Praying for the President

"Everyone must submit to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist are instituted by God.  So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God's command, and those who oppose it will bring judgement on themselves."  Romans 12:16

"Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's."  Matthew 22:21

With the inauguration today, my brain has been on the state of our country, of our newly elected president, of FOCA, and most importantly, God's hand in our lives.  I've heard Christians talk about how they believe that Obama is the antichrist, some think he really will do good for the country, and others are simply apathetic.  Now, I don't know if I believe that Obama is the antichrist or an antichrist or anything like that, but I do know what scripture says about our leaders.  They had been put in place by God and we should give them the respect that comes with their office.  More importantly, we should be praying for them.  Being the president, being a leader of any kind, is not an easy job, not on the one leading nor on his family.  So though I do not agree with Obama on the majority of the issues, I will be praying for his salvation, I will be praying that he will make wise decisions, and I will be praying for his family.  This doesn't mean that I won't be praying that some of his decisions (like his promise to deregulate the abortion system) will be stopped, but it does mean that I will honor the man God has put in place just as I tried to honor Bush before him.  It's not an easy thing, but nothing right ever is.  

On another note, a few weeks ago our pastor at Arevalo gave a sermon on Matthew 22.  He paralleled that verse with Genesis 1:27 (God created man in His own image).  He used this parallel to show how as Christians we have the mark of God on us and that as we are to give our taxes to the one whose face is on the coin, we are to also give our lives to the one in whose image we were created.