"Nuke Iraq"?
I recently read an interview with the soldiers who guarded Sadaam Hussein. Apparently he loves Cheeetos, but he also likes to pray according to those who guarded him. Like a good Muslim he gets on his knees and prays five times a day.
Sadaam prays?
I’m stunned.
I was a very surprised to read that Sadaam gets on his knees and prays. And it left me with several questions.
Does God hear the prayers of a man who has ordered the killing of hundreds of thousands of people?
Does Sadamm expect God to answer?
Has prayer changed Sadaam’s heart?
Has prayer changed Sadaam into the person God created him to be?
What does Sadaam pray for?
I wonder if I was God, would I listen to Sadaam’s prayers?
If I was God would I answer Sadaam’s prayers?
If I was God and ruled the Kingdom would I treat Sadamm like he treated the people he ruled?
Would I show mercy?
To be honest, I think my answer would be, no. That's the "right" answer, right?
After finishing the article I took my dog for a walk. While thinking about the article and walking down the sidewalk I noticed something scraped about an inch deep into the concrete on the sidewalk.
It said, "Nuke Iraq."
Nuke Iraq!!!??? I was a little surprised to see that etched permanently into a sidewalk in my neighborhood.
It led me to wonder if the person who got on his/her knees and scratched "NUKE IRAQ" into the cement ever, like Sadaam, gets on his/her knees and prays?
What does this person pray for?
Does God hear the pray of someone who wants to kill hundreds of thousands of people?
Does this person really expect God to answer?
Has prayer changed this person heart?
Has prayer changed this person into the person God created him/her to be?
I too pray… a lot. Not only do I pray the Daily Office but I am in conversation with God frequently.
I too get on my knees and open my soul to God. How 'bout you, do you get on your knees and pray?
Looking at my life, I wonder if God hears me?
Granted, I haven't desired to nuke a nation or killed folks, but according to Jesus if I am angry with my brother I'm guilty. Hopefully he wasn't serious.
Has prayer changed me into the person God created me to be? Are my prayers more authentic than the person who wants to "nuke Iraq" or dare I say Sadaam?
Is prayer the answer to helping change the hearts of the evil in this world?
I have been praying consistently for 25 years. How has it changed me? Wonder what God thinks about my prayer life?
How’s your prayer life?
10 Comments:
Wow, you make me think and get on my toes...Good questions.
I often find myself the center of my prayers...& wonder if this be wrong. What I mean is that I don't pray for a new car or house or a million bucks or anything like that, but I do pray for greatness. The kind that unsettles & rocks worlds...for His sake.
I'd love to be able to say that these aren't self-serving or centered, but they seem so...
Scripture seems to teach several things about prayer. Here are a few.
1) God hears everything that goes on in the hearts of all men. So strictly speaking God hears everyone's prayers to every god man has ever conceived.
2) God is not inclined to grant any prayer that is not in line with His sovereign will.
3) God can only grant the prayers that are prayed in the name of Jesus His Son. For we can only enter into relationship with the true Father through the true Son. Sadaam's prayers are to a false god and thus cannot be granted.
4) God does not grant prayers that are sinful in nature or are asked by men and women who seek sinful goals, such as the man who wants to Nuke Iraq.
I think it is interesting that almost all people pray, but so many of them pray to a god who does not exist and cannot help them (as the Baal worshippers did in the midst of Elijah). Our prayer must be that men like Sadaam and those who wish to do bodily harm to civilians would come to know the One true and Living God through His Son Jesus Christ.
Rick,
I too pray the Daily Office, and I find it has opened up new and powerful ways of praying and connecting to God and my neighbor. I am often challanged by the Office, in that my emotions make some prayers difficult. That "forgive others as we have been forgiven" stuff you know! ;)
But slowly the Lord does begin to change me, and when I read your post, I thought of the phrases from Noonday prayer stating:
"For our enemies and those who wish us harm, and for all whom we have injured or offended, we pray to you, O Lord.
Lord, have mercy."
There is no escaping that God loves all, and wants us to model the way of Christ to this world and love those who bear us ill will. That is hard for me to do, yet I seek to live up to the Vow to "seek and serve Christ in all persons."
I find that God often answers my requests for others, but rarely for myself (I suppose that is someone else's job). So that makes a large portion of my time just talking to God and trying to listen (of course the talking to God consists largely of whining).
'hopefully he wasn't serious.'
wow. that's a post unto itself, now isn't it?
"Love they neighbor."
Hopefully he wasn't serious
"Come and follow me."
Hopefully he wasn't serious
etc., etc. and on and on..
GREAT post Rick. Simply amazing..
Wow...very thought provoking. I'm a first time visitor to your blog and the title of this post caught my attention since my husband is a Marine. I was blown away by your post. Thanks for your thoughts.
Religion is control it always has been and always will be, it can be used to help guide the weak minded through life or too get them to fly airplanes into buildings. Dose god hear our prayres? Do you think the jews in the 2nd world war being tortured by hitler prayed? Maby for hitler to see the light or maby just drop dead, did not happed did it. But god WILL hear your prayer and act on them for your benefit right? Once again right now people are dieing being shot blown up and haveing their heads cut off on account of religion, is it worth it just so you can aviod the fact that you relly dont know all the answers. If I had an imaginary friend that I walked around with I would need too see a shrink unless his name was jesus. DO you relly think that you will see in heaven with your eyes, feel with your hands, think with your mind, dose a brain dead person have a soul? Couldent we all be doing something more constructive than praying?
belive in god. I think that america is losing power to these iraqe facist bastards and would personaly like to shake the hand of who ever wrote "nuke iraq" People who dont suppport bush, who dont support are troops make me sick. how can u sleep. Bush isn't amazing, i get that. But come on people?! war is hell and i know that but terrer is worse. I may not understand the sick religion that is islam but an end to it would shurly be better,
a marine
God bless the Marine and all of his brother's in arms. The rest of you can thank God & Jesus, but the military men and women are the ones that protect that right every day they are given, by God!
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