Our prayer- To be faithful and bless God

To the editor:

Lately I've noticed area sports teams pray for specific success. A few weeks ago, I overheard on victorious team say, "God blessed us with the win." Did that mean God was not blessing the other team?

We pray "God bless America" in our war on terrorism. We also proudly promote bumper stickers with the same slogan. Does that mean when our armed forces made a successful hit on Afghanistan -- destroying military installations, neighborhoods, military personnel and civilians -- that God was on our side? Does it mean that when we lose precious American life and equipment that God is blessing the terrorists?

There is no doubt we all want God to be on our side. However, for those who claim to be God's children -- Muslim, Jew or Christian -- the issue is not whether God is blessing us, but whether we are blessing God. The issue is not whether God is on our side, but whether we are on God's side. That means placing God before all others, including self.

May our prayers never be for God to bless us alone, but that we will be faithful to bless God and to pray for God's will that we be one, as Jesus prayed: "Protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one." (John 17:11)

DR. JAY WHITE

Pastor

First Baptist Church

Cape Girardeau