Some like it, but some don't. That's America, where people have different perceptions of even the simplest things such as praying.
In the city of Wilmington, Delaware, some local officials are seeking to bring prayer back to their council meetings, just a month after the council voted to stop the decades-old practice, CBN News reported.
However, in Jackson County, Michigan, the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that Christian-only prayer at commission meetings is illegal, saying it violates the U.S. Constitution by promoting one faith over others, according to another CBN News report.
In Wilmington, Delaware, city officials invited residents to join a public meeting to discuss the proposal to restore prayer during city council meetings. Voices were heard about the power of prayer in shaping people's lives.
"Prayer has brought me a long way," said state Rep. Charles Potter, Jr. "We've got to fight for the right thing. God is good, all the time, on to victory."
He said he will introduce legislation this year to bring prayer back to Delaware schools.
Bishop Aretha Morton said politicians also need prayer, noting that they often visit local churches just to ask for prayer.
"We pray, God hears and they get elected," she said.
For Councilman Sam Guy, prayer is important "because it helps keep the devil out."
However, these views were not shared by the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, which voted 2-1 to uphold the complaint of a resident in Jackson, Michigan regarding the invocation of a Christian prayer during meetings of the Jackson County Board of Commissioners.
The two judges who sided with the complainant based their decision in the context of the U.S. Constitution.
For Christians, however, prayer is a powerful tool that is beyond legislation. As CT writer Patrick Mabilog wrote, "You can't do Christianity without prayer, period."
The power of prayer is perhaps best described in Psalm 107:28-30, "Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven."
