Rick Warren's Inaugural Prayer

I listened to the Inauguration Service today on my MP3 player while I was walking from car to car doing my job. From 7:30am to 10:30am I listened to CBC Radio and heard many interviews about this Historic event in the US of A. I don't know what it is but I can really get "into" American politics. I think what draws me to American politics is that they appear to be more interested in acknowledging God, at least at every Inauguration Service, than does Canada.

In spite of all the negative things we have heard about Barack Obama in the past few months (from various Christians) regarding his Worldview on certain issues, and rightly so, I was impressed with his Inaugural speech. He was "preaching" his convictions very forcefully. We have to remember what Proverbs 21:1-3 tells us: (ESV)"21:1 The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will. 2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart. 3 To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice."

As for Rick Warrens prayer - I thank God that he had the intestinal fortitude to close his prayer in the Name of Jesus. As a result of his prayer today and the negative feedback he's receiving from some of the bloggers out there, I have unsubscribed them from my Google Reader. I don't see eye to eye with many of the things that Warren stands for, but I have to give credit where credit is due. His prayer included many of the things that I would have prayed had I been asked. Did he preach the gospel? No, BUT he invoked the name of Jesus at the end of the prayer and it was clearly understood throughout his prayer that he was praying to the God of the Christian Scriptures. I've been painfully reminded lately of how easy it is to always be in a "critical" mode when we deal with people who do not see things the way we do, and the Scripture that the Lord has hit me with is Philippians 1:14-18 (ESV)"1:14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. 15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ out of rivalry, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way,

whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed

, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice..."

Below is Rick Warrens prayer as per YouTube:

Let us Pray
Almighty God, our Father, everything we see, and everything we cant see, exists because of You alone. It all comes from You, it all belongs to You, it all exists for you glory. History is your story.
Scripture tells us hear oh Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One; and You are the compassionate and merciful one. And you are loving to everyone you have made. Now today, we rejoice not only in Americas peaceful transfer of power for the 44th time. We celebrate a hinge-point of history with the inauguration of our first African American President of the United States (Cheers). We are so grateful to live in this land. A land of unequal possibility. Where the son of an African immigrant can rise to the highest level of our leadership. And we know today that Dr King and a great cloud of witnesses are shouting in heaven. Give to our new President, Barack Obama, the wisdom to lead us with humility, the courage to lead us with integrity, the compassion to lead us with generosity. Bless and protect him; his family, Vice President Biden, the cabinet; and every one of our freely elected leaders. Help us oh God to remember that we are Americans; united not by race or religion or blood; but to our commitment to freedom and justice for all. When we focus on ourselves, when we fight each other, when we forget you, forgive us; when we presume that our greatness and our prosperity is ours alone; forgive us. When we fail to treat our fellow human beings and all the earth with the respect that they deserve, forgive us. And as we face these difficult days ahead, may we have a new birth of clarity in our aims, responsibility in our actions, humility in our approaches, and civility in our attitudes, even when we differ. Help us to share, to serve, and to seek the common good of all. May all people of good will today join together to work for a more just a more healthy and a more prosperous nation and a peaceful planet. And may we never forget that one day, all nations and all people will stand accountable before you. We now commit our new President, and his wife Michelle, and his daughters, Malia, Natasha, into your loving care.

I humbly ask this in the name of the One who changed my life, Jeshua, Esau, Jesus,

who taught us to pray, Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen