What do James Dobson, Rep. Michele Bachmann, Tony Perkins and Senator Jim DeMint all have in common? They will all be praying over the healthcare reform bill tonight. Not the physical bill! It's thousands of pages. It’s so big it would be difficult for everyone to hold hands and gather around it.. (Hey Democrats, don't hit the send button. Just playing around. Can't a blogger in his pajamas have a little fun?) Much of this will be done over the Internet! It's a prayer webcast!
A part of the Family Research Council Action release is below:
Family Research Council Action, The Call to Conscience and Focus on the Family Action will host a special one hour webcast that will mobilize thousands of Christians and churches to join in corporate prayer over the health care overhaul bill. Family Research Council Action President Tony Perkins will be joined by Congressional leaders, prominent pastors, and policy experts to discuss and pray over significant concerns within the bill that will have far reaching consequences for the Christian community and our society.
Here's a quote from FRC Action President Tony Perkins:
"Life and death hinges on the Senate health care bill. We face significant threats to the God-given right to human life through government funding of abortions, our health from rationing, our family finances from higher taxes, and our general freedoms posed by the government plan to take over health care.
"There have been a number of critical hours in American history. Our nation has struggled mightily and, under God, always risen to the challenges before us. Tonight, we will face this moral crisis by taking action and obeying the Biblical mandate to pray for our nation and its leaders."
The lists of folks taking part in the prayer webcast are as follows:
Tony Perkins, President, Family Research Council Action
Lou Engle, Founder and President, The Call to Conscience
Jim Daly, President, Focus on the Family Action
Dr. James Dobson, Founder, Focus on the Family Action
Shirley Dobson, National Day of Prayer Task Force Chairman
Hon. Sam Brownback, United States Senator, Kansas
Hon. Jim DeMint, United States Senator, South Carolina
Hon. Randy Forbes, United States House of Representatives, Virginia
Hon. Michele Bachmann, United States House of Representatives, Minnesota
Bishop Harry Jackson, President, High Impact Leadership Coalition
Pastor Jim Garlow, Skyline Church, San Diego, Calif.
Reverend Samuel Rodriguez, President, National Hispanic Leadership Conference
It's interesting how the controversial issue of abortion has played havoc with this healthcare reform bill. The majority of conservative Christians would probably be against it anyhow but this abortion issue has been a real problem for Democrats during this process. Let's not forget here that even if compromise language is worked out in the Senate, Bart Stupak and his Pro-Life Democratic friends in the House wait in the wings with the potential to play spoiler. Senate passage is not the final act.
By the way, the Body of Christ is diverse in its theology and its politics so we should be careful not to judge one another based on what side you come down on in the healthcare debate. Believers can disagree on healthcare reform. While many conservative Christians will be praying that this healthcare bill is defeated, there will be other Christians who will be praying that it is signed into law. The main point of prayer is drawing closer to God and as Christians we know that when we pray it's about Jesus not ourselves. As for me, I'll be praying that there is dinner on the table tonight when I get home. I'm starving.(once again liberals please don't hit the send button saying that I am sexist. Thank you. I am not sexist. I'm just hungry. I'm not asking for a steak dinner. Mac and Cheese is fine.)