[what to pray?]

Many people have asked me what I prayed last Wednesday. Had the opportunity to give an opening prayer before the Iowa House of Representatives and the Senate, and wow, that was my same question. What do you pray?

It started in December. I got a call from my dad's first cousin, Steve Olson, asking if I'd give an opening prayer to the Iowa legislators on January 16. He has served in the Iowa House for District 83 since he was first elected in 2002, and he was in-charge of finding a "Pastor of the Day" for that opening Wednesday.

I asked him if he had the right number. He laughed, told me he wanted to find someone close to Des Moines in-case of bad weather and let me know the specifics. It had to be 60-90 seconds long, sensitive to other faiths and was limited to just prayer. Told him I was honored and humbled, and though hesitant about the sensitive part, said yes.

After talking with others, praying about it and a long seven-mile run one weekend, I decided to pray in the name of Jesus and focus on truth versus offending people.

Lastly, I led a Bible study with friends from China, Korea, Iraq and Brazil the day before. The minute I said "Amen" at the end of our prayer to close the study, one of the Chinese women exclaimed, "Peace! You prayed for peace. My mother told me to look for the peace and that is where I would find the God." With that fresh on my heart, I added peace.

The next day, I took my notes, asked God for confidence and prayed approximately this:

"Father God, I thank You for the opportunity to be here this morning and to ask for Your presence, peace and blessing in this place. I thank You that Your Word says all authority on earth has ultimately been established by You. I also thank You that because of this, we are called to obey and submit to our leaders so that their work will be a joy and not a burden. 

Father I thank You for these men and women and pray that You'd give them diligence, wisdom and discernment in the coming weeks and months as they sort through many possible agenda items. I pray You would help them to know only what You've called them to do, only what You've asked of them, and that that is enough.

And God ultimately I pray that You would be known and glorified here. Because our governments and states and countries will eventually fade, but You remain. Lead, guide, protect and bless them Father, and make me, make us, faithful in praying for them throughout the coming days and weeks ahead. We ask for Your peace. We look to You in all things, and we pray this all in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen."

Thankful and humbled for the opportunity, and praying He continues to answer this and many other prayers for our government in the coming weeks and months.