How to Pray for America

AS WE PRAY FOR AMERICA: Two Questions Christians Are Asking Now (Expanded)

On Tuesday, hijacked airliners rammed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center. America was attacked. On Wednesday, President George W. Bush and leaders in the U.S. Congress are talking about war. Today, rescuers found a few survivors; thousands of families continue to wait in anguish. This afternoon, the U.S. Capitol building was evacuated, even as the FBI identified the hijackers. America is in mourning; Americans are angry. Patriotic feeling is high; the American flag is displayed everywhere. The nation wants to take action; she wants to retaliate. Christians everywhere are praying.

How should we pray? And what convictions should undergird our prayer? Christians are asking some poignant questions during this moment.

Question #1. Where Is God At This Moment?

When disaster and tragedy strike, people like to doubt God or blame God. They either challenge God’s power to do something to stop evil, or they question God’s mercy on the victims. In the back of some people’s minds, God is finite. He is not all-wise, or He is not all-powerful, or He is not all-loving.

We all have our own concepts of God. We bring these preconceived ideas of God to our questions, even when some of the concepts may be foreign to the Bible. For many people, man’s absolute freedom and independence is such a fundamental, non-negotiable notion in their minds, that they cannot imagine bowing before a God who is all-sovereign: a God who has created all, and rules over the entire universe, at all times, according to the pleasure of His will. In other words, many people will reserve some independence and freedom for man, at all costs, even if it goes against what the Bible teaches.

But the Bible declares that God is just such a kind of God: He is Lord over all. He has created the universe, and continues to rule over it, all the time. Does God know about September 11, 2001? Of course. Is God powerful to do something about it? Yes. He has chosen to allow these events to unfold. We will not understand why the attack on America happened. God has not chosen to give us the answers to all our questions. We certainly cannot speculate whether this is judgment on any individual’s sins (John 9). He has, however, expected and demanded that we trust his wisdom.

God’s wisdom includes both his mercy and his judgment on a human race which is sinful and fallen. Man has rebelled against God. Man has broken God’s laws. As a consequence, the universe does not function the way it should. We do not deserve God’s mercies. God’s judgment and condemnation is upon both mankind and nature (Genesis 3:15-17). This means that every moment, every day which goes by in peace and tranquility, is the result of the (common) grace of God. What should surprise us is not why the World Trade Towers were destroyed and so many perished – rather, what should surprise us is, why all of us enjoy so much of God’s gifts every day – our very lives, our breath and our sustenance.

We grieve for those who died. This is the hour for Christians to show our compassion to our neighbors and friends. We do not have the right to pronounce judgment on them. They are sinners – and if Christians, redeemed sinners – just like we are. We are sinners, just like they are. It could have been us who perished. It is just out of God’s grace that we are still alive.

Is this the kind of God people want to believe in? Very often the answer is “No,” because people do not, as a rule, easily give up their autonomy (independence from God). We would rather be the masters of our destinies. But this kind of autonomous thinking is exactly what Jesus Christ came to this world to challenge. He demands that we repent of our sins, trust Him, and take up the cross to follow Him. This involves the transformation and renewal of our minds (Romans 12:2). 2

Was God there in New York on September 11? Yes, He was. He never left us. He continues to sit on the throne. He continues to deal with us according to His righteous judgment and His abundant grace.

When tragedy strikes, we must remember: God is God (not us). God is all-wise. God is good to provide mercies to each one of us, each moment. And, even in the darkest moment, God is working out His wise purpose. We often do not know what that purpose is. He has not chosen to answer all our questions (Deuteronomy 29:29).

Is this a popular message? No. Is this what the Bible teaches? My humble plea to my readers is: Yes. Please consider it prayerfully, thoughtfully. On our knees, when we pray, our hearts will be enlightened to know: Yes, God is still on the throne. He has always been on the throne.

In fact, this view of God – as the all-wise, all-righteous Ruler of the universe – ought to govern the way we pray. What is prayer? Is prayer an order for God to do something? No, prayer is surrendering ourselves to the sovereign rule of God, in our lives and in our world.

Prayer, in the final analysis, is surrender and worship. “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done,” Jesus taught us to say; and our hope is “Hallowed be Thy Name” among the nations. That kind of prayer is difficult, and quite distant to many Christians’ minds. Perhaps it is time not to doubt and challengeGod, but to doubt and challenge our views of God.

Question #2. How Do We View the U.S.A.?

Many who will read these words are Chinese Christians. Many of us were not born in the U.S.A., though some (like myself) have become U.S. citizens or immigrants. We have mixed ideas and feelings about the U.S.A.

Some Chinese people think that the United States is a “Christian country.” If this means that Christianity is the official religion of the U.S., it cannot be further from the truth. The U.S. Constitution forbids the government to “establish religion,” that is, to declare one particular religion to be the official national religion (guo jiao).

Other people think that Christians founded the U.S.A. in 1776. That is not true – at least not the whole truth. Yes, the Pilgrims who landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620 were mostly Christians, and the Puritans who founded the Massachusetts Bay colony in 1630 were by and large Christians who wanted to build “a city on a hill.” The Pilgrims and Puritans came to the New World to establish a body politic to the glory of God. However by the middle of the 18th century, Christians, Deists, Roman Catholics, and non-believers were living in the 13 colonies. The Founding Fathers of the U.S.A. (the signers of the Declaration of Independence) included both Bible-believing Christians (like John Witherspoon, Presbyterian minister and president of Princeton University) and Deists (like Thomas Jefferson) who do not believe in miracles or sin.

Is America a Christian nation? No. But she has enjoyed much Christian influence. God has been good to the U.S.A. Christians have always made up a significant portion of her population. There have always been many Christians in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. I have personally visited several Senators and Congressmen who witness to their living faith in Jesus Christ. So we can say that the U.S.A. has always enjoyed God’s blessings – at least material blessings in terms of financial prosperity, military strength, technological advancement and civil liberties. In God’s providence, America is the strongest nation in the world since 1989.

There are some people who want to make America into a “Christian country,” by imposing the Christian faith on the rest of the population. Most evangelicals do not agree that that is the aim of the church in society. 3

So who is America? With historical hindsight, we see that God has, in his providence, allowed certain nations to be the primary leader in world affairs throughout history. Before 1500, China was a world leader for some time. Then in the modern period, first there was Portugal; then the Netherlands; then England, especially during Queen Victoria’s reign. Then the U.S. became a world leader in the 20th century (for some time with competition from the U.S.S.R.). In God’s providence, and by God’s common grace, the U.S. enjoys a position of financial, military and technological leadership in the world today.

Many of us, as Chinese and Chinese-Americans, have benefited from the freedom and opportunities that this country provided for us, so that we can complete our education and raise a family here. Others have benefited from the missionary and Christian influence on China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and many areas where Chinese live. We need to say “Thank You” to America.

The U.S. is a needy nation today. She needs the gospel preached to her, like many other nations in Europe and in the Third World. If we ask: in which nations is the church of Jesus Christ strongest? The U.S.A. would not top that list. Many Third World countries have become “Christianized”; for example, 80% of Kenya’s population is Christian. Singapore may be more than 20% Christian. This does not mean that these nations have Christian values through and through in their political, economic and cultural institutions. However, the church is making tremendous progress in these countries as well as in China, Korea, Indonesia, and many countries in Africa and Latin America.

The U.S. is in a needy position today. And she is hurting. Both President George W. Bush and his father, the former president George Bush, understands that the U.S.A. needs her allies when military action is planned. The U.S. cannot act alone.

The U.S.A. needs our prayers. We can say “Thank You” to America by praying for her, and for her church. We can say “Thank You” by getting involved in American society, such as donating blood at the Red Cross, or participating in politics, especially on the local level. We can say “Thank You” to America by joining the ranks of missionaries being sent out from the U.S.

The United States is not an “Elect Nation”, nor is she the great evil empire. She is a nation, like all nations, who is accountable to God for how she governs her affairs. God requires us to be merciful and righteous. The United States is you and I who live here.

Question #3. How Should Christians Express Their Patriotism?

If the United States is “just another nation,” like all other nations in the world today, how should Christians express their patriotism? As the United States was draped in Red, White and Blue the weekend of September 14-16, 2001, Chinese Christians may have mixed feelings: Is this my country? Should I support the U.S.? If yes, why? What is my support for the U.S. based on?

Many evangelicals have, until recently, thought of the Christian life as divided into a secular side and a sacred side. Our civic and political duties, obviously, belong to the secular side. And the two sides do not mix. In recent years, however, a more holistic approach to life has been adopted by an increasing number of evangelical Christians.

When God created man and woman, he ordained the institution of family and work. By extension, we can say that God ordained the government so that man can fulfill his mandate on earth. Romans 13 certainly teaches that government leaders are ordained servants of God; I Timothy instructs us to pray for them. In Romans Paul instructs us to obey our government; it has the right to order us to bear arms.

Therefore, a Christian should pay taxes, obey the laws of the land, and if ordered, serve in the military. 4

Because of sin and the fall of mankind (Genesis 3), all areas of life has been polluted and perverted. Thus, governments do not always act in merciful and just ways, government leaders do not always fear and obey God.

Many Chinese intellectuals, who have been used to acting as the conscience of their own country (China), are quick to point out the imperialistic sins of America and other nations in the west. Some may even rejoice that calamity has fallen upon the United States. However we must remember that every Christian is a citizen (or subject) of one nation or another. God has placed us under authority. Governments may sin, and we need to prophetically call them back to God; however in the ordinary course of events, we are to love our country by supporting and obeying their laws and leaders.

At this crucial moment in history, let us pray that:  The President and Cabinet members act with God’s wisdom, patience, righteousness and mercy;  Members of Congress may deliberate with the same wisdom, patience, righteousness and mercy;  These and other leaders, and their spouses and children, may experience God’s special protection, mercy and provision at this hour; that prayer and Bible study groups be sustained with a strong sense of the Spirit’s presence;  The Governor of the State of New York, and the Mayor of the City of New York and the many firemen, policemen and public officials likewise experience God’s daily, and moment-by-moment provision, protection, and mercy;  Families of victims may find comfort by looking to the Almighty, and all-gracious Creator of the universe; that churches be strong and meek to minister to all at this hour;  Christians reach out to their neighbors with words and deeds which point others to the Savior;  Americans and American Christians do not forget the needs of people in foreign nations, but continue works of evangelism and service around the world despite her present injuries.

As Chinese Christians, let us thank God for America. She has enjoyed God’s blessings; we, too, have enjoyed these blessings, either directly, or through the generous sharing by American Christians. Let us say “Thank You” to America by praying for her, by comforting and strengthening her now.

Samuel Ling, Ph.D. [email protected] www.chinahorizon.org Chinese: http://samling.ccim.org Los Angeles, California September 17, 2001