All the Bible verses in this edition of The Presidential Prayer Team
for Kids Update are from The New Living Translation of the Bible.
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  • Where should kids pray? When should kids pray? Learn more here!
  • Meet some great Bible heroes who were men of prayer.
  • Our first president’s first order of business—prayer!

Things to pray for
These smart and fortunate kids, winners of the MATHCOUNTS National Competition met with President Bush in the Oval Office of the White House earlier this week. Pray for the President as he meets with and offers congratulations to all kinds of people every week. Photo courtesy of the White House.

  1. Have you heard about President Bush’s new plan for immigration reform and border security? He is calling for more Border Patrol agents, more fences, and stepping up the technology that keeps an eye on our border with Mexico. He’s bringing the National Guard in to border areas to provide support for Border Patrol agents. He’s also working on a plan to lower the number of people trying to sneak into our country by creating a way they can come here to work temporarily. He also is working to help people who want to become American citizens do so by fulfilling all the requirements for citizenship. He is trying to tighten our borders, keep out illegal immigrants while still respecting the dignity of all persons seeking to come to this fantastic country. His hope is that we can welcome outsiders while urging them to learn the things they need to in order to become American citizens, so we can become “one nation under God!” Great idea, huh?

    The President’s plan is a big one. Many people are happy with it; some are not. So it’s a fantastic time to pray for the President and those who are working on immigration reform and border security, asking God to guide each leader with His wisdom and strength so that the final result will honor God and uphold the dignity of all people. Pray for the Border Patrol agents and the National Guard troops who are working on the border, that they will do their jobs well and be protected by God, even as they seek to protect our nation.
  2. President Bush has a really important meeting on May 23! Pray for President Bush as he meets with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel at the White House. They will talk about the strong relationship between our countries. Pray for these meetings and for peace in the Middle East.
  3. Gen. Michael Hayden is President Bush’s nominee to lead America’s Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Gen. Hayden is now going through the process of being confirmed by the Senate Intelligence Committee, and they will decide if he can step up to that position. So we can pray for Gen. Hayden and for the senators who are interviewing him and deciding on his suitability for this important job. Pray that God’s will is done in this matter, and that Gen. Hayden, if confirmed, will seek God and will have His wisdom as he does his job.
  4. Our troops continue to serve our country all over the world, so we must pray for them to have God’s protection and help as they serve. We must pray that they all have His strength to do their jobs well, and that their loved ones who are sacrificing will be comforted and strengthened by God and His people.

Leaders to pray for
Photo courtesy of the White House.

Secretary of Defense—Donald Rumsfeld
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is a great person to lead America’s Defense Department. He was appointed by President Bush for service during his first administration and now continues his service. Secretary Rumsfeld came to the Defense Department after a great career in business. He also served in the military as a Navy pilot, and has worked for several former presidents including Gerald Ford. Secretary Rumsfeld also served in Congress representing his home state of Illinois from 1962-68.

As Secretary of Defense, Mr. Rumsfeld is responsible for directing the actions of his department in response to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 including our efforts in Iraq. He advises President Bush on all matters of defense and works with him and other members of the Defense Department to decide how our country will defend herself against outside threats. He is responsible for creating our defense policy and for making sure that it is carried out. The Department of Defense includes the Army, Navy (including the Marine Corps), Air Force, the Inspector General and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Secretary Rumsfeld is also a member of the cabinet and a member of the National Security Council.

Secretary Rumsfeld has been married to his wife, Joyce and they celebrated their 50th anniversary last year. They have three children and five grandchildren. Photo courtesy of the Department of Defense.

Photo courtesy of the White House.

Ambassador to the United Nations--John Bolton
John Bolton is a United States Ambassador. But rather than traveling to a foreign country to represent our country, Mr. Bolton serves the nation right in the Big Apple—New York City. He is the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, so he represents our country in all the meetings held at the U.N. where he speaks for the President, the Congress and our country.

Mr. Bolton has had a lot of great experiences serving our nation including several different jobs in the State Department and the Department of Justice. In fact, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called John a man who “knows how to get things done.” As someone who has worked with many nations and all kinds of tricky international concerns, he will put his experience to very good use as our country’s Ambassador to the United Nations.

Mr. Bolton received both his undergraduate and law degrees from Yale University.

They cried out to God during the battle, and he answered their prayer because they trusted in him.
—1 Chronicles 5:20

Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere.
—Ephesians 6:18

He who cannot cast his burden upon the Lord must bear it himself.
--O. Hallesby, Author and pastor

Kids love to pray in church. Where else can kids pray?

Do you have a special place you like to pray? Maybe you pray in your room or at your desk. Some people pray on their knees by their bed. Or maybe you feel most comfortable praying at church—in Sunday School or youth group.

Have you ever thought about the other places where a person could pray? Where did people in the Bible go to pray?

Prayer is such an awesome privilege. It’s the incredible blessing of talking with God, knowing He is listening and talking back to us. This week we will take a look at some real-life people in our Bible to see where they prayed their most heartfelt prayers. Maybe this look will help you decide where and when you can pray! Before you know it you will be praying in all kinds of new places!

From Ezra to Peter, from Jesus to Paul, God’s servants have been known to pray in all kinds of interesting places. Maybe we can learn something by looking at these interesting locations!

Ezra the priest knew that he could pray to God in any circumstance--even when his heart was filled with sorrow over sin. You can pray any time and anywhere! Image courtesy of biblepicturegallery.com.

Have you ever done something so terribly wrong that you just felt like falling on the ground? You felt so humbled and saddened by your sin that you dove for the dirt? You have something in common with Ezra the Priest! A sorrowful and repentant Ezra prayed on the ground, in the dirt, in front of the Temple, crying out to God with such power and sincerity that others saw his repentance and turned back to God too! Hover HERE to read about Ezra’s dive for the dirt.

King Hezekiah was a godly king of Judah who was known for his prayer and faithfulness. This image shows him praying before an altar, but Hezekiah also prayed in other places too! Where do you like to be when you pray? Image courtesy of biblerevival.com

Have you ever met godly King Hezekiah? One of the few good kings of Judah, Hezekiah was a man of prayer whose faith was recorded in intimate detail on the pages of Scripture.

Although this picture doesn’t show King Hezekiah, it’s a good reminder that you can pray in your bed any time, whether you are sick or not! God hears you when you pray, and He loves to hear your prayers—even or especially, when you are sick! Image courtesy of the University of Houston.

When he was deathly ill, King Hezekiah prayed from his sickbed and God sent his friend, the prophet Isaiah to tell him that he would be healed by God. Hover HERE to read.

Daniel was an amazing young man, known for his excellent character and leadership. He relied on God for pretty much everything and turned to prayer rather than panicking. Do you do the same? Image courtesy of creationism.org.

When you think of the great biblical prophet Daniel, you probably think of the story of his victory over injustice when he was delivered from the lion’s den! Remember it was his reliance on prayer that put Daniel in that pit in the first place, and it was his faithful prayers to our mighty God that pulled him out of that pit! That’s right, when the jealous leaders of Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom plotted to get Daniel in trouble with the king, Daniel didn’t panic, he just went to his room and prayed, giving thanks to God! Is that what you do when you pray? Hover HERE to read about Daniel’s habit of fearless, faithful prayer.

Does your room look anything like this? Whatever your room looks like, it’s your special place, even if you share it with a sibling or two. Remember that you can always pray in your room, just like Daniel did. Image courtesy cheyennemillwork.com.

Elijah was a great prophet who prayed on top of a mountain, and under a broom tree, among other places! God heard Elijah’s prayer and sent an angel to encourage him. Has God sent encouragement to you when you’ve been down and discouraged? He will if you pray! Image courtesy of Web Gallery of Art.

Elijah was a great and unique Old Testament prophet who was used by God many times to reveal His greatness and power—like the time when he went toe to toe with the prophets of Baal. After the back-and-forth dueling, Elijah called out to God in I Kings 18:36-37 and astounded everyone when God revealed His power and answered Elijah’s prayer! God had a great victory that day and Elijah was smack dab in the middle of it!

But things weren’t always so rosy for Elijah—that’s how it goes when you are a prophet. It’s a job with definite ups and downs! In fact, shortly after the great victory over the prophets of Baal, Elijah found himself terrified and intimidated after Jezebel threatened him with death. Elijah was so scared he almost gave up hope. Do you ever feel that way?

This is a great picture of a broom plant, though they can grow much larger than this. Does this look like a good place to pray? Photo courtesy of the University of Arizona.

Elijah felt so badly that he went out in the desert and hid under a broom tree. It’s probably pretty dusty and dirty under a broom tree, but Elijah’s experience of dust wasn’t like Ezra’s repentant dive for the dirt. Elijah was despairing and while he did remember to pray (that’s always good!) under the broom tree, his prayer was for God to take his life—that’s how scared and hopeless he felt. Fortunately, God didn’t answer that prayer. Hover HERE to read how Elijah prayed and how God answered.

This is one artist’s idea of what Elisha might have looked like. He was a faithful prophet who prayed with complete trust and faithfulness.

Elisha was a great and godly prophet whose ministry followed right on the heels of Elijah’s. Once he was in a very tight spot in the middle of a battle. He knew that he would need God’s help to win. Have you ever had that kind of experience, where you simply can’t win anything unless you cry out to God and ask Him for help?

This battlefield in Italy is different from the one the Elisha prayed from, but it reminds us that God hears our prayers all the time, even in the middle of a fight!

On that day, Elisha woke up and saw that he and his men were surrounded by enemy troops. Elijah prayed in the middle of a battlefield asking God to blind the advancing enemy so they could be led away. Was that ever an eye-opening experience! Hover HERE to read Elisha’s faithful prayer from the battlefield.

Bible characters had real and life-changing encounters with God when they prayed—just like PPT Kids do! For sure, many Bible characters did pray in the Temple, at the altar, and in special holy places. And they also prayed in the dirt, on a sickbed, in their rooms, in the desert and on the battlefield. When you look at all the other places where they prayed, you quickly see that prayer is for everywhere! It’s meant to connect us with God wherever we are, whenever we need to pray!

During the earliest years of our nation, it was common for the President to call the entire country to a day (or several days) of fasting and prayer. This would sometimes occur during special times like a presidential inauguration or during times of conflict, war or other hardships. Those men knew, as we know today, that our whole nation is strengthened and protected when we acknowledge God through prayer.

God loves to hear His people pray! That means YOU, PPT Kids!

Here are two of the urgent appeals that have called Americans to prayer.

Portrait of George Washington courtesy of the National Gallery of Art.

When George Washington was elected as the first president of our nation, no one even knew what to call him because the position was so new! Some suggested “Excellency” and others “His Highness the President.” But everyone, including President Washington, knew what to call for—prayer! Here is an excerpt from a local New York newspaper that describes the events planned for Washington’s inauguration to be held on April 30, 1789 in New York City. (Remember that Washington, D.C. was not yet our nation’s capitol.):

On the morning of the day on which our illustrious President will be invested with his office, the bells will ring at nine o’clock, when the people may go up and in a solemn manner commit the new government, with its important train of consequences, to the holy protection and blessings of the Most High. An early hour is prudently fixed for this peculiar act of devotion, and it is designed wholly for prayer.

Members of Congress prayed for God’s help with a battle, much like Elisha! As the War of 1812 raged along young America’s eastern coast, the many members of the House and Senate felt concern. They believed that America would only succeed in this effort if she cried out to God in prayer. They called on President James Madison to declare a day of fasting and prayer. This was the result:

A Proclamation. By the President of the United States of America

Whereas the Congress of the United States, by a joint resolution of the two Houses have signified a request, that a day may be recommended, to be observed by the people of the United States, with religious solemnity, as a day of public humiliation and prayer:

And whereas such a recommendation will enable the several religious denominations and societies so disposed, to offer, at one and the same time, their common vows and adorations to Almighty God, on the solemn occasion produced by the war, in which He has been pleased to permit the injustice of a foreign Power to involve these United States…

Given at Washington, the 9th day of July, A. D. 1812
James Madison

Many other presidents called for prayer. These are just two great examples of our nation’s reliance on prayer from the very start!

QUESTION 1

Read again the quotation from the newspaper that tells of George Washington’s activities on his first inaugural day. Why were bells rung at 9:00 am?

  1. Bells were rung because alarm clocks hadn’t been invented yet. They wanted everyone to wake up in time to see the Inauguration.
  2. Bells were rung to make sure that all the British redcoats knew they were not welcome in New York on that day.
  3. Bells were rung to call everyone to prayer. Everyone was invited to march together to dedicate the new nation and the new President to God.

QUESTION 2

The newspaper announcement talks about the “new government with its important train of consequences.” What do you think the writer means by a train of consequences?

  1. The writer is talking about a new railroad that will be coming to New York City.
  2. The consequences of freedom were yet to be seen, but they would be felt for many years.

QUESTION 3

True or false: People can pray just about anywhere they’d like, because God is always listening and always hears our prayers.

  1. True
  2. False

Portrait courtesy of the White House.

But let not the foundation of our hope rest upon man's wisdom. It will not be sufficient that sectional prejudices find no place in the public deliberations. It will not be sufficient that the rash counsels of human passion are rejected. It must be felt that there is no national security but in the nation's humble, acknowledged dependence upon God and His overruling providence.
--Franklin Pierce, Inaugural Address, March 4, 1853

President Bush addressed the nation on Monday evening, presenting his plan for immigration reform and increased border security. Pray for him and members of Congress as they work to craft a sound bill that can be passed before the Memorial Day recess. Photo courtesy of the White House.

We're a nation of laws, and we must enforce our laws. We're also a nation of immigrants, and we must uphold that tradition, which has strengthened our country in so many ways. These are not contradictory goals. America can be a lawful society and a welcoming society at the same time. We will fix the problems created by illegal immigration, and we will deliver a system that is secure, orderly, and fair. So I support comprehensive immigration reform that will accomplish five clear objectives.
--George W. Bush, May 15, 2006

Click HERE to read the full text of President Bush’s speech.

Isn’t it great to look at the lives of so many of our great Bible heroes? Each one is a fantastic example to us in a special way because they prayed to God wherever they were. Their relationship with Him was so personal and close that they spoke as if in conversation with Him. Do you pray that way? We want to encourage you to try it! Wherever you are, just talk to God and wait to see the fantastic way He answers!

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