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We Can Pray |
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By Tom Gilbert
- April, 2003
It’s pretty hard right now for me to not get distracted
with the blitz of media surrounding the war in Iraq. I
already wrote about the danger of this previously (War!
Coming Soon to a TV Near You). I know that getting
sucked into continuous monitoring of the news can be detrimental.
I know this…still, I watch. Yet, something else
is also going on. The reality of the war and the reality
of my beliefs in God have combined to keep me focused
on the one thing that I, or you, can do best. We can pray.
What should our prayers be? I’ve read many emails
and articles on this. Certainly, we can all agree that
praying for protection of innocent lives caught in the
conflict is on the list. I imagine we all agree that prayer
for the military is also paramount. The troops, the military
and all those in the heart of the action face dangers
we may only begin to imagine.
We pray for our families, for our friends and loved ones.
We pray that we may all grow closer to each other, show
compassion and project love, not hate. When times of trouble
come, our trust and reliance on God gets challenged. However,
it is also the time for that trust to grow stronger. No
more theorizing—we get to find out if our belief
is real.
Beyond our prayers for family, loved ones, and all the
military it may become harder to pray for those we disagree
with. We must include praying for Saddam Hussein. We must
also pray for George W. Bush. Pray for those who hold
viewpoints in opposition to our own.
Opportunities abound in the days ahead. We can show our
true colors when it comes to faith and putting that in
action. There are things we can all do. Don’t withdraw
from life now, for we are all needed. If you have fear
and doubts that does not make you bad or even weak. Recognize
where you need strengthening and do what all of us can,
and must, do at this time. We can pray.
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Scripture taken from the
Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.Copyright ©
1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights
reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International
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Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy
Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996. Used
by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton,
IL 60189, USA. All rights reserved.
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