Facing Life

Fortunate is that people whose rulers are praying men. Surely Christian America's rulers ought to be men of prayer. How many of our officials in Washington pray for the country and the people? How many governors and mayors pray for their states and cities? If we had more praying men in positions of authority, it would make a great difference in the nation.

David, king of Israel, was a man of prayer. The psalms abound in prayers he offered for the people over whom he ruled. The text is linked with one of these prayers. The first part of this prayer has to do with the citizenship of the nation: "Rid me, and deliver me from the land of strange children, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is the right hand of falsehood: that our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace."  The second part relates to the nation's material prosperity: "That our garners may be full, affording all manner of store: that our oxen may be strong to labor; that there be no breaking in, nor going out; that there be no complaining in our streets." In the text the answer is seen in the happy state of the nation thus blessed: "Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yeah, happy is that people, whose God is the Lord."

David's prayer for Israel ought to be our prayer for America. And let us not overlook the order. Observe that he prays first, not for the material prosperity of the nation, but for its spiritual prosperity. He is not indifferent to the material side of the nationÕs life. He wants to see his people blessed with all those temporal goods necessary to their contentment and happiness. But his first and chief desire is that the sons and daughters of the nation shall grow up to be God-loving, God-trusting, God-obeying men and women. If the nation's prosperity in material and temporal things is to be stable, it must be founded on righteousness in its citizenship. Only as the people trust God and obey His laws, can the nation continue prosperous and happy. Hence the order of David's prayer, praying first for God-filled citizens, and then for grain-filled garners. Let us make his prayer our prayer, following the same order, if we want to see America-A HAPPY NATION.