Paula White is one of Donald Trump’s spiritual advisors and she offered a dandy prayer at his campaign rally in Florida. I’ve puzzled over why the President of the United States, the most powerful person alive, who meets with kings and rulers from around the world, sends a delegate to talk to God on his behalf. This isn’t unique to Trump. All the presidents offer proxy prayers. I suppose it’s not a big deal so long as we view these prayers as merely ceremonial blather. However, if we’re actually hoping to engage the Almighty with these public pronouncements then let’s take the microphone away from Paula White.
“I pray for the spirit of the Lord to rest upon our president and let your favor cause his horn, his power to be exalted according Psalm 89:17. Lord, your word says in Psalm 2:1-4, why do the nations conspire and the people plot in vain. The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed saying, let us break their chains and throw off their shackles … Father, you have raised President Trump up for such a time as this.”
Personally, I get annoyed when prayers contain Scripture references. We still pray under the pretense that we’re having a conversation with God, right? Supposedly, we’re not just sermonizing to a congregation with their heads bowed. If that’s true, I don’t think we need to remind God what the Bible says. I don’t think it’s wise to interpret the Bible for God. “Father, here’s what Psalm 2:1-4 says and this is what it means…”
I’m on the fence about enthusiastic cheering during a prayer. I think context is important. A jubilant shout brought on by the realization that God is good and merciful is appropriate. I’m uncomfortable with a cheer from rabid Trump supporters at the mention of Trump being raised for “such a time as this”. It makes Christians look like starstruck teenagers at an Elvis concert.
“Let every demonic network that has aligned itself against the purpose, against the calling of President Trump, let it be broken, let it be torn down in the name of Jesus. I declare that President Trump will overcome every strategy from hell and every strategy from the enemy, every strategy. And he will fulfill his calling and his destiny.”
Yeah. I pray this prayer doesn’t work. Asking God to tear down an unspecified “demonic network” is a dumb idea since I don’t know that I’m not part of that network. And if God does the bidding of anyone who quotes scripture at Him, what happens when Trump is no longer in office? I sincerely hope God ignores me when I ask for stupid things. I sincerely hope God isn’t influenced by my short-sighted, self-serving requests. And I sincerely hope God isn’t impressed with Paula White’s grandstanding .
A better prayer, in my humble opinion, would be something along the lines of
Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven…
“In God We Trust” is a phrase I read somewhere. It seems appropriate to affirm that sentiment as our political elections become increasingly idolatrous. Trump is a decent president. God is sovereign over all creation. I pray we don’t get them mixed up.
6 Responses
I have to completely disagree with this post. I’m typically a fan of your posts, and ALWAYS a fan of you, but I feel you missed it here on a completely scriptural and what we are called to do as Christians basis. First, we are supposed to pray scriptures…in fact, I can’t think of a better way to pray in alignment with God’s will. Further, if we don’t have to remind God what the Bible says in our prayers, then we also don’t have to pray period because He already knows our hearts and our thoughts…therefore, praying is useless. But, as you pointed out, prayer is conversation and my voicing anything to God is more about my relationship with Him, as well as aligning my heart more and more to Him…using scripture, using my own thoughts and taking every thought captive, allowing Him to refine my thoughts in a relationship kind of way.
A lot of people are not a fan of Paula White, for many reasons. But, I think we can all see that anytime someone is highlighted, especially in this culture, they are granted a few minutes of appreciation followed my days and months of scrutiny and media persecution (and this is by the church). We are the only group of people in the world that are supposed to be full of love, and yet we kick our own down to “our level”.
And, it’s difficult for me to tell if you were using sarcasm since it is written word, but if we as Christians are afraid that we might be a part of an inspecified demonic network then we should die to our lives in such a way that we know we aren’t…and the best way to do that is to ask God to destroy any and all demonic activity. No doubt we have all been manipulated and used by the enemy of God at times in our lives…and that should change. And the only way we can change that is to decide that no matter what the cost is in our lives, please, God, make me the man (or woman) you created me to be and don’t let me be against you in any way…NO MATTER THE COST!
I’m so thankful we have a president that has Christians praying over him and speaking over him and our country in this manner. And, as best I can tell Trump isn’t saved…YET! He will be if he isn’t yet. I pray protection over him and his family. I pray and ask for protection for Paula White as well. I pray that no matter the cost, God would move in His people to be completely abandoned to this life and live in this world ONLY for Him until He has chosen us to move on to the next world. I pray that Christians would begin to realize we all have different callings, and that if someone is using the platform they have been given to do the very best they can to make sure God is invited into every area of this world, that al of us would unite behind them in United prayer that the Holy Spirit would move and have His way in their life and their ministry.
Just now studying a book by A.W. Pink: Profiting from the Word In which he condones praying scripture as part of our prayer life & although I think Paula White teaches heresy & agree there are many portions of this prayer in which I disagree I don’t think praying scripture is the problem here.
If your statement were true that “we need not remind God what the Bible says” then if we follow this statement to its logical end, we need not pray @ all for there is nothing He does not already know. Could we not have a conversation w/ God re: His Words?
I think the point John is trying to make is that we don’t pray like that to ourselves. Why do it in front of others? To sermonize. At that point you’re not talking to God, but the others in the room.
Thanks for the comment. I didn’t mean to imply that we can’t talk to God about His words. We can talk to God about anything.
My criticism about referencing scripture applies strictly to public prayers. Prayer is often used as a mini-sermon aimed at the group rather than a conversation aimed at God. It bugs me when the preacher gives a sermon re-cap disguised as a prayer at end of church services.
Sorry if I falsely plastered you’re name on position that I hold, JB.
The fact that you have Paula White as a spiritual advisor gives pause to wonder what the President truly believes. While only God knows what is in his heart we can judge by his fruit. Just because God has allowed a person to be in power does not mean he or she really has a heart for God. History is littered with leaders like that. A country gets a leader it deserves at times to bring the people back to God. I also have a problem with prayers that are more spoken towards the people in the crowd than to God himself. While I did not vote for this president I still have prayed for him but probably not as much as I should have. My own personal opinion is he is a reflection of America politics of this period of time. On the plus side I do appreciate his pro-life stance and the fact that Christianity appears to be a part of his life I just hope it is not just to appeal to a voter base. I did not see the prayer but did Paula ask everyone to sow a seed of blessing for her ministry?