Churches Refuse to Pray in Order to Make a Political Point
20 Sep 2005
Reginald Jackson, president of the Black Ministers Council of New Jersey, accused President Bush of being “a little late” in his call for last Friday’s National Day of Prayer and Remembrance for the Victims of Hurricane Katrina. According to the Associated Press, many ministers and churches were “so angry over the government’s sluggish response to blacks and poor people in New Orleans” that they refused to “heed Bush’s request” to observe a National Day of Prayer and Remembrance. I don’t know about you, but something appears amiss to me when churches are attempting to make political statements by withholding prayer from those who desperately need it.
Granted, many churches had already held prayer services before last Friday, as Rev. Jackson argued, “We’ve already prayed Mr. President.” Still, it seems strange to me that churches would refuse to pray again, especially when their only reason for doing so is to take a swipe at a President who has called them to prayer.
Jesus said, “My house shall be called the house of prayer” (Matthew 21:13). The Apostle Paul instructed us to pray “for Kings, and for all that are in authority” (1 Timothy 2:2). Yet, in some churches today politics takes precedence over prayer and those in authority are swiped at instead of prayed for. Maybe this helps to explain the implosion of our country and the impotence of so many of its churches.
Don Walton
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