Pray for Our Nation
On Saturday, July 13 Americans were thrust into a reality that most would rather believe does not exist. Former President Donald Trump was speaking at a rally in Pennsylvania when suddenly shots from an assassin’s rifle were heard. Former President Trump was hit in his right ear and immediately ducked behind the lectern while Secret Service agents quickly surrounded him. The video of the attempt has been played and replayed thousands of times on television and online since the event.
The shooter was quickly killed, but not after inflicting injuries on rally attendees and tragically murdering one in attendance.
World leaders, from varied political lanes and national leaders, from both sides of the aisle have tweeted or released statements condemning the violence. These are the expected, right things to post.
It seems that social media turns everyone into an analyst, commentator, public voice, blame assigner, and in some cases conspiracy theorist. Thus, with the inundation of news reports from legitimate sources mixed in with the “latest update” on social media pages, the public is left to decipher true information from misinformation. What often results are emotive responses of fear and anger fueled by confusion.
The Reality Upon Us
The undesired reality is that of the depraved sin nature of humanity and the reminder that evil exists. Those who are shocked that something like an assassination attempt of a political leader can happen in a nation like the United States either have never studied U.S. history (Assassinations of sitting Presidents Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley, and Kennedy and attempted assassinations of sitting presidents and candidates Jackson, Taft, Theodore Roosevelt, Hoover, FDR, Truman, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, G.H.W. Bush, Clinton, G.W. Bush, Obama, and Trump should be clear reminders of reality,) read the Bible, or considered the reality of evil in a fallen world.
Prognosticators will continue to prognosticate. Analysts will analyze. News outlets will rerun the story over and over and will interview anyone desiring screen time, even if their expertise and background have little if nothing to do with the events of July 13.
What should Christians do?
What about Christians?
How should pastors shepherd their churches wisely during this time?
Pastors should do exactly as they have been doing if what they have been doing is biblical, truthful, and for the glory of God and the good of his people. That means as we gather on Sunday, the prayers of the faithful must continue. The truth of the Word of God must be clearly proclaimed. The hope found only in Christ must be unapologetically declared.
We should now, as we should have been already, pray for our nation, for our nation’s leaders, and for those working through the rightly defined processes of our political machinery to earn the privilege to serve the citizens.
Specifically in this case, we should pray for the well-being of former President Trump. We should pray for the family members and friends of the image-bearer who was murdered at the rally. Pray for all who were at the rally as the trauma of such is not to be minimized. Pray for all who were watching live online and who have been inundated over and over with images and videos of the violence. Pray for justice.
We should pray for President Biden as well. As the sitting president, he holds an office of leadership and must lead during times of crisis and uncertainty. While our political allegiances are likely and understandably very partisan, our prayers are not.
We should repent in our prayers. The holiness of God we are confronted with individually as we truly seek his face in prayer will reveal where we fall short. Thus, confession and repentance are always in order. Otherwise, our prayers may sound more like us telling God what we want him to do, rather than as humble, repentant, requests to the sovereign Father from his children (see Matthew 6:5-15.)
And while some will see prayer as a passive, weak response, please note that this is not a call to the culturally accepted “thoughts and prayers” often heard, but the prayers sought of righteous men and women seeking God’s wisdom and help in such times.
Psalm 16:7-8 (ESV)
I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
