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  • President Bush talks to kids about making good choices
  • Rebecca St. James reminds kids they can make a difference through prayer.
  • Benjamin Franklin’s great choice!

Things to pray for

President Bush took Iraqi Prime Minister al-Maliki to meet some of our hard-working troops this week. The Iraqi leader had many words of thanks and condolence for the troops at Ft. Belvoir, VA. Photo courtesy of the White House.
  1. The situation in the Middle East is still pretty bad. People are fighting and many are getting hurt. Dr. Condoleezza Rice has visited the region and has met with many key leaders. For kids who pray, now is the time to ask God to send His Spirit to stop the fighting and to protect all the innocent people in both Lebanon and Israel. Pray that kids who are scared will have responsible adults to comfort and care for them, and pray that everyone will agree to stop the fighting and bombing. It’s also a great time to thank God for helping thousands and thousands of American citizens get out of the region with the fantastic help and support of the U.S. military.
  2. Things are still pretty rough in Iraq, so it’s a great time to pray for Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki who was in Washington this week, meeting with President Bush, thanking our troops for all the sacrifices they have made and speaking to Congress. Pray for President Bush as he continues to provide support for the Prime Minister and his people, and pray that the fighting in Iraq will come to an end too. Pray for wisdom for the President and for all the members of his team, that they will rely on God and look to Him for help!
  3. One of President Bush’s best friends is coming to Washington to talk about the world situation and to think with him about how to work together to bring peace and democracy. Do you know who it is? That’s right, British Prime Minister Tony Blair—so it is a very good time to pray for these two world leaders as they meet, that they will acknowledge God’s hand on world affairs and will seek Him and His help.
This little guy gets a handshake from President Bush as he runs to meet him during a past White House Tee Ball game. Photo courtesy of the White House.
  1. Something really cool is going to happen at the White House this weekend! Two teams of kids from Challenger Little League get to play a game of tee ball on the South Lawn. This is an event the President uses to draw attention to baseball and to children with disabilities, showing that they can achieve many things and can have the same kind of fun that kids across the country have. So pray for all the kids in Challenger Little League to be encouraged and to have a fantastic time at the White House along with their parents. And pray that God will be glorified in that fun event.
  2. Pray for the thousands of U.S. troops still in Iraq, working to make things better there. Many of them are in danger every day, so pray that God’s care and protection will surround them and that He will give them success in their work. Pray for their families who remain back home, because they really miss their loved ones!

Leaders to pray for


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 four years ago 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 President’s cabinet and a member of the National Security Council.


Attorney General—Alberto Gonzales
Photo courtesy of the White House.

The Attorney General (AG) is the nation’s top lawyer and the head of the Department of Justice (DOJ). He is also the chief law enforcement officer for the government, and it’s his job to make sure all our laws are carried out effectively and fairly. Along with all that, the AG is one of the President’s closest advisors, offering him sound advice on any legal matters, and he represents our government in any cases that come before the Supreme Court, or other cases of great importance. Phew! That is a lot to keep track of, but Alberto Gonzales is definitely a great man for the job.

Alberto Gonzales came to this job with terrific experience. He has been a faithful public servant for many years, first, as general counsel to newly elected Texas Governor Bush and later as Texas’ Secretary of State. He followed President Bush to Washington to be White House counsel.

As head of the DOJ, Mr. Gonzales and his team work hard to be sure that everyone in America gets equal justice under the law, especially those who are marginalized. While the war on terror is certainly the highest priority of the DOJ, they also work to protect Americans from those who commit crimes with guns and those who deal drugs. They also work to protect victims of child abuse and domestic violence and create a compassionate society that upholds the dignity of every human life.

Alberto Gonzales’ story is an inspiring one, for he is one of eight children in the family of a migrant worker. Graduating high school with high honors, he believed college was beyond his grasp so he enlisted in the Air Force. When his officers suggested he apply to the Air Force Academy, he did so and was accepted. Tiring of science and engineering, his interests turned to politics. Gambling his future, Alberto Gonzales prayed and applied to his hometown university, Rice in Houston. When he was accepted, he enrolled and next matriculated at Harvard University. He worked with a prestigious law firm upon graduation until he met Governor-elect Bush.

Alberto Gonzales is from Houston, TX and is a graduate of Texas public schools, Rice University, and Harvard Law School. With his wife, Rebecca Turner Gonzales, he has three sons.

Bible Verses of the week

My steps have stayed on your path; I have not wavered from following you. I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God. Bend down and listen as I pray. Show me your unfailing love in wonderful ways. You save with your strength those who seek refuge from their enemies.
—Psalm 17:5-7

The king's heart is like a stream of water directed by the LORD; he turns it wherever he pleases.
—Proverbs 21:1

Portrait courtesy of the White House.

The faith background of President Taft is sketchy at best. At times, he declared himself to be a Unitarian, but his words on many occasions acknowledged the importance of Christianity to our nation and to democracy. The following words are from a speech he gave about Christian foreign missionary efforts. It was delivered in Hot Springs, Virginia, August 5, 1908. Click here to hear a three-minute excerpt of the speech. When you hear these words of President Taft, what do you think?

No man can study the movement of modern civilization from an impartial standpoint and not realize that Christianity and the spread of Christianity are the basis of hope of modern civilization in the growth of popular self-government. The spirit of Christianity is pure democracy. It is equality of man before God—the equality of man before the law, which is, as I understand it, the most God-like manifestation that man has been able to make.
--William Howard Taft, in an address to a missionary gathering in 1908.

This week’s prayer quote reminds us that when we choose to pray, we get the very best thing of all—a close and intimate knowledge of God! Wow, there is nothing greater than that!

The last and highest result of prayer is not the securing of this or that gift, the avoiding of this or that danger. The last and highest result of prayer is the knowledge of God--the knowledge which is eternal life--and by that knowledge, the transformation of human character, and of the world.
--George John Blewett, 20th century philosopher and theologian

Chances are, adults who care about you have talked to you about making good choices—maybe your mom and dad or a youth leader or Sunday School teacher. They talk to you about good choices because they love you so much!

Maybe you have friends who have made some poor choices or maybe you have made some poor choices yourself. Here are some important things to remember about making good choices:

  1. It’s God Himself who gives us the ability to choose.
  2. God gives us great guidelines in His word about making good choices.
  3. God will give you strength and help in making good choices.
  4. If you make a mistake and don’t choose as God wants you to, you then have another great choice—the choice to repent and receive forgiveness and love!

We have great Scripture verses that show us how much God cares about the choices we make. Do you know where they are? Hover here for one.

God always wants us to choose Him!

God says in His word that He helps us grow in our faith, and that includes making good choices. Hover here for another example of that.

Rebecca St. James is a great person to know about, because she really loves Jesus Christ with all her heart, and she is very committed to following His Word in every single part of her life—even those parts where many people her age are going against God’s ways. Rebecca makes good choices, even when it is difficult to do so, because she wants to please God more than she wants to please other people.

Here are some great words from Rebecca shared with a group of teens about how God uses kids--in all kinds of ways—to accomplish His will.

Remember when you were a kid and people asked you, "What are you going to do when you grow up?" Well, I really don’t believe that we have to be "grown up" to be used by God. God is God, and He can use whomever He wants—no matter how young. I think as teenagers we need to be using these years to do God’s will and make a difference. We are part of a generation He is calling to be sold-out for Him.

Do you know about Rebecca St. James’ homeland, Australia? It is both a country and a continents, very far from America, and all the way in the Southern Hemisphere! Even though she is not an American citizen, Rebecca feels it is very important to pray for our president and for this nation, because what happens in America affects the whole world!

In Australia, only five percent of the population attends church, and being a Christian often draws a lot of negative attention. It’s really black-and-white. If you’re a believer in Jesus, people ask why you go to church.

God may be calling you to serve Him outside your country, or He may just want you to serve your friends and neighbors right where you live. He may call you to go on a foreign mission trip, or just a daily mission trip in your neighborhood. The important thing is to bloom where you’re planted.
--Rebecca St. James

And finally, here are some great words from Rebecca St. James on prayer. When you read these words you can see that she really relies on prayer. Do you think your reliance on prayer is this strong? What could you do to strengthen it?
I pray before everything. Sometimes it's very intimidating to get up on stage before adults and before my peers. Praying to God is really my strength. I just have to look at Him and say, "You have it totally under control. You're a great God! It's Yours to do with as You see fit. You take it!" Prayer is so powerful. Without God, we are absolutely nothing.
--Rebecca St. James, Recording Artist and member of The Presidential Prayer Team Honorary Committee

Photo courtesy of the White House.

President Bush is a dad. He has raised twin daughters, and knows how hard it can be for kids to make good choices. In his words below, he is speaking with a group of young athletes, reminding them that their choices today affect their world tomorrow.

A couple things I want to tell you. One, I hope you enjoy yourself, and I hope you spend time not only competing hard, but getting to know each other. Like, there's all kinds of cultures here, and different languages are spoken, but I think you'll find you share a lot of things in common. Yes, you hope for a better life. You care deeply about people you love. You want the world to be a better place. And so, not only compete hard, but spend time with each other and share cultures. I think you'll find you're all God's children. There's so much in common.

A couple other things I want to tell you, is make sure that you continue to make the right choices in life. See, you're at the age where you're going to be challenged with some tough choices: drugs and alcohol, prejudice and hate. Reject that. Reject those kinds of temptations and continue serving your bodies and your soul well by making right choices in life. You made right choices to get here to compete. Continue doing so. I think it will help you. I know it will help you in your life.
--George W. Bush

Portrait courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery.

Benjamin Franklin was one of our most beloved Founding Fathers. Born in Boston, he lived most of his life in Philadelphia. His life is a fascinating one, because he was involved in many things: he was a printer, author, scientist, inventor and statesman. He represented America as an Ambassador to England, was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution.

Have you ever had a problem or wondered what to do about a particular situation? Maybe you’ve thought to talk about it with your mom or dad or a close friend. Or you might look in a book for some ideas on how to handle your problem. Hopefully, any and every one of those sources will offer you help.

But when it comes to facing problems or opportunities, the very best thing you can do is to pray! When we turn to God and consult with Him, it gives Him the opportunity to do wonderful things in our lives, and to lead us on the path He wants for us!

There is a great example in the life of our nation when Ben Franklin made a very good choice—he called for prayer! The members of the Constitutional Convention were struggling with the problem of how to have fair representation in government for both large and small states. They couldn’t reach a solution, and the men were getting frustrated and tense.

The Constitutional Convention met in the Old State House in Philadelphia. Image courtesy of commonplace.org.

As the host of the Convention, Benjamin Franklin stood and addressed the group with passion and conviction. He didn’t have the solution to the problem, but he knew Who did! Here are his words:

I therefore beg leave to move that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessing on our deliberations, (discussion and consideration of the matter) be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the clergy of this city be requested to officiate in that service.

Those who were present in the room reported that everyone was moved by Franklin’s words. They all knew his suggestion was right, and they took action to call a minister to come and pray with them. In fact, Congress has been opened with prayer every day since that day—June 28, 1787.

Oh, and by the way, the problem was soon solved! That’s how we came to have two houses in Congress—one, the House of Representatives, with delegates based on the population of the state, and a second, the Senate, with two representatives from each state, whether the state is tiny or huge!

Aren’t you glad that Ben Franklin chose to pray? We will never know what might have happened if the members of the Constitutional Convention had not turned to prayer at that moment, thanks to Mr. Franklin’s suggestion.

WEEKLY QUIZ

QUESTION 1

When you read over Ben Franklin’s words calling for prayer, which of the following would you say best describes his concern?

  1. Ben Franklin feels that the only good prayers are prayers in which people beg for what they need.
  2. Franklin thinks that they should get right down to business every morning and leave the prayers to others.
  3. Ben Franklin knows that the group needs the help of God, so he asks that a minister be brought in to lead prayers—not just until their problem passes, but every day!

QUESTION 2

When Ben Franklin proposed that the Constitutional Convention take time for prayer, which of the following would you say is true?

  1. People felt that prayer wasn’t something that government leaders needed to do.
  2. The men felt that if there would be prayers, they should be offered by someone who wouldn’t offend anyone through their prayers.
  3. The leaders knew that Franklin was right and prayer to the God who had helped them win their independence was the best thing to do.

In many places the Bible encourages us to pray! That’s because God loves it when we talk with Him. Can you think of some verses that tell what happens when we obey God’s command to pray? Hover here to read.

God always wants us to choose Him!

As Christopher Columbus landed in the New World, he saw it as an opportunity to thank God for guiding him. Painting courtesy of the Architect of the Capitol.

Christopher Columbus had a really interesting choice to make when he landed in the New World. He could have claimed all the glory for himself. But he chose to honor and acknowledge God. Do you do the same thing when you do something really great?

Our Founding Fathers wanted future generations to acknowledge the hand of God in the founding of our nation. Therefore, even the Capitol Building is a witness of this. Its mighty Rotunda, the center of the Capitol, features a dramatic oil painting that impresses upon visitors the direct intervention of God from the earliest days of our history. The painting portrays the landing of Columbus in the Western World in 1492. Columbus' eyes are cast toward heaven in thanks and praise as others around him kneel in gratitude to God.

This painting depicts the gratitude Columbus felt in the fulfillment of what he believed was his God-given calling. "It was the Lord who put into my mind (I could feel His hand upon me) the fact that it would be possible to sail from here to the Indies." Those who commissioned this painting knew what we have known all along, that God in His grace and wisdom guided those who first came to these shores.

A WORD TO PPT KIDS

We’ve talked about good choices this week. That’s not just something that sounds nice. It’s really important! The very best choice you can make is to accept God’s love and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. Beyond that, you can choose to do things that will make Him happy each and every time you are faced with a choice.

And you can always choose to pray, whether you’re facing a problem or an exciting opportunity. And you can especially pray for our president, our country, our troops and the elections! May God bless you as you pray!

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