Matthew 6:5-6 – “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

This Thursday is the National Day of Prayer.  This event has a long history that goes all the way back to the founding of our country, although its official recognition happened more recently in a bill signed in 1952 by Harry Truman.  The White House had occasionally hosted prayer gatherings on this day up until our last President, George W. Bush, who hosted a gathering every year on the first Thursday of May.  These gatherings included the National Day of Prayer Task Force, chaired by Shirley Dobson, wife of Focus on the Family founder James Dobson. 

This past week, the National Day of Prayer has made news as many, including the Interfaith Alliance, have been clamoring for President Obama to support a “National Day of Prayer and Reflection” “that restores and respects our nation’s best values by explicitly inviting clergy from diverse faith traditions to participate equally and fully – especially in events held on government property.”  As they see it, the day had become hijacked by the Religious Right, and represented by Dobson and the Task Force, and the day should instead be more inclusive of other faith traditions.

On a local level, I will be joining with a few other clergy and Christians this Thursday on Hubbard Green from 11:45-12:45 in order to pray for our town and for our country.  As I perused the National Day of Prayer Task Force’s website, I could understand the concerns of the Interfaith Alliance and other faith leaders.  The Task Force publicizes a prayer guide for that day, and the focus is very much on the hot button Religious Right issues.  For example, the section on “National Repentance” calls for the country to repent for abortion, the acceptance of homosexuality and gay marriage, pornography, throwing God out of schools and government, the promotion of false gods, and the promotion of sexual freedom.  Other sections include statements like “Pray for the radical Islamic forces that are trying to turn the hearts of our youth to Islam, that they may be stopped,” “Pray for journalists to be fair and accurate, to not ‘spin’ the news to promote their liberal agenda,” and “Pray for America to always stand with Israel and for the protection and salvation of Israel.”  Even if all of the above are important issues to be praying about, I think we can all agree that the Prayer Guide certainly does not reflect the heart of many in our nation (or in the White House).  Nor it is inclusive of all the issues that grieve the heart of God (for example, I am pretty sure there are a few verses in the Bible about greed, the poor, and injustice that might be relevant to our wealthy nation).

Shirley Dobson responded to the lack of an invitation to the White House by saying “We are disappointed in the lack of participation by the Obama administration.  At this time in our country’s history, we would hope our president would recognize more fully the importance of prayer.”  The White House replied by assuring that prayer is important, but that they do not wish to endorse a particular religion to the exclusion of people from other faiths.

I know that politics and religion are incredibly hot button issues for many people, and that mixing the two is a recipe for all sorts of division.  I know that mentioning “Obama,” “abortion,” and “gay marriage” in the span of two paragraphs is enough to infuriate some people.  All I would say about this issue today is that, in the aforementioned words of Jesus in Matthew 6:5-6, prayer is not something we do in order to be seen by men.  Whether or not the White House invites you to pray is not the point.  The point is to cry out to God for our cities, for our nation, for our world, and for those who live in it.  You can do that from your closet just as well as you can do it from Hubbard Green or from the White House.  And, in fact, it may even have more effect if it is done in secret. 

In my opinion, if I were organizing a National Day of Prayer gathering, the worst thing I could do would be to make it interfaith and water it down to the lowest common denominator.  The only point in gathering in order to pray to a generic “god” that he would “bless us” and “protect us” is to show everyone that we are one big happy multi-faith family that really aren’t all that different, or because you truly believe that the same “god” wants some people to be Hindus, some to be Buddhists, and some to be Christians.  But that is not prayer as I understand prayer.  That is gathering in order to be seen by men. 

As I mentioned, I will be on Hubbard Green this Thursday with a few other clergy and Christians to pray.  I did not organize this event, but I am happy to participate as long as we are really going to pray to God through His Son Jesus Christ, really going to pray to God about the people of our town and country and the issues we are facing, and not make it so bland that in the end it is a waste of an hour.  And I would encourage Shirley Dobson to do the same.  If she is not welcome at the White House, recognize that it is better to pray as you feel God would have you pray than to be a part of an interfaith “prayer gathering” that in the end does not involve Jesus.

We live in a multi-faith nation, and I believe it is reasonable for our country’s leaders to respect that prayer means different things to different people and not give in to the agenda of the National Day of Prayer Task Force.  If our leaders decide that the best thing to do with the National Day of Prayer is to ensure that no person of faith or any atheist is offended, they have the right to do that.  And I would gladly allow for people from different faiths to pray as they see fit, or for the pro-interfaith crowd to gather and pray to their generic “god.”  But as for me, I will gather with like-minded people who believe that the only way we can approach God is through the blood of Jesus.  Some may call be narrow-minded, but I do not care.  I will not gather in prayer to be seen by men, but only because I believe that we all are in desperate need of God, and desperate need of people who will intercede for this town, nation, and world.

“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”   (Hebrews 10:19-22) 

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