Good to see the opportunity that Donald Miller had to Prayer and the Democratic Convention? IF you had the opportunity….what would you have prayed?
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b79m3fJfmuA]
Donald Miller’s Prayer at the Democratic Convention
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About the Author: Dan O'Deens
I am a visionary architect who is passionate about seeing dreams realized and implemented so that together we can better our world physically and spiritually. I get excited about leadership development and seeing the church multiplied as people embrace their creative side and breathe life and hope into their world. There is nothing that motivates me more than serving the young, the lost, the poor and the elderly.
I have been serving the Lord full-time for over 35 years. I consider myself a ‘life coach.’ For many years I was on the playing pitch. My role today is to train and invest in the next wave of ‘players’ who are serious about winning. My team runs to ‘win’…to win the prize of knowing that we embraced the high calling of God. To serve him with all that we have and give him all the glory.
I have been privileged to serve God as a youth pastor, school administrator, church planter, lead pastor, mission director, business owner, crisis and catastrophe director and college professor. That God chooses to use me to direct our amazing team blows me away. I love my job!
Wow! Well worded Donald! I didn’t watch the DNC so that was news to me thanks Pastor Dan!
Andy
This isn’t a pray, at least not to Jesus of the Bible.
I am a bit confused! A prayer started out and throughout addressed to Father God and ended in Jesus’ name, God’s Son. A heartfelt communication from one man on behalf of his nation that he loves and cherishes. How can one man make such a bold statement of another man’s prayer that it was not addressed to the Jesus of the Bible. On what basis do you state your case?
Forgive me for being critical but was this a prayer or a speech ? I wish this emergent pastor would have prayed for a change of heart concerning the Democratic platform’s acceptance of abortion on demand, but we know he could not have and still be asked to pray….
Donald Miller is a writer, not a pastor, or a theologian. He professes to be a follower of Christ and I’m not sure he considers himself to be “emergent.” I’ve never read anything from him where he labels himself such. I loved it that he showed up to pray. Sure, while I think some of the “issues” he addressed sounded like party talking points, I do respect his freedom to hold these positions. To be fair, the Republican platform is in the same desperate need of “heart surgery.” We must not limit issues of morality to abortion and sexuality. Pride, greed, arrogance, are also moral issues. Thanks for letting me comment.
Thank you for posting mtb. A blog is not meant to be a forum to promote one’s theology, nor are the comments meant to be an blanket affirmation on someone’s political views. Sometimes to be a leader one must use wisdom. When I get invited to your party I don’t stand up on the table and ‘spit’ at you. When in Rome, I do as the Romans do. Donald as far as I hear in this prayer has not violated anything I hold dear in my heart. Did he address everything? Well, i suppose not in a whopping 3 minutes who could ever do that justice.
FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD. He is not a ‘republican’ God nor is he a ‘democratic’ God. In fact I am sure politics in general leave an awful taste in God’s mouth.
For the church to side with any party is to cut our opportunity to win the Word to Christ in half.
For those ‘fighters of the faith’. The above comment is not a weakening position that says, “TRUTH” does not matter. It does, but God is quite able to preserve the Truth. Our mandate is to speak the truth in LOVE. Where is the LOVE.
When we blast the body of Christ…our own brother…we decapitate ourselves and our head…Jesus Christ.
Let’s LOVE one another….and seek to win our world for Jesus!
Just curious as to why you removed my comment I left yesterday.
The post was about Donald Miller’s prayer opportunity at the Democratic Convention. I do not wish for my blog to be about the endorsement or condemnation of any particular candidate.
This comment in no way should be construed to mean that I have a belief system and will choose a candidate.
I just want to keep it from ‘bashing’ or ‘praising’ an individual. Had you left names out and stated a Biblical perspective to make people think…I most likely would have left it up. Thanks for reading and responding.
Hi Dan,
Sorry to have jumped outside the bounds a bit. I’ll just respond the the question you have listed above.
“Good to see the opportunity that Donald Miller had to Prayer and the Democratic Convention? IF you had the opportunity….what would you have prayed?”
Since my comments didn’t pass your screening here, I am very doubtful if I were to have the opportunity to pray at the DNC, my prayer would pass their screening test.
Here are a few verses to think about:
“You shall not murder. – EX 20:13
“For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” -PS 139:13
“Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” – Mt. 5:19
“He will reply, `I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.” – MT 25:45
“Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.” – Romans 1:22-23
“They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator–who is forever praised. Amen.” – Romans 1:25
“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.” – COL 2:8
Enough Said…
When I am invited into someone else’s house. I use sound judgment and discernment without compromising the truth. I
might choose to uphold the values that we do agree on. I pray
for God’s intervention. He is still King of Kings..and Lord of Lord’s.
Jesus’ words and life were not given to condemn my friend but to provide freedom. We cannot legislate morality. It is a choice.
The most amazing theological truth that I have ever learned that I have not been able to get my arms around is this:
“That the one person who could make us do right, doesn’t.”
We are not on the same page as to the application of these great verses you have used to ‘condemn’. They are truth and I uphold your views I am sure for the unborn. BUT…given the chance to pray for the Democratic Convention, I would choose my words, consider them, pray and ask God, for if any of us lacks wisdom (that’s kind of funny…cuz we all do), let him ask of God.
Then I would pray…and let God be God!
Sorry Dan, but your comments make absolutely no sense to me. Are you saying that having a differing point of view is condemnation? I have not made any personal attacks, I am merely attacking the platform of the DNC which I believe is inconsistent with a biblical world view. My intent here is not to condemn because as the word says, we are already condemned apart from Jesus. – John 3:18
My intent is to shed light and allow God’s word to bring conviction. I am not against Democrats, I am however very much against the Democratic platform which promotes an ideology that does not consider the most vulnerable among us worth defending. I am also very confused by Christians who seem more concerned with being in step with the world than following God’s word.
Sometimes we need to take a stand and as a result we may make a few enemies. Winston Churchill once said, “If you have no enemies you probably never stood for anything.” I’m glad that our founding fathers stood for something, Abraham Lincoln stood for something, and more importantly Jesus and his disciples stood for something and as we all know, they made a few enemies and are still making them today.
Thanks for the opportunity to comment.
Marc
Pastor Dan.
Sorry for taking so long to respond. Thank you for posting this ‘prayer’ so we can have dialog about it.
“the forces of injustice…amen” Miller said these words at the very end of his speech. At the beginning he mentions God the Father, then proceeds to give more of a political rally speech then to offer a sincere prayer to God.
Jesus, the Jesus of the bible didn’t come to reform a community or a nation. Jesus came to do the will of the Father, that is prove to all that God the father, is just. One may ask why would God need to prove he was just? Here is a couple of reasons: God spared Noah life from the flood, he didn’t kill King David for his adultery or murder, he passed over sins…with out a sufficient payment in the Old Testament.
Proverbs declares “He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous
are both alike an abomination to the LORD.” Yet God justified wicked men.
Jesus came to set the record straight, he came to be a propitiation for us. He came to show that God is a just and righteous God. Luther called it the “Great exchange” Christ took on my sins and I receive his righteousness. Hence he was punished and wasn’t.
On the cross Jesus boar the wrath of God that was mine and yours. Isaiah says, “yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief,” and again he says, “yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God.” God punished Christ for my sin, for Noah’s sin, for Davids sin. Christ showed that God was just, he would punish the guilty, sin would be dealt with.
When one talks about the cross in such a flippant way as Miller did, either he’s praying to the wrong “jesus”, or he’s doesn’t have a clue as to why Christ came.
You don’t take the cross of Christ and use is for your own political platform.
“Forces of injustice” I think not.
Jason