I prayed yesterday for seven evangelical believers in Sichuan Mongol. I don’t know much about them. I don’t know if they are men, women or children. I don’t know if they have contact with each other. God knows. I simply prayed.

The Sichuan Mongolians of China were yesterday’s unreached people group of the day from the Joshua Project. They have a population of 33,000 of which 0.1% is Christian and 0.02% is evangelical. That works out to about thirty-three Christians, seven of whom are evangelical.

Of course I prayed for all the Christians, as well as for the people of Sichuan Mongol in general. But I especially prayed for seven evangelical believers living among an unreached people group of 33,000 — that God would encourage them, strengthen them in their faith, and help them as they seek to share the good news of Jesus with others.

Last week I posted an article called Palin, Prayer and Precedent. The article looked at Sarah Palin’s prayer for U.S. troops in relation to historical examples of U.S. presidents who also invoked prayer during times of war. (Gov. Palin’s remarks were made during an address to students at Wasilla Assembly of God Church in Wasilla, Alaska.)

The post was linked by Ann Althouse which prompted one reader to respond by raising an additional question concerning Palin and prayer — this time in relation to Palin’s request for prayer about the Alaskan pipeline (made during the same address to students at Wasilla).

We had a back-and-forth discussion in the comments section at Ann Althouse which I thought would be fun to reproduce here. A big thanks to Amy Jacobs for granting me permission to post her comments. Enjoy the discussion!

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Amy: The Ray Fowler post makes the same arguments seen elsewhere for Palin’s prayer. The problem with Fowler’s spin is that it doesn’t explain a similarly bizarre comment from Palin: “I think God’s will has to be done in unifying people and companies to get that gas line built, so pray for that.” In this instance it’s clear that Palin claims to know God’s will.

Fowler’s attempt to spin Palin’s prayer offers up this distinction: “There is a big difference between claiming that something is God’s plan and praying that something we do lines up with God’s plan.” Palin says that building the gas line is God’s will. I have no idea how Palin claims to know God’s will regarding US economic and energy policy. In any case an invocation of Lincoln doesn’t help Palin out on this one.

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Ray: I don’t think Gov. Palin is necessarily saying she knows God’s will for the pipeline. I am sure if you asked her she would explain more clearly what she meant. It is similar to Senator Obama and the lipstick on a pig comment. His words could have been interpreted negatively towards Palin, but when given a chance to explain himself, he told us what he meant by the words. In the same way I think we should let Gov. Palin interpret her own words instead of jumping to conclusions.

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Amy: I can only go by what Palin says. In this case it’s perfectly clear: Palin claims to know God has a plan for building a gas line. Words have meaning, which is why you spent so much time analyzing precisely what Palin said about our troops in Iraq. We should hold our politicians responsible for their actions and their words.

Except the new Republican game is to defend ridiculous comments by Republican politicians by arguing that it’s just “verbiage.” Palin did this when she defended McCain’s assertion that the fundamentals of the economy are strong: “Well, it was an unfair attack on the verbiage that Senator McCain chose to use.” I think you use the same sort of defense of Palin: “I am sure if you asked her she would explain more clearly what she meant.”

It’s perfectly clear what she meant. She’s used phrases like “God’s will” and “God’s plan” on more than one occasion in support of political positions. If Palin had used the phrase “God’s will” in urging humanitarian work, it wouldn’t be a concern since the Bible offers instruction about charity and giving. But the Bible offers no guidance about gas lines. Therefore when Palin talks about “God’s will” regarding gas lines, she’s using religion to carry a political agenda.

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Ray: Well, it’s more than possible that I am reading my own worldview into this whole scenario, but I don’t think it is perfectly clear that she meant what you say. Palin said: “I think God’s will has to be done in unifying people and companies to get that gas line built, so pray for that.” Couldn’t she simply be saying that if its God’s will for this pipeline to be built, then it is going to take a lot of people coming together, so let’s pray for that?

Once again, I could be pushing my own world view onto this, but I come from a Christian background where we talk about God’s will a lot. And we never assume that “my will is God’s will.” We hope that what we are doing lines up with God’s will, and we pray for God’s will to be done, but I sincerely doubt that Sarah Palin was claiming divinely revealed knowledge about the Alaskan pipeline.

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Amy: That might be what she meant to say, but it’s clearly not what she did say. What she did say is that it’s God’s will for Alaskans to build a gas line and the project will require people and companies to come together.

I come from a Christian background too. I’ve heard people talk about “God’s will” and “God’s plan” in regard to Biblical lessons, but not in referencing specific political projects like building gas lines. Based on your Christian background, can you provide a textual reference to support the idea that God has a plan for gas lines in Alaska?

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Ray: How about Zechariah 4:12? (“Again I asked him, ‘What are these two olive branches beside the two gold pipes that pour out golden oil?’”) Just kidding. I am sure both you and I would agree that this is an irresponsible use of the Biblical text by taking it out of context. But that is exactly my point. From what I know of Gov. Palin’s background, she also would be firmly against using a text like this to justify building a pipeline in Alaska.

I don’t believe Gov. Palin was saying or has ever said that she has Scriptural warrant or a direct decree from God to build a pipeline in Alaska. But she was asking for prayer about it. And she was praying for God’s will to be done.

Just as we let Senator Obama explain what he meant by “lipstick on a pig,” (and I accepted his explanation), I think we should let Gov. Palin explain her words instead of interpret them for her. Now, if she suddenly starts spouting Zechariah 4:12 in favor of two Alaskan pipelines, I will grant you your point and come over to your side.

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Thanks, Amy, for a fun discussion. I enjoyed the back and forth even if we ultimately end up disagreeing with each other on this one. And the comments are open if you would like the last word!

Related posts:

• Palin, Prayer and Precedent
• Journalists Code of Ethics
• Sunday at Sarah Palin’s Church
• Sarah Palin Roundup

Was Sarah Palin out of line with her prayer or simply following presidential precedent? On June 8, 2008 Sarah Palin prayed for our troops at Wasilla Assembly of God Church in Wasilla, Alaska. In a heavily edited interview broadcast September 11, 2008 Charles Gibson questioned Palin about the appropriateness of her words as a political candidate.

GIBSON: You said recently, in your old church, “Our national leaders are sending U.S. soldiers on a task that is from God.” Are we fighting a holy war?

PALIN: You know, I don’t know if that was my exact quote.

GIBSON: Exact words.

Well, yes and no. Gibson only quoted part of her words. Palin’s words come out very different when placed in context. Here are her exact words:

Pray for our military men and women who are striving to do what is right. Also, for this country that our leaders, our national leaders, are sending them out on a task that is from God. That’s what we have to make sure that we’re praying for, that there is a plan, and that plan is God’s plan. So, bless them with your prayers, your prayers of protection over our soldiers.

There is a big difference between claiming that something is God’s plan and praying that something we do lines up with God’s plan. Gibson accused Palin of doing the former, when she was actually doing the latter. As Palin explained to Gibson in the interview:

PALIN: But the reference there is a repeat of Abraham Lincoln’s words when he said — first, he suggested never presume to know what God’s will is, and I would never presume to know God’s will or to speak God’s words.

But what Abraham Lincoln had said, and that’s a repeat in my comments, was let us not pray that God is on our side in a war or any other time, but let us pray that we are on God’s side.

Palin has historical precedent for praying this way, as the following video makes clear. The video contains clips of former presidents Bill Clinton, John F. Kennedy, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln praying or requesting prayer for our nation in times of war. (As an aside, I get a little tired of the “media elite” mantra that gets thrown around as in this video, but the content of the historical clips is well worth a watch.)

(Video length: 4:52)

(HT: Instapundit)

TRANSCRIPTS FROM VIDEO:

Bill Clinton asks for God’s blessing on our troops (from Clinton’s address announcing air strikes in Iraq; December 16, 1998):

In the century we’re leaving, America has often made the difference between chaos and community, fear and hope. Now, in the new century, we’ll have a remarkable opportunity to shape a future more peaceful than the past, but only if we stand strong against the enemies of peace. Tonight, the United States is doing just that. May God bless and protect the brave men and women who are carrying out this vital mission and their families. And may God bless America.

John F. Kennedy prays for God’s blessing concerning the imminent Soviet threat (from Kennedy’s Inaugural Address; January 20, 1961):

The same revolutionary beliefs for which our forbears fought are still at issue around the globe — the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God … (With a good conscience) our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God’s work must truly be our own.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt leads the nation in prayer on D-Day (from FDR’s radio address to the nation; June 6, 1944):

Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization … O Lord, give us faith. Give us faith in Thee; faith in our sons; … faith in our united crusade … With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy … Lead us to the saving of our country, and with our sister nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace … Thy will be done, Almighty God. Amen.

Abraham Lincoln speaks about prayer, God and war (from Lincoln’s 2nd Inaugural Address; Saturday, March 4, 1865):

Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God’s assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men’s faces, but let us judge not, that we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered. That of neither has been answered fully. The Almighty has His own purposes.

Back to the Gibson/Palin interview:

PALIN: But what Abraham Lincoln had said, and that’s a repeat in my comments, was let us not pray that God is on our side in a war or any other time, but let us pray that we are on God’s side.

That’s what that comment was all about, Charlie …

GIBSON: I take your point about Lincoln’s words, but you went on and said, “There is a plan and it is God’s plan.”

PALIN: I believe that there is a plan for this world and that plan for this world is for good. I believe that there is great hope and great potential for every country to be able to live and be protected with inalienable rights that I believe are God-given, Charlie, and I believe that those are the rights to life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That, in my world view, is a grand — the grand plan.

GIBSON: But then are you sending your son on a task that is from God?

PALIN: I don’t know if the task is from God, Charlie. What I know is that my son has made a decision. I am so proud of his independent and strong decision he has made, what he decided to do and serving for the right reasons and serving something greater than himself and not choosing a real easy path where he could be more comfortable and certainly safer.

So, what do you think? Was Sarah Palin out of line with her prayer, or was she simply following presidential precedent?

LINKED: Ann Althouse (Thanks!)

Related posts:

• Palin, Prayer and Pipelines
• Journalists Code of Ethics
• Sunday at Sarah Palin’s Church
• Sarah Palin Roundup

I am participating in the 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World. Here is today’s entry on the Hui people in Beijing.

BEIJING
Population: 15,380,000
Ethnic Han Chinese: 96%
Major Muslim group: Hui people (approx. 2% or about 280,000)
There are about 12 million Hui in all of China.

The Hui people trace their ancestors back to Muslim traders, soldiers, and officials who came to China during the seventh through fourteenth centuries. These men settled and married local native (Han) Chinese women. The Hui have so well assimilated into the Chinese society that they are almost indistinguishable from the Han Chinese, except in dietary and religious practices.

There is very little if any Christian witness to the Hui Muslims in general. There are no known believers among the Muslim Hui in Beijing. Beijing is the capital of the People’s Republic of China, The city was founded more than 3,000 years ago, and was regarded as the capital of China for over 850 years.

Prayer Starters:

• May God open doors for Chinese believers in the Messiah to proclaim Christ to Muslims.
• May God cause the Muslim Hui people in the Beijing area to seek the true God.
• Pray that Chinese believers can be agents of blessing and positive change for the city and the Muslim population.

If you would like to participate in the 30 Days of Prayer, you can click here for daily prayer summaries via e-mail or click here to subscribe to the 30 Days RSS feed.

Related posts:

• Ramadan – 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World
• Around the Web – 9/3/2008

Here are a couple C. S. Lewis clips I found on YouTube. The first clip is from Lewis’ March 21, 1944 radio address on BBC. This is the only surviving footage from Lewis’ 1941-1942 broadcast talks (which later appeared in book form as Mere Christianity). In this clip Lewis talks about prayer.

Lewis on BBC (Video length: 9:16)

This is just a portion of the surviving footage. You can listen to the
full audio clip at the BBC website.

The second clip is an excerpt from a lecture where Lewis talks about the novels of his friend and fellow member of The Inklings — Charles Williams.

Lewis talks about Charles Williams (Video length: 1:56)

HT: A Place for the God Hungry
Click here for Narnia related posts.

Last year I noticed that the official prayer Chuck Swindoll composed as Honorary Chairperson for the National Day of Prayer left out Jesus’ name. I was surprised because the National Day of Prayer Task Force is specifically Christian in outlook. I called their office but no one was able to explain why the prayer was not offered in Jesus’ name.

This year Dr. Ravi Zacharias was Honorary Chairperson, and again the official prayer did not contain Jesus’ name. I was still curious but did not call as I hadn’t got an answer before. However, Paul Edwards had Ravi on his radio program yesterday and asked him about it. Here is what Ravi said:

When the National Day of Prayer was formed, Yvonette Bright struggled with bringing this in, and after President Reagan got it through — barely got it through in time, Evangelical leaders got together and realized that the ONE prayer that had limitations, just the one prayer of the Honorary Chairperson, would be limited because it goes into the Congressional Record; that no distinctive name could be used that would make it appear that Congress is supporting one religion over against the other, face a law suit and it would be finished.

Hurrah! After a year of waiting I finally have an answer. Now I wonder why no one could tell me that last year?

Today is the National Day of Prayer for the United States. The purpose of the National Day of Prayer is to gather the people of our country to come together and pray, particularly for our nation and for those in leadership on all levels of local, national, church and educational areas of influence.

Let me encourage you to participate in this special day of prayer for our nation. Over 40,000 prayer events are scheduled to take place this year across the country -– at churches, schools, government buildings and other public gathering places. Some local pastors and I will be hosting an event in Agawam, MA during the lunch hour. To find an event near you, click here.

Tony Dungy, head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, shares his thoughts on prayer and challenges Americans to unite in prayer in this video.

(Video length: 1:02)

Related articles:

• Tony Dungy No. 1 on NYT Bestsellers List
• Tony Dungy: Asking ‘What’ Instead of ‘Why’

This video of a little girl singing the Lord’s Prayer is one of the nicest things I have seen in a long time. Zoei Isabelle Toh is only 2 years and 8 months old in the video. My favorite parts are when she sings, “And lead us not into temptation,” and also when she starts swinging her arms and conducting herself near the end. Awesome! Thanks to “Mommy” for directing this video and sharing it with the rest of us.

(Video length: 1:58)

HT: Perigrinatio
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Here is a great quote from O. Hallesby on praying for your children:

See to it, night and day, that you pray for your children. Then you will leave them a great legacy of answers to prayer, which will follow them all the days of their life. Then you may calmly and with a good conscience depart from them, even though you may not leave them a great deal of material wealth. (O. Hallesby)

Wait! Don’t throw those Christmas cards away. Turn them into a prayer list instead. Here is a great idea that our friend Tom shared at church last Sunday:

Do you have a bunch of Christmas cards hanging up that you just don’t know what to do with now that January has come? We put ours in a pile, and each night at supper we have someone pick a card from the pile, and we remember that family/person in prayer. People that have found out that we do this have now sent us cards just to be in our prayer pile each year. We are always sad when we reach the end of the pile, but we enjoy praying for our friends right through spring.

Click here for more Christmas related posts.

From Breitbart.com:

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice prayed at the Biblical birthplace of Jesus Christ on Wednesday, promoting religion in the quest for Middle East peace during intense diplomacy.

“Being here at the birthplace of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ has been a very special and moving experience,” said the top US diplomat, a devout Christian whose father and grandfather were Presbyterian ministers.

HT: SmartChristian.com

I am sure many of you are familiar with The Serenity Prayer, written by Reinhold Niebuhr:

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Now Ben Witherington presents The Senility Prayer “for folks over 50 who are cranky”:

Grant me the senility
to forget the people I never liked anyway;
the good fortune to run into the ones I do;
and the eyesight to tell the difference.

Witherington also has a great story about prayer in the same article. “A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men on it were able to swim to a small, desert like island . . . .”