Pray every way you know how

Published November 8, 2012

Stockton Sentinel

Stockton, Kansas

It is Sunday evening after a wonderful weekend of having three of our granddaughters with us. And this afternoon, our youngest son and his wife came with the other three grandkids, so the five older kids had a great afternoon of playing outside together while Grandma and Grandpa got to have fun with the baby. At almost seven months old, she doesn’t act like a baby anymore because she sits, she crawls, she pulls herself up to furniture, and she will probably be walking by Thanksgiving. Yes, she’s gifted, this grandchild-o’-mine. (I know; your grandchildren are also gifted. But I have the opportunity to write about mine in this column.)

So now, with the toys put away, dishes washed, and the house quiet again with just Grandpa and me, the impending deadline for this column hangs over me like a cloud. Generally, just by paying attention to what’s going on around me, there’s always something to write about. But tonight, with a fresh cup of coffee in hand, I sit here staring at the computer, and my mind is as blank as the computer screen. In the quiet of the moment, there are two things that are weighing heavily on my mind, and I don’t feel qualified to write about either one.

First of all, the elections are just one day away, and by the time you read this, the whole process will be behind us. No matter what the outcome, there’s going to be unhappy (even angry), disappointed people all across America. I’m just an average American citizen who listens to and watches the news, the debates, and the political advertisements. I’m concerned about many issues in our nation, but feel helpless to do anything about them. The only thing I know is to pray; and so that’s what I do. I pray for our country and our government officials. There are many wounds that need to heal, and there is much work to be done.

The second thing weighing heavily on my mind is that it has now been one week since Hurricane Sandy wreaked its havoc on the northeast part of the country. Other than donating money or blood to the Red Cross, I feel helpless to do anything else. The only thing I know is to pray; and so that’s what I do. I pray for those directly affected by the storm and those who are working long hours to restore healthy living conditions to millions of people. It will take a very long time, a lot of manpower and machine power, and a great deal of money to recuperate from this disaster.

The Apostle Paul said it better than I could possibly say: “The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live.” (1 Timothy 2:1-2 The Message)

Pray every way you know how—for our country, our leaders, and for people who are hurting, or angry, or helpless, or worse yet, hopeless.