Contact: Lyn Perez, Reformed Theological Seminary, 407-366-9493
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Jan. 21, 2013 /Christian Newswire/ -- The following is submitted by Dr. Michael A. Milton:
Almighty and everlasting God, our Father and our Lord: we gather our hearts, hopes, and dreams from across this nation to give thanks for the freedom that comes only from Thee, and is expressed in the Constitution of these United States, and invested in this inaugural service of the President of the United States. As we ask for Thy anointing, protection, wisdom, strength, humility, and guidance for your servant, Barack, and as we pray for divine protection for his beloved wife, our First Lady, and their precious daughters, we ask that our government may be pleasing in Thy sight: standing for the life you so freely give, defending the rights of that liberty you so graciously bestow, and upholding those laws written upon our hearts which you have so wondrously engraved. Let our government rule no further than thou hast ordained, but no less than thou hast commanded.
We have found ourselves to be a divided people on many things, too often uninformed on the most important things, distracted by trivial things, and in need of your unifying power from on high on all things. We confess that evil stalks our land, frightens our children, and diminishes the light of hope. Yet as long as there is life, there is hope in Thee. "Greater is He who is in us than He who is in the world." We who call upon your name and believe in your power, and have marked well your dealings with us in the past, through our forbearers who covenanted with You that this country would be a "City on a Hill," a special land of liberty to help others oppressed, believe that we may approach Thy throne of grace with that old covenant and plead for true spiritual revival again. We have no pathway out of the danger, no force to bring unity, and no wisdom to find guidance, unless you, O Lord, come down and lead us by Thy Holy Spirit.
LORD, as your minister, crying out for all people of all faiths, we implore You and beg of You to have mercy upon us, to forgive us, and to unleash that refreshing newness of life which only You can bring. As we pray for the one you have appointed to lead us, help him and his counselors, and our Congress and Supreme Court, and our States, to remember that our solutions are spiritual and not political, moral and not legislative, and our hope for the future of our nation is grounded in Your power demonstrated through our submissiveness to Divine justice and our humble dependence upon Divine grace.
Respecting all of our countrymen of all faiths, I render humble thanksgiving for the opportunity to make this prayer in the name of the Pilgrim's God, Jesus Christ, the Lord and Savior of mankind who bids us, "Come unto Me all you who are weary and I will give you rest." Amen.
Michael Anthony Milton (Ph.D., University of Wales) serves as the chancellor/CEO of Reformed Theological Seminary (one of the largest accredited seminaries in the country), a U.S. Army chaplain (instructing at the Armed Forces Chaplain School) and the James M. Baird Jr. chair of pastoral theology at RTS/Charlotte. He is an author, songwriter, singer, ordained minister, former pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Chattanooga, Tenn., and he previously served as the president of RTS/Charlotte. Dr. Milton also hosts a national Bible teaching television program, Faith For Living, broadcast on the NRB Television Network, and a radio program broadcast on several stations in the southeast. For 16 years he served in the business world and has also served as a top-secret Navy linguist.
