A Prayer for President Biden

Before I share a prayer for President Biden in his recently diagnosed state of prostate cancer. I’d like to say a few things about intercessory prayer in general, which is the kind of prayer involved in praying for others

One. God never wills sickness or suffering or death on any human being. Sickness comes for several reasons.

• We may bring sickness upon ourselves through poor health choices—not getting vaccinated for a disease we know can be prevented or toned down by getting vaccinated.

• We may put ourselves in harm’s way.

• The carelessness of others can certainly cause us harm—their not wearing masks when they are ill, for example.

• Most illness, however, is the result of being part of a universe in which principles of random circumstances prevail.

Let us not lose precious energies when we are sick or someone whom we love is sick wondering why God brought the illness or allowed the illness or accident; the answer always is: God didn’t.

Two. Intercessory prayer is not our effort to cajole God into providing healing with the notion that unless we ask, God will make no effort to heal or unless we ask correctly God will simply sit idly by. There are no correct ways to pray though certainly not every utterance called a prayer is necessarily a prayer just because we named it one.

Three. Prayer isn’t passive. Our prayers become non prayers unless we are willing to take action to help bring about the healing, peace, resolution for which we pray.

Four. We can be sure of this before we even think or

know to ask for someone’s well-being through prayer. God is already at work, luring the person and the circumstances toward wholeness and good. That verb I just used, “luring,” to describe how God acts can be applied more broadly in understanding God—not just when we’re thinking about prayer. God does not coerce. God does not force God‘s ways, even health or peace, upon individuals or communities or nations or the world as a whole.

Five. Prayer is an actual psychic/spiritual energy. It is not simply addressing God with our words; prayers of the heart have energies, and when we pray for someone who is sick those energies coalesce with the prayer energies of other people and of God Godself. The energies may contribute to a sick person’s recovery, or if not a recovery, then a pathway of meaningful coping.

Six. Our most powerful prayers are the ones we are unable to articulate. Prayers of the heart, our deepest feelings of concern and love, left as feelings, both communicate to God and become the energies I’ve just described.

Seven. Prayer isn’t incantation; prayers are not magic.

Eight. We should not hesitate to pray for groups of people, not just individuals.

Nine. We don’t have to know the solutions or the how to’s of healing especially in massive problems and complex circumstances to be able to bring our concerns to God in communion with God.

Ten. Gratitude is at the heart of all authentic prayer.

Life Force, Life Source, God of unending and unconditional love,

We are grateful for Joe Biden, and his closest circle of loving family members, Dr, Jill, Hunter, and Ashley, grandchildren, and all other others who love him most. Thank you for cradling all of them in your strengthening care and being their constant source of courage required for this journey.

Our hope, of course, is for his healing.

We are grateful for President Biden’s lifelong devotion to you and his tireless efforts to bring about good for others in this nation and around the world. We look forward to the benefits of his further contributions.

We are grateful for his healthcare team, taking shape even now—for their wisdom and experience and devotion to their patients. Thank you for their willingness to exercise intense, tireless caution and creativity in finding ways to combat or eradicate the cancer.

We pledge to continue our prayers actively, fervently during this difficult and unexpected life turn.

Amen.