“Now it shall come about when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. It shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes, that his heart may not be lifted up above his countrymen and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left, so that he and his sons may continue long in his kingdom in the midst of Israel.” Deuteronomy 17:14-20

As Christians, we have a responsibility to pray for those in authority – fathers, pastors, and all kinds of leaders. However, we must say more than “God, please bless the President” or “Lord, help the pastor to preach a good sermon.” In order to pray effectively for the President, we must pray specifically, namely, that he will …

1. Realize his personal sinfulness and daily need of God’s cleansing power.

2. Recognize his personal inadequacy for the task and therefore depend upon the Lord.

3. Reject all counsel that violates spiritual principles and then trust God to validate him.

4. Resist pressure from individuals or special interest groups that would have him act in violation of his conscience.

5. Work at reversing our country’s trends toward socialism and humanism, both of which dethrone the Lord and deify man.

6. Be ready to forsake his political career and personal ambition for the best interest of the nation.

7. Rely upon the Word of God as his source of strength and key to success.

8. Be used to bring dignity, honor, trustworthiness, and righteousness to the office of the presidency.

9. Be a good example to the fathers and sons of the nation.

10. Be reminded daily that he is accountable to Almighty God for his attitudes, actions, and motivations while serving in office.

Question: How can you pray for the leaders in your own government?

About this Author: Charles Stanley

President Barack Obama, who can still go strong to the rim in pickup games, announced his NCAA picks just before leaving for California on Wednesday. In a first for an American president, he did it with an appearance on ESPN, the popular cable sports channel. It’s risky business, sure to please and anger sports fans around the country. Lucky for Obama, the election is long over.

The first fan will be trying to catch parts of tournament games as he travels, but here Obama has a big advantage. “Air Force One has DirecTV,” he told ESPN. [Mercury News]

Although it’s nice to see the president is in touch with popular cultural phenomenons and actually makes time in his busy schedule for a little recreation, a lot of people probably will react like Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski who commented that “as much as I respect what he’s doing, really, the economy is something that he should focus on, probably more than the brackets.” [ABC News]

Do you agree with his picks? (You can see Obama’s NCAA 2009 picks here on the ESPN site.) How do you feel about Obama’s recent ESPN appearance? Is it lighthearted and fun encouragement, or not taking the severity of the economic situation seriously enough?

Stepping into History
I saw a headline on CNN.com that read “Monumental expectations for Obama’s inauguration address”. I think they could shorten that to simply “Monumental expectations for Obama”. People are waiting for a miracle. Barack Obama stepped into a time in history when people desperately wanted something to believe in. This is the honeymoon phase of our relationship with Obama, and it is a beautiful thing to see. Read the full story.

Take action: Have you given up on your new year’s resolutions already? Wish you could change your life in meaningful ways this year? One of our free online interactive Life Issues studies could be just what you’re looking for!

You said it: This week Stik commented on “Save 10% on Gas” saying, “People say that the price of gas is hurting them. However, their behavior indicates that they are really not hurting that much …” Read the rest of the comment and join the discussion on TheLife.com!

Article: Coping with Change
Times of rapid change can be stressful for anyone. Here’s some strategies to help!

Video Blog: Obama and Technology
Our editors discuss the greater role that technology will take as Barack Obama takes office.

Coming up next week: We’re talking about What one thing do you most regret about last year, and what will you do about it this year? Join us in the chat room January 24, 2009 @ 12:15 pm EST (See also our full chat calendar.)

Where were you when Obama won the election? When he proclaimed that “change has come to America”? Because now the day has come for the Illinois Senator to be sworn in as the 44th President of the United States and become the first African-American to carry the title.

The long road to the White House will finally come to an end in a ceremony to be held at noon on the steps of the United States Capitol on January 20. But Obama is the first to acknowledge the road ahead is even longer.

“It took a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get to where we are today, but we have just begun. Today we begin in earnest the work of making sure that the world we leave our children is just a little bit better than the one we inhabit today.”

Where will you be on Inauguration Day? What hopes come along with the Obama presidency for you?

image credit: mike_1630

1. Our economic downward spiral
2. America’s first black president, Barack Obama, is elected
3. Mumbai under siege
4. Pakistan blast at the Marriott Hotel
5. Pirates ruling the seas off of Africa
6. Georgia vs. Russia conflict
7. The “Made in China” scare
8. Fidel Castro’s reign came to an end
9. The rescue of Ingrid Betancourt in Colombia
10. Natural disasters: the cyclone in Burma and the earthquake in Sichuan, China

I’m always drawn to the Top 10 News Stories because they capture the raw reality of things that were felt around the globe. It’s incredible to look back on that list now and think, “Wow. That all happened just this year.” Things that shattered our ideals, revolutionized our politics, and painted a different landscape for what is to come.

If you have some time, take a few minutes to reflect. Ask yourself, what will I remember most about 2008? What stands out in your mind as the event that most affected you?

Image credit: IowaPolitics.com

Then there are celebrities who blog about it. In a blog posted last week on The Huffington Post, John Mayer writes,
“What Barack Obama says to me is these days are good for something. Just when I’d thought my only role as an adult was to help shoulder the nation through its darkest days (known to us as “the rest of them”), Obama gives me the feeling that I could be alive to witness one of the most brilliant upturns in a country’s history.”

His post is intelligent and says a whole lot more than a t-shirt. It lends credibility to the celebrity voice hawking politics. And maybe it would influence my vote (if I were an American). Maybe not. At least it adds something to the conversation.

What is your opinion on the mixing of celebrities and politics? Do celebrities influence who you vote for at all?

Image credit: p373

But when I read this Q + A with Michelle Obama, wife of senator Barack Obama, it reminded me of the greater accomplishment that seems to have been buried at the starting line. As Michelle was snuggling with her 2 young girls the morning after Barack was officially named the Democratic nominee, she asked them if they knew how big a deal it was.

“Malia, who is 10, said, “Yes, because African-Americans couldn’t even vote for a long time.” And then she said, “But it would have been a big deal if Hillary Clinton had won. Because women couldn’t vote for a long time, either.” I thought, They get it. This election has changed everything for girls like mine. Now they know that they really can do anything.”

As much as I can’t wait for it to be over, it is historical. This election has defined our times and at least some fundamental good will definitely result regardless of who wins.

What are you taking away from this presidential election? How do you feel as the Obama and McCain campaigns wind down?

To read more political Q + A’s, see GQ’s list of articles titled “What they’re fighting for“

Image credit: Kyle Wegner