Prayer on Inauguration Day

1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:1-4 ESV)

Readers are urged to be in special prayer for our nation's leaders today, and especially for the out-going and in-coming Presidents. We have been blessed in the United States to have a system of government in place in which we regularly, every four to eight years, inaugurate a new president, and this inauguration takes place in a dignified, amicable manner no matter how sharply out political parties may disagree with one another. In other nations important changes in power are only accomplished through great strife or even warfare, but in the United States the nation as a whole has afforded the opportunity for its citizens to lead "a peaceful and quiet life" within our borders (I do want to acknowledge that there have been horrible and sometimes persistent exceptions to this rule, mostly due to racism, but the election of Obama demonstrates that great gains have been made in redressing these kinds of injustice as well). With 1-2 million people gathered in Washington D.C. today, and with the real threat of terrorism, both international and domestic, we need to pray for law enforcement in our nation's capital as well as for God's kind providence that today's ceremonies would go without incident.

In praying for our new President today, I am praying for the following (I give this list with the hope that it may give readers some ideas for how they may pray for Obama):

1. I pray that President Obama will be granted godly humility to know that we humans are limited in what problems we can fix- that, indeed, our plans, no matter how thoroughly thought-out, are not immune from unforeseen disaster- and so we must depend on God: on His strength, wisdom, and gracious providence.
2. I pray for the health and safety of President and Mrs. Obama, and for the health and safety of their precious daughters: Natasha and Malia Ann.
3. I pray that as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces President Obama would lead our troops justly and according to wise counsel.
4. I pray that God would change President Obama's heart in regards to the matter of abortion. (This change is not beyond the power of God to effect, as I explored in a previous post.)

Readers are encouraged to leave a comment, telling how you will be praying for those in authority today.