In Defense of Prayer

Dan

If you had told me ten years ago that people praying in a time of tragedy would be criticized, I wouldn’t have believed you. Yet, here we are, after witnessing a terrorist attack that left fifty people dead, and offers of prayer are being rejected and ridiculed.

I just want to assure the liberals out there that prayer is not the culprit. Prayer is not the perpetrator of violence. Prayer is the calm in midst of chaos. Prayer is not an empty gesture, and there is no justification for questioning the sincerity of another’s prayer. Prayer is not inaction. It is by its very nature action. It is by the faith of the believer, the greatest action they can take. Prayer is no small task. It is a great undertaking and a strenuous exercise of the soul.  Prayer is not cowardice. It is an act of faith in something greater than yourself. Prayer is not just a chosen response, it is a required response for believers. Finally, try to remember that everything isn’t about you, and you don’t get to reject prayers made on behalf of victims and their families. It’s really not your place at all.

Ironically, liberals fail to see that prayer is a unifier, or at least, it is intended to be, and I am fairly certain it used to be. We are witnessing a cultural shift. It is disheartening to see that the left is angered that anyone would have the desire to pray to God in the face of a horrific evil, but governments made of men have a distaste for the anything higher than themselves. Critical attacks on prayer from the left arise from their increasing disdain of God, and we shouldn’t pretend otherwise.

There is a great misconception among the liberals who have started this assault on prayer, and that is, that prayer is somehow easy. Prayer in the wake of a disaster is not easy. It requires discipline, the ability to be still In the midst of chaos, the ability to be patient.

The best way I can defend against the argument that prayers are worthless is probably to let you know what people are praying for. Safety, Comfort, Protection, Love, Guidance. These are things that God gives.  

We should not pretend that the “prayers aren’t enough” chant isn’t grounded in a disdain for God. It is clearly is. The government made of men is always interested in uprooting the providence of God. We can never forget this.