Presidential Prayer Kids

Influential people—are you one?
SuperBowl Sunday is almost here—Do you know about the two Super Coaches? They are influencing others for Jesus Christ.
Meet an awesome teen preacher—he influenced thousands for Christ!

Things to pray for

President Bush went to New York City this week to talk about the state of the economy. Against the dramatic backdrop of Federal Hall, the site of George Washington’s first Inauguration, he spoke of the strength of our economy and our nation. Pray for the President as he works to keep our country strong in every way. Photo courtesy of the White House.

Have you heard all the disagreement about the situation in Iraq? Maybe you have asked your parents or a teacher to help you understand what is happening there. Or maybe you have thoughtfully developed your own thoughts about Iraq. Some people want all troops to leave immediately, others say we should not only stay, but we should increase the number of troops to ensure success. Regardless of how you feel, this is a very good time to pray for the President, our Commander-in-Chief, as he makes decisions and leads our efforts, seeking counsel from commanders and advisors who really understand the situation there.
This weekend, tens of thousands of folks are converging on Miami, FL for the SuperBowl. They will have a great time cheering for their favorite team and players, and the eyes of the nation will be watching. It’s a great time to pray that God will be honored and glorified through all those who are using the SuperBowl as a way to point others to Him! From the fact that there are two history-making, African-American, Christ-honoring coaches to dozens of players who also live for Jesus, there’s no question that the SuperBowl will be a great witness! Pray for the safety and protection of the whole event, too.
Pray for the members of the Florida National Guard who will be taking good care of the huge crowds at the SuperBowl this weekend. Trained to recognize dangerous substances, explosives and other potentially harmful items or situations, they are a part of a team of hundreds of officers, troops, pilots, commanders and more who will be working to keep everyone at the SuperBowl safe. So it’s a great time to pray for all the law enforcement personnel who will be on duty throughout SuperBowl weekend, asking God to help them do their jobs well. Pray that no one will plan to hurt others at this great event, and that God will be glorified by the great time everyone has there.

Even though they are on their break and are away from their regular place of responsibility, it’s a great time to pray for the members of the U.S. Supreme Court, asking God to encourage and strengthen each one of them, so that when they return to their chambers on February 19 they will be refreshed and renewed to continue serving our country. Pray for good health and God’s powerful protection for each one.
Pray for our troops as they serve faithfully, seeking to bring liberty to the Afghan and Iraqi people while preserving it for us at home. This week, the Army opened a new rehabilitation facility in San Antonio, TX called the "Center for the Intrepid"—a place where troops who have been disabled by their war injuries can go for help—so pray that it will be a place of healing and restoration for many. Pray also for all who work with injured and disabled troops to be strengthened as they, in turn, encourage our troops.

Leaders to pray for

Back row L to R: Stephen G. Breyer, Clarence Thomas, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Samuel A. Alito. Bottom row L to R: Anthony M. Kennedy, John Paul Stevens, John G. Roberts, Antonin G. Scalia, and David H. Souter. Photo courtesy of the U. S. Supreme Court.

Members of the 2007 Supreme Court

Chief Justice — John G. Roberts, Jr.
Associate Justices: John Paul Stevens
Antonin Scalia
Anthony M. Kennedy
David H. Souter
Clarence Thomas
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Stephen G. Breyer
Samuel A. Alito, Jr.

Hear me as I pray, O Lord. Be merciful and answer me! My heart has heard you say, Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”
--Psalm 27:7-8

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.”
--Jeremiah 29:11-14

President Bush and thousands of other leaders, world leaders and citizens alike, met for prayer in Washington, D.C. at the National Prayer Breakfast on February 1. President Bush gave thanks for the prayers of Americans on his behalf. Pray for the President as he continues to lead our country. Photo courtesy of the White House.

Did you know that something very special happened in Washington, D.C. this week? Hundreds gathered at a large hotel to pray. It’s called the National Prayer Breakfast, and President Bush was there along with many other elected officials. It’s an extraordinary thing that happens in our country—having hundreds of leaders gather in the capital to pray—and it says something wonderful about America. Here are some of President Bush’s words from the prayer breakfast. See what you think of what he says.

We are a nation of prayer. America prays. Each day millions of our citizens bow their heads in silence and solitude, or they offer up prayers in fellowship with others. They pray for themselves; they pray for their families; they pray for their neighbors and their communities. In many congregations and homes across this great land, people also set aside time to pray for our nation and those entrusted with authority, including our elected leaders.

In my travels, I often see hand-printed signs and personal messages from citizens that carry words of prayer. Sometimes it's a single little girl holding up a placard that reads: “Mr. President, be encouraged, you are prayed for.” Sometimes it's a banner held by a group of young people that says, "We are praying for you, Mr. President." I often hear similar words when I meet people on a rope line. Isn't that interesting -- you're working a rope line and people come up and say, “Mr. President, I am praying for you and your family.” The greatest gift a citizen of this country can give those of us entrusted with political office is to pray for us. And I thank those in our nation who lift all of us up in prayer.
--George W. Bush, February 1, 2007


Do you agree with the President that we are a nation that prays? What evidence have you seen to show that this is true? Or not? Does your family take time every day to pray for the President?

It’s a great week for football fans! Two terrific teams will meet in Miami, FL and will play what everyone hopes is a thrilling game of football before tens of thousands of fans in the arena and millions more on television. The SuperBowl is one of the biggest events in the life of Americans—in the world, for that matter—generating billions of dollars for sponsors, players, the city and its vendors who will help to host all the fans.

There’s something else that takes place during the SuperBowl, and some people have no idea it is happening. Others are quite aware. It’s the testimony to the power and love of God in Jesus Christ as shown by players, coaches, fans and others!

SuperBowl coaches Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith are godly men who put their families first and give God the glory for everything. Photos courtesy of the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears.

SuperBowl LXI is a history-making one in many ways! Both coaches, Tony Dungy of the Indianapolis Colts and Lovie Smith of the Chicago Bears, are African-Americans, sharing the honor of being the first black head coaches to be in the SuperBowl. They are also good friends who have worked together. Their interpersonal coaching styles—combining clean living, soft-spoken instruction and a calm demeanor on the sidelines—are very similar. Perhaps best of all, both men are sincere Christians! They live out their faith unapologetically before owners, players and fans alike.

Every NFL coach wants to take his team to the SuperBowl, but for these two men, the honor is perhaps a bit sweeter. Following the Colts’ win over the New England Patriots, Tony Dungy explained, saying, “The Lord set this up in a way that no one would believe it.” Acknowledging that the path to the SuperBowl had not been without challenges he said, “The Lord tested us a lot this year, but He set this up to get all the glory.”

Tony Dungy and Payton Manning celebrated after the Colts’ AFC championship. Dungy later talked with his friend Lovie Smith. The two history-making coaches will meet in this weekend’s SuperBowl. Photo courtesy of the NFL.

Throughout his many years in football, Tony Dungy says he has seen has seen some men succumb to the temptations of fame and fortune. But he humbly acknowledges that he spurns those attractions. “Christ has shown me that athletics is a vehicle, a tool, but it has to be used to build My Kingdom,” he says.

Of their mutual philosophy, Dungy says, "I really wanted to show people you can win all kinds of ways. I always coached the way I've wanted to be coached. I know Lovie has done the same thing. For guys to have success where it maybe goes against the grain, against the culture ... I know I probably didn't get a couple of jobs in my career because people could not see my personality or the way I was going to do it ... For your faith to be more important than your job, for your family to be more important than that job ... We all know that's the way it should be, but we're afraid to say that sometimes. Lovie's not afraid to say it and I'm not afraid to say it."

Coach Lovie Smith points the way to Jesus for those who are interested. Photo courtesy of the Chicago Bears.

Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith is also outspoken about his belief in Jesus Christ. He says that he relies on his faith, which was cultivated in him during his childhood. "Everything that I am is based on my faith. It has been a big part of me," he says. "At a young age, I called on God to help me, and He was there as a comfort for me. That is something that I have leaned on ever since."

Both men put their faith and their family ahead of football. “You have to keep your priorities straight. I know Tony has his priorities straight.” About his Christian faith, Smith says, “It’s a must. It’s a long year. You go through so many emotions during the course of a year with people criticizing you.” Explaining how his faith anchors him through the ups and downs of football, Smith says, “You have to be a rock. You have to stick with what you believe, to be a calming presence.”

Lovie Smith says that prayer is definitely part of his life. He explains how going into the final playoff game “One of my prayers was for us to win.” But the next thing he thought of was to cheer on his friend Tony! He says, “We were blessed to win. Right after that we got to a TV they were behind. So I prayed. We prayed. And when they won, I called Tony right away.”

And the results? The whole nation is being treated a powerful story of two great, influential men. We’re watching as God honors them for their efforts to honor Him. And no matter who wins and who loses, the trophy will be held by a decent, godly African-American, and that is extraordinary, indeed.


With all the media attention both coaches are getting this week, do you think it takes an extra dose of courage for Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith to share their faith in Jesus? Would you be able to do the same? Do you pray for your opponent when you enter a sports contest?

Meet Young Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon was only a kid when God began using him to bring many, many lives to Jesus Christ! His life is a testament to the fact that God uses kids to accomplish His Kingdom purposes. Photo courtesy of spurgeon.org.

Have you ever heard of Charles Spurgeon? If you haven’t, it’s time you did! He was one of the most popular preachers of the last part of the 19th century—about 1850 to 1900. His sermons and books continue to influence people today, making him one of the most widely published pastors of all time. But Charles wasn’t always a popular preacher! He was once a kid, just like you! We’ll take a look at his life to see the cool ways God used this lad, from the time he was a teen until his untimely death at age 57.

Charles was born on June 19, 1854. When he was very young, he was sent to live with his grandparents—devoted and godly people. His grandfather was a preacher and much later in life, Charles and he would preach together, sharing a topic and encouraging each other to mention specific illustrations. Charles was very bright with a good memory and a great imagination. He often read Scripture for family devotions.

Charles was paid by his grandfather for catching rats. Have you ever made money that way? He preferred to recite hymns from memory for his grandmother…something she also paid him for!

Once when he was a boy, Charles’ grandmother promised him a penny for every hymn of Isaac Watts he could repeat perfectly for her. He was so good at this that his grandmother had to cut the offer to a half penny—and Charles still came out ahead! Soon his grandfather had his own financial incentive for Charles. Their home had too many rats, so Charles was offered a shilling for every dozen rats he caught. Rat-catching took over and Charles made even more money. But later in life he said that learning the hymns profited him most because he would often use them in his sermons. He rarely forgot anything.

You might think it was just a natural thing that he would become a Christian, but he didn’t. In fact, as a teen, Charles was very burdened and worried about his sins because he thought he had a bigger load of sin to deal with than other kids. He wanted a real experience with God. He searched for it so diligently that he went to every church in town!

We don’t know what Charles Spurgeon’s schoolhouse looked like—it might have looked something like this one. Photo courtesy of gordonstainforth.co.uk.

Charles was such a fine student that he changed schools in order to find a more challenging learning environment. At about age 11 he won an academic contest and was awarded a very special natural history book that he cherished all his life. Young Charles attended school long before schoolhouses had any kind of central heat. Always at the top of his class, one term his grades suddenly began to decline. Mystified, his teacher finally realized that Charles’ seat was far from the wood-burning stove and quite near a drafty door. When the teacher changed Charles’ seat, he quickly rose to the top of his class again.

All through Charles’ teen years, he was troubled by all kinds of spiritual questions. How could he find peace with God? How could he be set free from the sins that so burdened him? How could he really know God? Young Charles was on a desperate search for answers to these and so many questions. He felt such a strong desire to belong to God, yet at the same time he was completely overwhelmed by his own sins. Even though he knew the truth of the Word and was surrounded by godly, loving people, his heart was burning to know God personally and to find himself at home with Him! During this period in his life he said:

I cried to God with groanings—I say it without exaggeration—groanings that cannot be uttered! And oh, how I sought, in my poor dark way, to overcome first one sin and then another, and so to do better, in God's strength, against the enemies that assailed me, and not, thank God, altogether without success, though still the battle had been lost unless He had come who is the Overcomer of sin and the Deliverer of His people, and had put the hosts to flight.

Charles Spurgeon found Christ in a small chapel on a snowy January morning. Do you remember where you were when you came to faith in Jesus? Photo courtesy of wishfulthinking.org.

Charles was so desperate to find God, he decided to visit every church in his town. One January Sunday morning he awoke to cold temperatures and a gathering snowstorm. He prayed and read the Scriptures and still found no peace in his heart. The storm prevented him from going to the church he’d planned to visit and he stepped into the Primitive Methodist Chapel instead. Only a handful of worshipers had gathered in the little church, and a lay preacher was standing in for the regular pastor. His text was from Isaiah 45:22: Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else.

Though the preacher was uneducated and not articulate, his message hit home and bored into young Charles’ heart. The preacher looked right at Charles and said, "Young man, you look very miserable." Though he had never had a preacher speak to him from the pulpit in this way, the words hit home. The preacher kept on, "You always will be miserable—miserable in life and miserable in death if you don't obey my text; but if you obey now, this moment you will be saved." He raised his hands and shouted, "Young man, look to Jesus Christ! Look! Look! Look! You have nothin' to do but to look and live." This was Charles’ moment of truth! When the preacher said, “Look,” he new he had found what he was looking for! Charles said, “I thought I could dance all the way home."

This began a new life for young Spurgeon. And the freedom he now felt as he considered his relationship with God would fuel his powerful ministry of preaching and social action for decades. When Charles got home that Sunday morning, his mother took one look at him and said, "Something wonderful has happened to you." The young boy who had searched so hard for peace with God would now embark on his own search for souls, and he would.

Young Charles Spurgeon began preaching shortly after he came to faith in Jesus. Even though he was just a kid, his preaching made quite an impact on others. God uses kids just the same way He uses grownups! It makes no difference to Him. Image courtesy of spurgeon.org.

Charles knew that he wanted to do something for Christ Jesus. He shared the Gospel on the street and started a Sunday School class. When he was just 17, he was called to be the pastor of a local chapel. His preaching was powerful and made an impact on everyone who heard him. At age 19 he was called to be pastor of New Park Street Church in London, a congregation with about 200 people. By age 20, he was called the “Boy Wonder” of England. When he was just 23, he preached to over 23,000 in one service. God was using Charles to turn many lives to Jesus Christ! Everyone just knew he was a man of God who was preaching with a blessing from God!

As soon as he began his preaching ministry, the crowds at the church grew. They grew so rapidly that the congregation had to move to another location and add on to their church. People were praying and worshiping and growing in their love for the Lord. Sounds pretty great, doesn’t it! Not bad for a teenage preacher!

This engraving shows what the streets of London looked like about the time Charles arrived there. He began preaching while still a teen, and soon thousands were coming to hear the Good News of Jesus. Image courtesy of the BBC.

Charles was especially well known for preaching about heaven and hell—he wanted people to repent from their sins and come to Christ. Once they came to Christ, however, he urged them to grow. Spurgeon preached on every aspect of the Christian life and his messages really hit home with people. He didn’t hold back on the message he knew God was calling him to proclaim. His extraordinary memory enabled him to recall words and details and to quote lines from all kinds of sources. But he was also practical with a concern for all believers to grow in their faith.

Charles Spurgeon preached often on prayer. It was very important to him, because he knew it is vital to the Christian! Here are two quotes in which he speaks of prayer. Read them and see what you think.

Mind how you pray. Make real business of it. Let it never be a dead formality...plead the promise in a truthful, business-like way...Ask for what you want, because the Lord has promised it. Believe that you have the blessing, and go forth to your work in full assurance of it. Go from your knees singing, because the promise is fulfilled: thus will your prayer be answered...the strength [not length] of your prayer...wins...God; and the strength of prayer lies in your faith in the promise which you pleaded before the Lord.
--C.H. Spurgeon

Prayer is a telephone by which God speaks in man. His heaven is far away, but his voice sounds in our soul. Prayer is a phonograph: God speaks into our soul, and then our soul speaks out again what the Lord has spoken. Conversation must always be two-sided. God speaketh to us in this book- we must reply to him in prayer and praise.
--C.H. Spurgeon, May 5, 1878

A phonograph is like a record player or CD player…it plays songs that have been previously recorded and stored. Do you understand how prayer can be like a phonograph? Spurgeon says God speaks into our soul and we, in turn, share what He has spoken to us. Neat, huh? Communicating with God is wonderful. Image courtesy of MIT.

QUESTION 1

Charles Spurgeon searched so very hard for a relationship with God because...

QUESTION 2

Why did Charles decide to visit every church in his town?

QUESTION 3

Who was the preacher who led Charles Spurgeon to Christ?

QUESTION 4

Why did Charles go to London at the age of 19?

QUESTION 5

What happened when Charles came to London?

QUESTION 6

Mind how you pray. Make real business of it. Let it never be a dead formality...plead the promise in a truthful, business-like way...Ask for what you want, because the Lord has promised it. Believe that you have the blessing, and go forth to your work in full assurance of it. Go from your knees singing, because the promise is fulfilled: thus will your prayer be answered...the strength [not length] of your prayer...wins...God; and the strength of prayer lies in your faith in the promise which you pleaded before the Lord.
--C.H. Spurgeon

Read again the first quote from Charles Spurgeon. Which of the following best explains what Charles Spurgeon says in these words?

QUESTION 7

Read again the second quote from Charles Spurgeon.
Prayer is a telephone by which God speaks in man. His heaven is far away, but his voice sounds in our soul. Prayer is a phonograph: God speaks into our soul, and then our soul speaks out again what the Lord has spoken. Conversation must always be two-sided. God speaketh to us in this book- we must reply to him in prayer and praise.
--C.H. Spurgeon, May 5, 1878

Which of the following sentences best explains what Spurgeon is trying to say?

We hope you’ve learned a lot from the lives of the wonderful, influential people we’ve looked at this week. Though they lived in completely different eras and different cultures, Tony Dungy, Lovie Smith and Charles Spurgeon are all making a huge impact for Jesus Christ. God is so great and creative and wise in how He reaches people with His love! Whether it’s a childhood quest for a penny or the burning desire to win football games, God can and will, use anything for His Kingdom! We also learned that God reaches out to everyone, even kids like Charles Spurgeon and Lovie Smith, and He uses kids to do great big things in His Kingdom. And He might be calling you to share the good news. Who knows, maybe some day you will preach to millions. Or maybe you’ll just share your faith in Jesus with the kids on your team. Just remember, you are a person of influence to everyone around you!