| After the tragedy
of September 11th, many people were asking alot of questions.
The media stopped covering everything else and frankly, some
of us got a little burned out - there seemed to be no hope!
How refreshing it was to get this story and prayer emailed to
me so as to remind me of the power of prayer - especially
in the midst of tragedy!
Max Lucado, is a Christian author who is
very popular for his many wonderful books about the Lord. Max
was invited (along with several other famous preachers) to
have lunch at the White House with President Bush. Their
meeting took place on Thursday and Max shared with us this
morning how it had gone. As the ministers sat down to lunch
and waited for President Bush to appear, Max said that he was
expecting G.W. to walk in the room looking tired, serious, and
depressed. When the President came in, Max said he looked
totally the opposite of tired: he was energetic, joyful, and
very focused on his talk with the ministers. Max asked
President Bush how he could seem so calm and peaceful in the
midst of all the tragedy. The President's reply was, "I'm
feeling stronger now than I've ever been in my life. And the
reason is because every person in America is praying for me.
When I stay on my knees, that's when I have power." The
ministers then asked the President how he would like them to
pray for him, and how their congregations back home should be
praying. Mr. Bush asked, first, for clarity of mind so that he
could make wise decisions, and then he asked that we pray
specifically for his wife and two daughters, as he is very
concerned about their safety. I knew that you would be as
encouraged as I was to hear about this meeting. We must thank
God that we have a President who loves and fears the Lord. No
human leader is perfect, but God is perfect, so let's keep
President Bush lifted up in prayer before the Father.
This is a copy of a prayer written by
Max Lucado for America Prays, a national prayer vigil
held Saturday, September 14, 2001.
Dear Lord,
We're still hoping we'll wake up. We're still hoping we'll
open a sleepy eye and think, What a horrible dream.
But we won't, will we, Father? What we saw was not a dream.
Planes did gouge towers. Flames did consume our fortress.
People did perish. It was no dream and, dear Father, we are
sad.
There is a ballet dancer who will no longer dance and a doctor
who will no longer heal. A church has lost her priest, a
classroom is minus a teacher. Cora ran a food pantry. Paige
was a counselor and Dana, dearest Father, Dana was only three
years old. (Who held her in those final moments?)
We are sad, Father. For as the innocent are buried, our
innocence is buried as well. We thought we were safe. Perhaps
we should have known better. But we didn't.
And so we come to you. We don't ask you for help; we beg you
for it. We don't request it; we implore it. We know what you
can do. We've read the accounts. We've pondered the stories
and now we plead, Do it again, Lord. Do it again.
Remember Joseph? You rescued him from the pit. You can do the
same for us. Do it again, Lord.
Remember the Hebrews in Egypt? You protected their children
from the angel of death. We have children, too, Lord. Do it
again.
And Sarah? Remember her prayers? You heard them. Joshua?
Remember his fears? You inspired him. The women at the tomb?
You resurrected their hope. The doubts of Thomas? You took
them away. Do it again, Lord. Do it again.
You changed Daniel from a captive into a king's counselor. You
took Peter the fisherman and made him Peter an apostle.
Because of you, David went from leading sheep to leading
armies. Do it again, Lord, for we need counselors today, Lord.
We need apostles. We need leaders. Do it again, dear Lord.
Most of all,
do again what you did at Calvary. What we saw here on that
Tuesday, you saw there on that Friday. Innocence slaughtered.
Goodness murdered. Mothers weeping. Evil dancing. Just as the
ash fell on our children, the darkness fell on your Son. Just
as our towers were shattered, the very Tower of Eternity was
pierced.
And by dusk, heaven's sweetest song was silent, buried behind
a rock.
But you did not waver, O Lord. You did not waver. After three
days in a dark hole, you rolled the rock and rumbled the earth
and turned the darkest Friday into the brightest Sunday. Do it
again, Lord. Grant us a September Easter.
We thank you, dear Father, for these hours of unity. Disaster
has done what discussion could not. Doctrinal fences have
fallen. Republicans are standing with Democrats. Skin colors
have been covered by the ash of burning buildings. We thank
you for these hours of unity.
And we thank you for these hours of prayer. The Enemy sought
to bring us to our knees and succeeded. He had no idea,
however, that we would kneel before you. And he has no idea
what you can do.
Let your mercy be upon our President, Vice President, and
their families. Grant to those who lead us wisdom beyond their
years and experience. Have mercy upon the souls who have
departed and the wounded who remain. Give us grace that we
might forgive and faith that we might believe.
And look kindly upon your church. For two thousand years
you've used her to heal a hurting world.
Do it again, Lord. Do it again.
Through Christ, Amen. |