Obama's Prayer at the Western Wall

Well, I don't think that people 'whacked Bush' for asking to BE an instrument of God's will. It was for claiming he already WAS an instrument of God's will.

Other than that, as an atheist, don't really consider myself a good source for 'prayer critique'.

I can't believe that someone would accuse a person of having his speechwriter place a prayer in the Western Wall ? What is this world coming to that even a prayer has to be scrutinized? Cheryl R., you should be ashamed of yourself. Maybe, just maybe, the prayer came from Mr. Obama's heart..Maybe just maybe this person whom liberals call too centrist and conservatives call too liberal is just a soul trying to serve God the best he can according to his gifts and his lights. And my guess is that Mr. Mc Cain is trying to do that as well. The psalmist asks God to "harden not our hearts"--Cheryl R., look to Scripture, meditate on those words and try to open your heart to the grace that will help you see that not all politicians are calculating and Godless...

I think the prayer is pretty generic. I think Obama assumed someone would read it.

On the matter of removing it from the wall and publishing it. I though this was something you didn't do. Or is it ok because he isn't jewish and he is a political figure. I feel it should never have been read and published.

Quick question for anyone to answer:

Are the "Wailing Wall" and the "Western Wall" different names for the same place ... or are they different places. In my post of 2:29 PM, I kept referring to the place as the "Wailing Wall" but now I notice that the news stories referred to the "Western Wall."

Would appreciate some kind guidance on this matter. Note: I've never been to Jerusalem.

It's a fine prayer.

1. Why would a seminary student steal his prayer? Wouldn't he of all people know that's a no-no? Wouldn't someone see him?

2. Why didn't that student try to make any money off of it? He sent it to multiple newspapers, one didn't print it, so I assume he just alerted a few news sources saying "lookey here".

3. """""
"These posters were his campaign and not the doing of the police," said Rosenfeld, whose police department coordinated security and provided protection for Obama's visit today to the holy site.
....
"The kids waiting for Obama may not even be Obama supporters. No one knew Obama was coming in advance. We saw the police barricades erected. We saw Obama's face on the posters, and some police said Obama was on his way. So a few people gathered by the barricades and waited for Obama," said the witness.
""""""
wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=70454

4. Obama likes to keep above the dirt, but his campaign team is one of the dirtiest ever. There is a war for media and I wouldn't put it past his campaign to leak this.

You're using Obama's private prayer to God as a means to divide Christians along political lines?

Shame on you, but you know that.

Praying at the Wall is an incredible experience. Most likely, the prayer was a compilation of Obama's personal thoughts, recommendations of his advisors, and St, Francis of Assisi ("Lord, make me an instrument of peace on earth...") I think it is disgusting that a prayer of any kind from anyone was taken from the Wall. That is a desecration of the Wall itself. Shame on the college students wo took advantage. Any prayers left at the Wall are between the individual and G-d. However, Obama most likely suspected that somehow some would grab it and have it published.

I forget if the students were paid for the note. If they were, they are not only desecrators but ganifs. SHAME!

p.s. Did Obama were a yamulke? A tallis? A fringed undershirt? A fur hat and black coat? Did he daven?

It really makes no difference who puts a prayer into the Wall...famous or non-famous...no one has the right to take it out. It is a sacred location and the prayers that are inserted into it should be known only to the author and his/her God.

It was totally wrong and disrespectful for the person who removed it to do so. AND the paper that didn't have the courtesy to not print it obviously has no respect for the tradition of privacy about the Wall either. At least one paper refused to print it.

The prayer sounds sincere to me. I do agree that it was innappropriate to remove it& give it to the media. Kudos to the paper who had the decency not to print it.

This is for "Reaganite" :

The media has done nothing but parse every word Sen. Obama has uttered since he began his race for the White House. Even today clowns like Rush Limbaugh have made fun of Sen. Obama and his use of the phrase "Citizen of the World" ( used also by Pres. Reagan..among others)...Scott McClenathan admitted today that the Bush White House used Fox News as its talking head. I think there have been biases on both "sides".
Sen. Obama has not excoriated Sen. Mc Cain the way the Republicans ( and Mc Cain) have done to him--smear campaigns, false e-mails about his religion, etc. Why isn't the media going after Mc Cain's religious beliefs ? The fact that he left his wife to pursue Cindy seems to be overlooked in the "Christian values" discussion.And yet, if Sen. Obama had done the same thing , FoxNews, et al. would have been down his throat. I always believed that Christians should treat each other with respect and that our role is not to destroy our opponent but to show ourselves to be fair and trustworthy. I am waiting for Sen. Mc Cain to drop the neo-con method of destroy and conquer and to adopt an approach which will help us all to see whether he can capably lead our one nation under God.

I am not an Obama fan but do think he has been unjustly exploited in the publishing of his prayer..People who would use this as an instrument to critize him is not showing a Christian attitude..I am not surprised....Americans have hit a new low in morals...Politics is a dirty game...I am truly sorry his prayer was used against him...
It is sad the media has fallen so low...

What a disgusting piece of anti-christian trash you people are. Stealing and criticizing a man's prayer.

That is beneath despicable.

I think that it is seriously inappropriate for someone to take Obama's personal prayer, and then, for a any type of media outlet to publish it.

But then I also believe that Obama did that as a show. His entire trip has been a circus to grab attention. Everything he's done has been done so that everyone would see the fabulous Barack Obama in all his glory. I believe that he was counting on it getting removed and published. It wouldn't suprise me if the entire thing was orchestrated.

I certainly don't know the condition of Obama's soul, or his personal spirituality, but he really doesn need God's help in some of those areas he prayed about, such as "pride." His over-inflated ego and sense of self-worth certainly need God's hand. And is Obama going to follow God's leading when God instructs him to get rid of Roe v. Wade and shows him that it's just plain murder? Is he going to have the guts to do that?

Much to America's shame, I certainly do believe that he will become our next President. Maybe the prayers at the Western Wall should be for US, and not him.

Larry, this has nothing to do with being anti-Christian. And who are you referring to when you say "you people?" This was a publicity stunt and I agree with Steve's comment that the whole thing was probably orchestrated. The person we should be condemning is the college student who removed the prayer from the Wall. That is sacreligious in and of itself. The editor who decided to publish it should also be castigated.

I think it shows the very values that should matter to america Family,Strength,Wisdom this is a prayer i could see any american making to any diety christian or otherwise to me it seems the very typical prayer but one thats speaks leaps and bounds for his character and morality note he did not ask for victory in the election or sucess of any kind or fame or glory he asks to protect his family and to guide him in his life what more or less would you have expected from a man when he is praying? It was wrong to publish his prayer but it gives me hope for america to know that our values are present in a presidential canidate it would not have mattered to me if he is islamic hindu or wiccan if a prayer like this was made it would give me hope for a better future for all of us.

While it probably is hypocritical for someone claiming to be Jewish to print this prayer, I'm not Jewish, and I'm OK with discussing it--and isn't this precisely the kind of prayer you'd want from your President? We can pray for ourselves, he can pray for himself. I don't want my President handing off his duties upstairs or acting on the advice God uniquely speaks to him (like Bush), but I am comfortable with his praying for forgiveness and for his family. Unless you are an atheist, how on earth can you find fault with that?

Hey, I'm an atheist and I don't see anything wrong with it.

He didn't say he WAS doing God's will, or he even knew God's will, etc. He didn't proclaim it publicly, as if that were a campaign point, or to contrast that unique position (being the conduit of God's desires) but put it in a private prayer where others did the same.

And THAT is a key difference.

I am embarrassed and ashamed that a personal prayer was stolen.

Christian would of put in the name of Jesus so I think he knew it would be read and didn't want to offend anyone as most fake (christian's) would do. He's not real a real Christian but wants to use it to his benefit. Either say I'm a Christian and live by what Jesus said or be a hypocrite like he is.

Nobody has any damned business presuming to fisk another's prayer. And nobody has any damned business presuming to attribute base motives to another. And I don't have any damned business reading unmitigated horses##t like this hideous blog. First time and last time for me. And may God have mercy on your smug and shriveled soul, Steven Waldman.

Has anyone reported how soon after Obama left that people were rumaging through the wall to find his prayer? Weren't there any religious observers there to try and stop this desecration? It can't help but make one wonder if this was another political ploy.

You're worse the a'hole who stole it in the first place. He, at least, didn't make it public. He simply gave you the opportunity to make a poor decision, and you leaped on it. You should be ashamed.

Dave,

Many Christians refer to Jesus as "Lord"...They did during Scriptural times and they do now.

I think it was a standard prayer that doesn't need further scrutiny, AND needs to be returned to the place that he put it.

i bet he expected his prayer to be read.

"Liberals used to whack Bush for making comments like this."

But he wasn't making a comment, was he? He was praying to his god.

You think it's okay to steal prayers to god and make them available on the Internet, huh? What would Jebus think of that?

Steve Waldman,

Thanks, but no thanks for this post. I must confess that I'm totally disappointed w/ this post of yours. Not only did you publish Obama's prayer, you even went on to analyze the prayer line-by-line. This is not good and I hope you will desist from such downing activities. You can root for your candidate, but please don't destroy the other candidate, while rooting for yours. It is unfortunate that our political climate as defined by Karl Rove and George W. Bush is more personalized than issue-rized. In what way has this post contributed to the reduction of gas cost, the home foreclosures, etc. All our politics do these day is find faults in people and put the core issues plaguing Americans in the back burner. This is pathetic -

Obama is not Jesus, he is as flawed as anyone of us as depicted in his prayer. That's why I am voting for him. I will be surprised if he is so clean w/o issues. For those who wants a perfect and experienced president, look where the experienced and perfect president/candidates Bush/McCain have taken us to - Today, we have home foreclosures, economy almost in a recession, a war in IRAQ that cost about $12billion a month, we are now in debt and borrowing money from China, etc. I strongly believe
we are the smartest nation on earth, but seems to me we lack the talent to choose a good leader and articles and post like these simply vindicates my position.

talking about over analyzing!
Give the guy a break!!!

@Barny Ardmare,

Is there anything Obama does that makes sense to your type. If he had prayed differently you would have attacked him. Now he prays for his family and wisdom and you say it publicity stunt, Steve challenged Obama for asking for forgiveness of sins by saying: "Note he did not pray for world peace or an end to poverty. He prayed for personal redemption." How exactly do your type people analyze issues? All that Obama does is fraud, stunt, etc. But if it were McCain's it's OK and fine. It was for this very reason that I left the Republican Party after 20 years of being a loyal Republican. Until we stop looking at issues from a party perspective and start being objective in our dealings, we will not make the fundamental progress as a nation we crave for. It's amazing that in the United States of the 21st Century, he are still struggling with gothic prejudices and will not re-orient our thought patterns to take up the challenges of the millennium... This is pathetic, but also very troubling...

Can't the man simply pray? Good grief! Talking about who not to trust...

Isn't Bush a republican? Lol! He's sure not a democrat. crack me up saying don't trust democrats. Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty? Obama has a right to pray if he wants to. What about the other millions of Jews from all over the world who pray at that wall? Are they praying for publicity too? A true relationship with God will be public at times. I believe his prayer was short, sweet, and sincere.

See but these prayer haters don't understand a concept like that because they'd rather support and jeff with an idiot who almost sent our country into a second great depression! He's got our soldiers dying for this nations thieveries, he's got our economy screwed up, and his "ban oil drilling in america plan" has gas prices through the roof! Out with, and in with a change!

On the behalf of Obama, don't hate, congradulate!
Bigg Shepp

I wonder what power does to a person.

It seems as if this prayer is addressing the issue of power.

Wasn't Obama meeting with powerful people? Hasn't he found that many people here and abroad see him as a catalyst for change and renewal of the American presidency?

Hmmmm....I think I would be praying too.

Praying for protection. For a pure heart. For a clear mind, wisdom, a right attitude. For love of mercy and just action and a humble walk with my God.

Obama's prayer is a prayer of humility.

His prayer was stuck in a the Western Wall, holy place. It should have remained there.

Who is in the wrong? The man who prayed the prayer and placed it in a sacred place--though that prayer was removed and put on public display--or those of us who have read the prayer, thus condoning an act of spiritual sacrilege by a media that chose to print it?

In this case, is the public's right to know more important than the candidate's right to privacy? I think not. In fact, this prayer is not a political issue per se. It is not our issue. It is neither partisan nor bi-partisan. We remember what prayer is, right? We remember what religious freedom is, correct? (It does not matter where we Americans are in this world; our beliefs in our freedoms are constant.)

This is a faith issue...a prayer written by Obama, a matter between him and God. Let's end our part in the issue. We have no part in in. Unless, of course, we are not patriots.

I think Steve Waldman should be praying "forgive me my sins" for being such a piece of crap as to publish and analyze a man's prayer.

Really - don't you have ANY standards or ANY decency?

Isn’t this a website of faith, religion, and inspiration? What gives you the right to judge? Why are you invading Mr. Obama's privacy and scrutinizing his prayer to God? You are no better than the news media or the person who stole the prayer.

Let’s look at this at a different angle. If he asks God to guide him to do what is RIGHT and JUST, won’t that affect his leadership if he becomes our new president? Asking for protection of his family shows that he has his priorities in order....GOD...FAMILY...WORK. What gives you the right to judge his prayer intentions as being selfish?

I have not even decided who I will vote for in November, so I am not writing this because I am Democrat or Republican. I am writing this because I think this article is hypocritical. How sad.

[Isn’t this a website of faith, religion, and inspiration?]

The problem is that beliefnet is now owned by Rupert Murdoch, a man who worships Mammon, and who HAS no genuine beliefs, beyond fattening his own wallet.

You can't serve God and Mammon.

Pastor Peggy D. Farris: "Personally, I am praying for Obama, Pastor Peggy"

Pastor Peggy, I am with you on this all the way. I am praying for Obama ... and voting for McCain.

Mr. Obama: Who Lord are you referring to? Is it the true God of Abraham, Isaac and Jabob?

Shame on you for publishing Mr. Obama's private prayer on this web site.

I believe that we need to “fisk” you and your intentions to scrutinize a personal message between a human being and his creator.

regards,
Patrick A.

It's a shame when your own personal prayers aren't personal anymore. I hope the guys that took the prayer off the wall have enough respect (at least for the Lord) to put it back.

Which God is he referring to? Even the terrorists who flew the planes into the trade center thought they were acting for GOD.

I believe most people who are even remotely familiar with Judaism, Israel and the Western Wall, would know that all people who write a prayer to insert in the Wall's crevices expect that the prayer is between him/her and God, and NOT for publication.
I expect more of Beliefnet than this; I've been using Beliefnet for a long time, and this is the first time I've been disappointed in you for something you've published. What's worst is that you didn't even ask Mr. Obama's permission to publish it. I'm sure he knows what you've done by now, and he deserves a public apology on your site!

In continuing to read the comments, I am surprised by the need to find someone to slash out at. I am not concerned if Mr. Obama's light has shown him aspects of God from a slightly different hew than mine. I think of God (if I may use a metaphor) like a beautiful cut diamond. Depending on where you are standing and the amount of light around you, you are going to pick up some absolutely awesome brilliance from the diamond that I myself might only glimpse or even perhaps never see.

We have the freedom of religion in this country, and I think while we may be zealous for our own, we must also be zealous for the right of others to believe as they will. If we cannot stand together on that basic American tenet, we are in trouble, I fear, as a country.

I agree that the prayer should be replaced in the wall out of respect.
I believe it should have stayed in the wall out of respect, and, regardless of how it was removed from the wall or for what reason, it should not have been printed for the same reason--respect of one's privacy.

Surely, if the prayer were posted for purely political reasons, Mr. Obama, who is a very motivational and inspirational speaker, could have written a more moving prayer--one that would have shaken the heavens and the earth, but, no, it really was rather basic. Some people are rather humble when looking into the "internal mirror." I would think that would be especially true of public figures whose privacy might indeed be invaded.

As I posted earlier, it is not for us to judge, though we are having a ball, aren't we? It is not our issue, but Obama's and God's.

Shalom. Peace be with you, now and forever.

Now to the point of the prayer itself. Sigh. It is so private and personal that it is kind of disgusting to even analyze it.

For those who don't know here is the prayer Obama wrote and was stolen for publication.

"Lord--Protect my family and me. Forgive me my sins, and help me guard against pride and despair. Give me the wisdom to do what is right and just. And make me an instrument of your will."
.. That is as good of a prayer as I've ever heard, does he have to pray for the country, our "allies" the democratic party etc to have a good prayer?

Besides, I would be far more worried about him being "An instrument of God's will." We could have a global genocidal flooding, or the massacre of innocent children or any of the other jealous, spiteful, aggressive and archaic things "God" does in the old testament.

CAMPAIGN STUNT!!!!!!!!!!

I read this as a sincere Christian prayer. I hope this forever lays to rest all that nonsense about Obama being a closet Muslim. Evidently, Obama intended his prayer to remain private (e.g., he did not sign it). But I believe whatever that college student or the newspaper may have meant for "evil", God meant for good. God allowed us a glimpse into Obama's otherwise private spiritual life. I am impressed by what I saw there. It is a beautiful prayer, and I'm tempted to print it on T-shirts! Jesus said that whoever acknowledges Him before men, He in turn acknowledges before his Heavenly Father. Obama has acknowledged Jesus before all of America (by openly proclaiming his Christianity); and God has now answered, by acknowledging Obama before the world (and from His holy land of Israel, no less!).

It is almost certain Obama planned for the release of this note, and it is quite likely he had help writing those words. He used the hotel stationary in lieu of a nondescript piece of paper, to ensure there could be no doubt of where the note came from. I'm surprised he didn't sign it, "your humble servant, Obama".

Brilliant campaign strategy though, I have to say. Obama has come off as the most arrogant candidate in years, and look what we have here. Oops, it's a secret prayer to God asking for help dealing with his humility problem. It was also "accidentally" released to the public for all to see. To top it off, now the press can make Obama look like the victim. How impossibly convenient.

A stunt like this is incredibly insulting to this sacred tradition, and for Obama to use this for his own political gain makes me sick. Every single dealing Obama has with religion can be traced back to politics.

Candidates tend to reflect a common thread among the people, and as such, Obama is punishment for OUR OWN arrogance as a nation. Maybe enough people will realize this and what it means before it is too late.

I think there's a huge difference between (privately) asking God to make you an instrument of his will and (publicly) professing to be an instrument of God's will.

I think it is disgusting that the sanctity of the Kotel (Western Wall) was breached by the college student. I am sure on Judgment Day G-d will discipline him.

It also saddens me that the newspaper reported it.

A persons personal communication with HaShem is not supposed to be broadcast to the world.

Barack Obama had every right to expect privacy in his kvittle (prayer request) at the Kotel. I doubt he supected that a college student in Israel would desecrate a sacred and holy place.

An unborn fetus is not a life. Jewish Law for the last 4000 years has recognized a life is not a life until it takes it's first breath or the breath of life.Abortion is not considered Murder under the Torah (5 books of Moses) or under the Talmud.

I do not think Barack Obama is G-d's choice for our president. I know that G-d did not choose George W. Bush. I also know that George W. Bush will answer to G-d on Judgement Day for all of the innocent lives he has caused to die in the last 8 years. I have no doubt G-d will judge Bush for not only the preventable deaths of the 9/11 victims but also for the Coalition forces killed in his war on terror and for the innocent women and children that have been murdered.

I WILL NOT vote OBAMA .I don't care for him AT ALL!
Plz listen to the Sean Hanity show.Mark Levin
www.seanhanity.com
www.themarklevinshow.com
and you will find out a lot of things.

Barack Obama's prayer reveals the quality of his heart, His prayer was sincere and summed up Leadership's strenths and weaknesses. We are grateful to GodAlmighty that Obama is not from the Black American tradition but is from the Immigrant African and White American tradition making him truly African American. He will be an instrument of God's will by do "what is right and Just" that is the standard of God's will; to be right and just. We thank that college student for stealing it out of the Western Wall for what was meant for mischief served goodness instead. Just as everything hurled against him during the Election will fail, why; because when YHWE is for you no one can prevail against you! Thank you for the opportunity to respond, one last note; in this modern time where information is literally at your fingertips it would behoove anyone who seeks truth to ascertain facts and not put yourself in the state of "IGNORANCE" for "IGNORING" facts and truth. Peace to ALL!

I DONT BELIEVE ANYTHING OBAMA SAYS. HE WAS CALLED CHARLITAN BY A FORMER SECRETARY STATE NOT COLIN POWELL. I CANT HELP THINKING THIS CONSPIRACY HAS BEEN IN THE WORKS A LONG TIME. HILLARY LOOKED LIKE A WINNER IN PRIMARY, WAS IT ACORN AND REST OF CHICAGO RADICALS WHO HATE THIS COUNTRY.THEY ARE ALL OBAMAS FRIENDS PROBABLY 4 YEARS AGO WHEN HE SPOKE AT DEM CONVENTION. WHAT REALLY ARE THEIR PLANS?, WHERE DID HE GET SO MUCH MONEY FOR CAMPAIGN. ARE WE IN FOR SOMETHING WORSE THAN 911? WHY IS MAINSTREEM MEDIA SO BIAS THEY ARE LIBERAQLS BUT I NEVER REALIZED THEY WERE SO LEFT WING IF DEMOCRATS GET THE 60 THEY NEED WE WONT HAVE A SAY IN OUR GOVT AND LIKE JOE THE PLUMBER WILL BE INVESTIGATED IF WE ASK ANY QUESTIONS. NAZI GERMANY, HERE WE COME

Prayer is what everyone of us does, in moments of need. All religions even the so called ethiests. So Obama not being appologetic about his faith says alot and myself being a believer in God who answers prayer. Obama is now the President of US and all we can do is wait to see righteous, justice and God's will prevail.

Obama could turn out to join the best thing that have happened to the world Ofcourse after Christ Jesus, then later then the likes of Mandela.

Obama, God bless you.

I pray for Obama.

Obama is a humble man and submissuve man and also pray for God's protection of his life and his family.

Obama More Grease To Your Elbow!