Are you wanting President Obama to be a success? This seems to be the question everyone is asking.

My answer is simple and emphatic: It depends.

"A victory without honor is a great loss."

Earlier this year, a high school girls' basketball team blew out their opponent with a victory of 100-0. The following day, the school was seeking a forfeit and apologizing for the margin of victory. The head of the school wisely issued his explanation: "A victory without honor is a great loss." In the final quarter, the winning team pressed the opposing team and shot 3's in their attempt to get 100 points. But the victory quickly turned into defeat as the players and coaches concluded that there were greater issues at stake.

It's simple: Success must have a qualitative basis for measurement.

Success is something that requires a standard. And all standards should be derived from an authoritative and higher source. It may be Congress. The U.S. Supreme Court. Citizen popularity. Personal beliefs. Or it can be (should be) Scripture.

I have no problem stating that government policy should adhere to Scripture. That is not religious intrusion into governmental affairs. It is recognizing the intent of our Founders to place government "under God." It means America is a republic under a higher authority rather than a democracy subject to the mere majority opinion of its citizenry.

I DO NOT wish President Obama to be a success if he promotes ungodliness, like murdering the unborn with taxpayers' dollars. (Does it upset you that your tax dollars are being used to murder babies?) Like promoting sodomy as a valid and equal form of marriage. Or even turning our nation into a socialistic form of government, which is edging closer. These are not all the issues, but they are vital ones.

I DO wish President Obama to be a success if he promotes and portrays godliness and honesty. Paul teaches us what to pray for in relation to our government authorities:

I exhort, therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour (1 Timothy 2:1-3).

This passage makes it clear how God measures success for all who are in authority. If godliness and honesty are chief characteristics of Obama's presidency, then he will have been a success. If not, then he will have failed.

So the answer is simple . . . we wish President Obama to be a success by God's standards. Regardless if he wins or loses by 100 points by man's calculations.

So don't jump on the bandwagon of wishing success without qualifying it--the same qualifications (and more) should hold true for all of us as leaders. But do jump on the bandwagon of those praying for our president.

The following prayer guide is designed to help us pray for our president in light of what God teaches us in His Word. The opportunity to shape the future of our nation through prayer is both real and exciting. Would you pray daily for our new president? Would you pray fervently for him? Would you cry out to the Lord to use him to further His kingdom purposes?

Download our prayer guide: Praying for President Obama

http://www.lifeaction.org/static/uploads/media/pdf/praying_for_president_obama.pdf