Praying for God's Bailout

A recent New York Times article spoke about churches in Detroit who are praying for deliverance in the midst of an economic downturn which has been particularly difficult for them. While I have, in a previous post, spoken of my disdain for the Big Three automakers, I have a lot of compassion for the workers and citizens of metropolitan Detroit, who are now bearing a large burden due to a poor economic climate mixed with some corporate stupidity.

I actually applaud how churches are addressing the real needs of their congregations and pointing to God as their hope in the midst of this. I believe strongly in God's redemptive work in all areas of a person's life and while I have a strong aversion to the preaching of a "prosperity gospel", to not pray for financial help in the midst of the crisis might either infer (A) God doesn't have the power to help people who have no jobs or (B) God doesn't care that people might not have the ability to pay their mortgages or put food on the table. Either premise is ridiculous.

To be fair, many Christians have been so incensed by "prosperity Gospel" preachers who routinely insist that "blessings" means that you'll get huge cash rewards and a luxury car of your choice, and that when Christ died in his poverty we became rich (2 Cor 8:9) ... and we should become rich to the tune of $200K with compounding 8% interest. For the follower of the prosperity gospel, God has been turned into Santa Claus, who we approach with our wish lists for flat-panel LCD's and Cancun vacations because we've been good. There likely is some over-correction to the point that to pray for material needs feels dirty, and that shouldn't be the case.

I framework that I use for myself is that I pray for my daily bread - "what do I need?", not necessarily "what do I want?" I can pray for God to give me abundantly as He pleases, while at the same time praying that he withholds any abundance which might become an idol or temptation that would draw me or my family away from Him. But the fundamental premise is that our God is good, and it is His good pleasure to give gifts to His children.

The tenor of the article is about people appealing to God to save jobs that would be lost, so mortgage payments can be met and food can be put on the table. I don't sense that people are seeking excess, but instead asking God for their daily bread in light of the dire situation that exists with the local economy and the automobile labor base. That being said, if you look at the photo above the article, I think having the SUV's on stage with the choir is a bit over the top.

The article mentions a factory worker named Mike Young, who seems to get it. “We’ve got to keep the faith," he said. He's hopeful of a government bailout but states, “But you can’t count on that. All my hope is in God.”

Your hope is in the right place, brother.