How To Pray For Any President

It's been a difficult twelve days for David Platt.

Sunday, June 2, 2019, appeared to be a routine Sunday at McLean Bible Church, where Platt serves as lead pastor, filled with Christ-adoring music, and rooted Biblical teaching.

But then, as McLean's 1 pm service was entering its celebration of communion, Platt was pulled aside, as he was centering himself for Christ's table:  the President of the United States was about to arrive, unexpectedly -- and the President was requesting prayer.  

Platt gives the details in a letter he sent subsequently to his congregation. 

'...As soon as I heard this request backstage, the passage from God’s Word that came to my mind was 1 Timothy 2:1-6:

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.” 

Based on this text, I know that it is good, and pleasing in the sight of God, to pray for the president. So in that moment, I decided to take this unique opportunity for us as a church to pray over him together. My aim was in no way to endorse the president, his policies, or his party, but to obey God’s command to pray for our president and other leaders to govern in the way this passage portrays.

I went back out to lead the Lord’s Supper and then walked off stage, where the president was soon to arrive. In that brief moment, I prayed specifically for an opportunity to speak the gospel to him, and for faithfulness to pray the gospel over him... 

Then I walked back out on stage, read 1 Timothy 2:1-6, and sought to pray the Word of God over the president, other leaders, and our country...After I prayed, the president walked off stage without comment, and we closed our gathering..."   

https://www.mcleanbible.org/prayer-president

Well, in spite of Platt's letter and explanation, the floodgates opened, both pro and con. Favorable comments were largely predictable:  thank you for honoring 2 Timothy 2:1-6. But critical assessments were also rampant.  An unusually pointed critique was offered in a tweet by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, an associate of progressive pastor William Barber:

"...“The question isn’t whether to pray for those in authority but how to pray for someone who’s abusing authority...Would Platt have offered a similar photo op to an abusive husband who’s publicly gaslighting his spouse & kids?” https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/06/trump-prayer-mass-shooting/590920/:  

In fairness to the current President, many Presidents have abused authority, specifically in the arena of gaslighting, e.g., manipulating/deceiving their spouse and kids. In fact, of the last fourteen  Presidents, only four (Truman, Ford, Carter, Obama) have not been accused of some expression of adultery.  

But Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove does surface a prime, factual reality:  photo-op.  

Frankly, that's the issue.

Not the character of the President.

Not praying for the President.

But the photo-op with the President...

...that served the President in political ways, far beyond his spiritual needs.

Translated:  Platt's praying with the President probably would not have 'exploded' -- if Platt had prayed for the President privately, allowing no photography or recording of the encounter.

That way there's no opportunity for a photo-op depicting not only a spiritual need -- but also -- political 'push'  --  benefit -- and -- expediency.

Now, in fairness to David Platt, he had little time to discern how best to entertain the President's prayer request.  As Ed Stetzer observed:

"...Yes, he could have prayed behind the scenes. Yes, he could have refused to have the president on stage. To some, he should have thought of all of those options in the few minutes he had while the president of the United States was asking for something else.  But let’s give David Platt the benefit of the doubt. He’s earned it. He did what he thought was right in that moment...."  https://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2019/june/platt-prayer-and-polarization-in-evangelicalism-today.html

Yes.

But now... just in case...any of us are caught in a similar circumstance...we now know: 

Avoid any picture of prayer that can be construed as an advancement of any other agenda, than the agenda of Jesus.

For in addition to 1 Timothy 2:1-6, another relevant scripture is Matthew 10:6:

"...Stay alert. This is hazardous work I’m assigning you. You’re going to be like sheep running through a wolf pack...Be as cunning as a snake, inoffensive as a dove. (Matthew 10:6, The Message)

Politics is part of the wolf pack.

And, most, if not all politicians, have a mixed agenda:  advance the common good -- public policy -- and -- self!

In fact, some believe, advancing 'self' is on the increase in the political world, often manifesting itself as narcissism.  In an article entitled, "Narcissism:  Why It's So Rampant In Politics," Leon Seltzer observed:

"...One of the primary characteristics of narcissists is their exaggerated sense of entitlement. It's hardly surprising then that so many politicians...[have a] grandiose sense of self...inclined to believe they can get away with most anything...Ironically, despite the steadfast ethical values they profess, these politicians can be viewed as "moral relativists"... [removing] themselves from the rules and standards they impose on others...The ego gratifications available simply from [their political  office] are truly extraordinary: such an unusually prestigious role can't but pump up their self-esteem to levels that further confirm their bloated sense of self. Whereas before they put themselves on a pedestal, now the whole country obligingly seems to follow suit. Moreover, once ensconced in office they may well feel accountable to no one but themselves—free to play their competitive power games with impunity (and frankly, the public be damned)..." https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/experts/leon-f-seltzer-phd

And so as we pray for the President -- or any other politician -- we must be serpent-like -- not just dove-like -- acknowledging that their motive in asking for prayer is not just for God's Will to be done -- but - for their will to be done, as well.

The one President who might be an exception is Abraham Lincoln.  

As the story goes, Lincoln once met with a group of clergy.  As Lincoln did, one of the ministers implored: “Mr. President, let us pray that God is on our side.” “No, gentlemen," Lincoln replied.  "Let us pray that we are on God’s side.”  As Jim Wallis has noted:  

"...Lincoln had it right. The biggest problem with religion is that people, groups, institutions, nations...sometimes try to bring God onto our side...The much harder task... is to ask how to be on God’s side, as Lincoln was suggesting. And that often means changing our minds and hearts about many things, and learning a whole different perspective from the one we already agree with.  Agreeing with God is much more important than getting God to agree with  us..."  ushttp://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/excerpt-jim-wallis-gods-side 

To David Platt's credit, his actual prayer, prayed over the President pointed in this direction:  

"...O God, we praise you as the one universal king over all. You are our leader and our Lord and we worship you. There is one God and one Savior—and it’s you, and your name is Jesus. And we exalt you, Jesus..." https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/david-platt-models-pray-president/

But the picture of prayer -- of a President appearing to 'push' his way onto a church-stage, last-minute -- smacks of manipulation -- yielding too much to Caesar, in a sanctuary, where Jesus alone is to be Lord.

Having pastored in Frederick, MD, in the shadow of Camp David for 20 years, I empathize with David Platt.  What would I have done if the President had swung off Route 15, onto our church campus, and walked into our sanctuary, on his way to the Catoctin Mountains?  

Would I have avoided a photo-opt?

Probably not.

But now, I get it:  any picture of prayer -- in particular -- that suggests manipulation -- and/or -- competing loyalties between Caesar and Jesus, is a picture to avoid.  

That's difficult to discern.  But as we run "...through a wolf pack...[we must be] as cunning as a snake, inoffensive as a dove. (Matthew 10:6, The Message).

I'm not certain of how that is lived out in all circumstances.

But I'm certain:  we must never risk any impression that suggests, that any other entity has more sway than Jesus' Supreme Sovereignty.