Pray for France, but how?

After Friday’s cowardly attack by faithful disciples of Islam, we have been asked to pray.  But what are we supposed to pray?  I have heard some pretty inane prayers.  Generally, it has been a vague petition for God to bless the people of Paris or France.  What do we mean by that? 

Are we supposed to ask God to protect those who are lukewarm toward Him from those who are driven my demonically twisted concepts of Him?  To be sure Islam is wrong and those who practice Islam, in whatever form, are lost until they come to faith in Jesus Christ.  But they are neither more nor less lost than those who are indifferent toward God.  The non-believer who wants nothing more than to be left alone and allowed to pursue a life of pleasure and self-satisfaction is in no better condition spiritually than the Islamist that is prepared to die a martyr. 

The West has already lost to Islam, unless and until, we reject a worldview that is godless and morally uncertain.  It is impossible for the inherent weakness produced by post-modern thought and political correctness to be able to stand against the misguided moral certainty of Islam.  In the West, we do not know what is right or wrong, we can’t clearly define marriage; we are not even sure what is male and female.   While leaders of Islam are contemplating world conquest, our President is concerned with the dressing room situation for one terribly confused child in IL.   If post-modern thought is correct, then the attackers in Paris cannot be condemned.  Political correctness only works in polite society.  It only works in a culture where you can, if you choose, be stupid.  It will work as long as the culture at large has the moral foundation to protect you while you are being an idiot.  In other words, the politically correct are doomed in any society other than a Christian worldview.

If we wish to condemn the actions of this weekend’s assault, then on what basis do we bring that condemnation?  On shared human values?  Political correctness says you cannot impose your values on a person or a group.  Do we condemn them because they broke some moral law?  What moral law?  The attackers were consistent with the teachings of the Koran.  If we say what they did is wrong, we must appeal to a lawgiver who has the authority to speak with finality.  That is the one thing that a post-modern, politically correct understanding of the universe cannot allow.

The very thing that can allow a society to rise up against the moral malignancy of Fascism, Nazism, Communism, or Islam is the one thing that western democracies are incapable of using.

As I look at Isaiah 8-10, I see that God used a wicked people to bring judgment and to awaken Israel from her moral slumber.  I don’t believe that the preservation of Western Democracy is very high on God’s priority list; however, I do believe that repentance is very near the top of that list.  So then, in answer to the question how do we pray for France and all nations, for that matter, I believe our prayer should be something like this:

Almighty God,

By Your mercy and grace, use these circumstances to awaken us to our need for a true, heart felt, and lasting repentance.  Use the pain of this moment to cause us to turn to You and by Your grace draw us to You.  Help us Lord, our God to surrender to You our rights, our will, and our control, and give ourselves over to You completely.

In the Name of the only One who gave Himself completely to your will,

Jesus Christ

Amen.