day (a day established by federal law) at the White House.

4.  April 2009 – In what many believe to be a deliberate act of disrespect, our President nominated three pro-abortion ambassadors to the Vatican; of course, the pro-life Vatican rejected all three.

5.  October 19, 2010 – Our President begins to omit the phrase about “the Creator” when quoting the Declaration of Independence – an omission made on no less than seven occasions.

6.  November 2010 – President Obama misquotes the National Motto, saying it is “E pluribus unum” rather than “In God We Trust” as established by federal law.

7.  February 2011 – Although he filled posts in the State Department, for more than two years President Obama did not fill the post of Religious Freedom Ambassador, an official that works against religious persecution across the world; he filled it only after heavy pressure from the public and from Congress.

8.  April 2011 – For the first time in American history, President Obama urges passage of a non-discrimination law that does not contain hiring protections for religious groups, forcing religious organizations to hire according to federal mandates without regard to the dictates of their own faith, thus eliminating conscience protection in hiring.

9.  August 2011 – The Obama administration releases its new health care rules that override religious conscience protections for medical workers in the areas of abortion and contraception.

10.  November 2011 – Our President opposes inclusion of President Franklin Roosevelt’s famous D-Day Prayer in the WWII Memorial.

11.  November 2011 – Unlike previous presidents, our President avoids any religious references in his Thanksgiving speech.

 12.  January 2012 – The Obama administration argues that the First Amendment provides no protection for churches and synagogues in hiring their pastors and rabbis.

13.  February 2012 – President Obama forgives student loans in exchange for public service, except for public service related to religion.

14.  June 2011 – The Department of Veterans Affairs forbids references to God and Jesus during burial ceremonies at Houston National Cemetery.

15.  September 2011 – Air Force Chief of Staff prohibits commanders from notifying airmen of programs and services available to them from chaplains

16.  September 2011 – The Army issues guidelines for Walter Reed Medical Center stipulating that “No religious items (i.e. Bibles, reading materials and/or facts) are allowed to be given away or used during a visit.”

17.  November 2011 – The Air Force Academy rescinds support for Operation Christmas Child, a program to send holiday gifts to impoverished children across the world, because the program is run by a Christian charity.

18.  February 2012 – The U. S. Military Academy at West Point disinvites three star Army general and decorated war hero Lieutenant General William G. (“Jerry”) Boykin (retired) from speaking at an event for being an outspoken Christian.

19.  February 2012 – The Air Force removes “God” from the patch of Rapid Capabilities Office (the word on the patch was in Latin: Dei).

20.  February 2012 – The Army orders Catholic chaplains not to read a letter to parishioners that their archbishop asked them to read.

21.  April 2012 – A checklist for Air Force Inns will no longer include ensuring that a Bible is available in rooms for those who want to use them.

22.  May 2012 – President Obama opposes legislation to protect the rights of conscience for military chaplains who do not wish to perform same-sex marriages in violation of their strongly-held religious beliefs.

23.  June 2012 - Bibles for the American military have been printed in every conflict since the American Revolution.  However, President Obama’s Administration revoked the long-standing U. S. policy of allowing military service emblems to be placed on those military Bibles.28

HOSTILITY TOWARD BIBLICAL VALUES

24.  January 2009 – President Obama lifts restrictions on U.S. government funding for groups that provide abortion services or counseling abroad, forcing taxpayers to fund pro-abortion groupsthat either promote or perform abortions in other nations.

25.  January 2009 – President Obama’s nominee for Deputy Secretary of State asserts that American taxpayers are required to pay for abortions and that limits on abortion funding are unconstitutional.

26.  March 2009 – Mr. Obama's Administration shut out pro-life groups from attending a White House-sponsored health care summit.

27.  March 2009 – President Obama gave $50 million for the UNFPA, the UN population agency that promotes abortion and works closely with Chinese population control officials who use forced abortions and involuntary sterilizations. 33

28.  May 2009 – The White House budget eliminates all funding for abstinence-only education and replaces it with “comprehensive” sexual education, repeatedly proven to increase teen pregnancies and abortions. He continues the deletion in subsequent budgets.

29.  May 2009 – President Obama’s officials assemble a terrorism dictionary calling pro-life advocates violent and charging that they use racism in their “criminal” activities.

30.  July 2009 – The Obama Administration illegally extends federal benefits to same-sex partners of Foreign Service and Executive Branch employees, in direct violation of the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

31.  September 16, 2009 – The Obama administration appoints as EEOC Commissioner Chai Feldblum, who asserts that society should “not tolerate” any “private beliefs,” including religious beliefs, if they may negatively affect homosexual “equality.”

32.  July 2010 – The Obama Administration uses federal funds in violation of federal law to get Kenya to change its constitution to include abortion.

33.  August 2010 – The Obama Administration cuts funding for 176 abstinence education programs.

34.  February 2011 – The President directs the Justice Department to stop defending the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

35.  March 2011 – The Obama Administration refuses to investigate videos showing Planned Parenthood helping alleged sex traffickers get abortions for victimized underage girls.

36.  September 2011 – The Pentagon directs that military chaplains may perform same-sex marriages at military facilities in violation of the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

37.  October 2011 – The Obama Administration eliminates federal grants to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for their extensive programs that aid victims of human trafficking because the Catholic Church is anti-abortion.

OUR PRESIDENT AND ISLAM - A Clear and Obvious Partiality in Favor

38.  May 2009 – While President Obama does not host any National Day of Prayer event at the White House, he does host White House Iftar dinners in honor of Ramadan.

39.  April 2010 – Christian leader Franklin Graham is disinvited from the Pentagon’s National Day of Prayer event because of complaints from the Muslim community.

40.  April 2010 – The Obama administration requires rewriting of government documents and a change in administration vocabulary to remove terms that are deemed offensive to Muslims, including jihad, jihadists, terrorists, radical Islamic, etc.

41.  August 2010 – President Obama went to great lengths to speak out on multiple occasions on behalf of building an Islamic mosque at Ground Zero, while at the same time he was silent about a Christian church being denied permission to rebuild at that location

42.  2010 – While every White House traditionally issues hundreds of official proclamations and statements on numerous occasions, this White House avoids traditional Biblical holidays and events but regularly recognizes major Muslim holidays, as evidenced by its 2010 statements on Ramadan, Eid-ul-Fitr, Hajj, and Eid-ul-Adha. 52

February 2012 – The Obama administration makes effulgent apologies for Korans being burned by the U. S. military, but when Bibles were burned by the military, numerous reasons were offered why it was the right thing to do.

Church, you can see the need:  Let's pray.

Endnotes

1. Sarah Pulliam Baily, "Obama: ‘They cling to guns or religion’," Christianity Today, April 13, 2008. (Return)  2. Aliza Marcus, "Obama to Lift ‘Conscience’ Rule for Health Workers," Bloomberg, February 27, 2009; Sarah Pulliam Baily, "Obama Admin. Changes Bush ‘Conscience’ Rule for Health Workers," Christianity Today, February 18, 2011. (Return)  3. Jim Lovino, "Jesus Missing From Obama’s Georgetown Speech," NBC Washington, April 17, 2009. (Return)  4. Johanna Neuman, “Obama end Bush-era National Prayer Day Service at White House," Los Angeles Times, May 7, 2009. (Return)  5. Chris McGreal, “Vatican vetoes Barack Obama’s nominees for U.S. Ambassador,” The Guardian, April 14, 2009. (Return)  6. Meredith Jessup, “Obama Continues to Omit ‘Creator’ From Declaration of Independence,” The Blaze, October 19, 2010. (Return)  7. "Remarks by the President at the University of Indonesia in Jakarta, Indonesia," The White House, November 10, 2010. (Return)  8. LadyImpactOhio, " Feds sued by Veterans to allow stolen Mojave Desert Cross to be rebuilt," Red State, January 14, 2011. (Return)  9. Marrianne Medlin, “Amid criticism, President Obama moves to fill vacant religious ambassador post,” Catholic News Agency, February 9, 2011; Thomas F. Farr, “Undefender of the Faith,” Foreign Policy, April 5, 2012. (Return)  10. Chris Johnson, “ENDA passage effort renewed with Senate introduction,” Washington Blade, April 15, 2011. (Return)  11. Chuck Donovan, “HHS’s New Health Guidelines Trample on Conscience,” Heritage Foundation, August 2, 2011. (Return)  12. Todd Starns, “Obama Administration Opposes FDR Prayer at WWII Memorial,” Fox News, November 4, 2011. (Return)  13. Joel Siegel, “Obama Omits God From Thanksgiving Speech, Riles Critics,” ABC News, November 25, 2011. (Return)  14. Hillary Rodham Clinton, “Remarks in Recognition of International Human Rights Day,” U.S. Department of State, December 6, 2011. (Return)  15. Ted Olson, “Church Wins Firing Case at Supreme Court,” Christianity Today, January 11, 2012. (Return)  16. Audrey Hudson, “Obama administration religious service for student loan forgiveness,” Human Events, February 15, 2012. (Return)  17. “Houston Veterans Claim Censorship of Prayers, Including Ban of ‘God’ and ‘Jesus’,” Fox News, June 29, 2011. (Return)  18. Jason Ukman, “Air Force suspends ethics course that used Bible passages that train missle launch officers,” Washington Post, August 2, 2011. (Return)  19. "Maintaining Government Neutrality Regarding Religion," Department of the Air Force, September 1, 2011. (Return)  20. "Wounded, Ill, and Injured Partners in Care Guidelines," Department of the Navy (accessed on February 29, 2012). (Return)  21. "Air Force Academy Backs Away from Christmas Charity," Fox News Radio, November 4, 2011. (Return)  22. Jenny Dean, "Air Force Academy adapts to pagans, druids, witches and Wiccans," Los Angeles Times, November 26, 2011. (Return)  23. Ken Blackwell, "Gen. Boykin Blocked At West Point," cnsnews.com, February 1, 2012. (Return)  24. Geoff Herbert, " Air Force unit removes 'God' from logo; lawmakers warn of 'dangerous precedent'," syracuse.com, February 9, 2012. (Return)  25. Todd Starnes, "Army Silences Catholic Chaplains," Fox News Radio, February 6, 2012. (Return)  26. Markeshia Ricks, "Bible checklist for Air Force lodges going away," Air Force Times, April 16, 2012. (Return)  27. Patrick Goodenough, "White House 'Strongly Objects' to Legislation Protecting Military Chaplains from Doing Same-Sex Weddings or Being Forced to Act Against Conscience," cnsnews.com, May 16, 2012. (Return)  28. "U.S. military insignia no longer allowed on Bibles," CBN News, June 14, 2012. (Return)  29. Jeff Mason and Deborah Charles, "Obama lifts restrictions on abortion funding," Reuters, January 23, 2009. (Return)  30. "Obama pick: Taxpayers must fund abortions," World Net Daily, January 27, 2009. (Return)  31. Steven Ertelt, "Pro-Life Groups Left Off Obama’s Health Care Summit List, Abortion Advocates OK," LifeNews, March 5, 2009. (Return)  32. " Obama Signs Order Lifting Restrictions on Stem Cell Research Funding," Fox News, March 9, 2009. (Return)  33. Steven Ertelt, “ Obama Administration Announces $50 Million for Pro-Forced Abortion UNFPA,” LifeNews, March 26, 2009; Steven Ertelt, "President Barack Obama’s Pro-Abortion Record: A Pro-Life Compilation," LifeNews, February 11, 2012. (Return)  34. Steven Ertelt, "Barack Obama’s Federal Budget Eliminates Funding for Abstinence-Only Education," LifeNews, May 8, 2009. (Return)  35. Steven Ertelt, "Obama Budget Funds Sex Ed Over Abstinence on 16-1 Margin," LifeNews, February 14, 2011. (Return)  36. Steven Ertelt, "Obama Admin Terrorism Dictionary Calls Pro-Life Advocates Violent, Racist," LifeNews, May 5, 2009. (Return)  37. "Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies," The White House, June 17, 2009. (Return)  38. Matt Cover, "Obama’s EEOC Nominee: Society Should ‘Not Tolerate Private Beliefs’ That ‘Adversely Affect’ Homosexuals," cnsnews.com, January 18, 2010. (Return)  39. Tess Civantos, "White House Spent $23M of Taxpayer Money to Back Kenyan Constitution That Legalizes Abortion, GOP Reps Say," Fox News, July 22, 2010. (Return)  40. Steven Ertelt, "Obama, Congress Cut Funding for 176 Abstinence Programs Despite New Study," LifeNews, August 26, 2010. (Return)  41. Steven Ertelt, "President Barack Obama’s Pro-Abortion Record: A Pro-Life Compilation," LifeNews, February 11, 2012. (Return)  42. Brian Montopoli, "Obama administration will no longer defend DOMA," CBSNews, February 23, 2011. (Return)  43. Steven Ertelt, "Obama Admin Ignores Planned Parenthood Sex Trafficking Videos," LifeNews, March 2, 2011. (Return)  44. Elisabeth Bumiller, "Obama Ends ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Policy," New York Times, July 22, 2011; George Washington, The Writings of George Washington, John C. Fitzpatrick, editor (Washington: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1934), Vol. XI, pp. 83-84, from General Orders at Valley Forge on March 14, 1778. (Return)  45. Luis Martinez, "Will Same Sex Marriages Pose a Dilemma for Military Chaplains?," ABC News, October 12, 2011. (Return)  46. Jerry Markon, "Health, abortion issues split Obama administration and Catholic groups," Washington Post, October 31, 2011. (Return)  47. Barack Obama, “ Remarks by the President at Iftar Dinner,” The White House, September 1, 2009; Kristi Keck, “ Obama tones down National Day of Prayer observance,” CNN, May 6, 2009; Dan Gilgoff, “ The White House on National Day of Prayer: A Proclamation, but No Formal Ceremony,” U.S. News, May 1, 2009. (Return)  48. "Franklin Graham Regrets Army's Decision to Rescind Invite to Pentagon Prayer Service," Fox News, April 22, 2010. (Return)  49. “Obama Bans Islam, Jihad From National Security Strategy Document,” Fox News, April 7, 2010; "Counterterror Adviser Defends Jihad as 'Legitimate Tenet of Islam'," Fox News, May 27, 2010; "'Islamic Radicalism' Nixed From Obama Document," CBSNews, April 7, 2010. (Return)  50. Chuck Norris, “ President Obama: Muslim Missionary? (Part 2),” Townhall.com, August 24, 2010; Chuck Norris, "President Obama: Muslim Missionary?," Townhall.com, August 17, 2010.(Return)  51. Barack Obama, “Remarks by the President at Iftar Dinner,” The White House, August 13, 2010; "Obama Comes Out in Favor of Allowing Mosque Near Ground Zero," Fox News, August 13, 2010; Pamela Geller, "Islamic Supremacism Trumps Christianity at Ground Zero," American Thinker, July 21, 2011. (Return)  52. "WH Fails to Release Easter Proclamation," Fox Nation, April 25, 2011; "President Obama ignores most holy Christian holiday; AFA calls act intentional," American Family Association (accessed on February 29, 2012).(Return)  53. "Report: Obama’s Muslim Advisers Block Middle Eastern Christians’ Access to the White House," Big Peace (accessed on February 29, 2012). (Return)  54. Masoud Popalzai and Nick Paton Walsh, “ Obama apologizes to Afghanistan for Quran burning,” CNN, February 23, 2012. (Return)  55. "Military burns unsolicited Bibles sent to Afghanistan," CNN, May 22, 2009. (Return)