I'm not sure there is anything the governor could have done in the time it took to issue a call to prayer that wasn't already being done. And in time of crisis, like 9/11 or Hurricane Katrina or anything else of such a devastating magnitude, there are many of us who find a call to prayer as recognizing that there are more needs than just the material "down-to-earth" ones. The provision of material needs tells me that my leaders are aware of shortages and doing their job to meet them. The call to prayer tells me that the leaders' hearts are with me as well.
Brad
P.S. Regarding the eficacy of prayer, for reasons we may not know, God doesn't always say "yes" to everything we ask, but that's a subject for another list.
Paul Finkelman wrote on 09/01/2005 01:26:54 PM:
> One might think that instead of spending time issuing calls for
> prayer, the governor would focus on more down-to-earth matters. The
> call for prayers also of course raises a different practial
> question. When I moved to Oklahoma the state was in the middle of
> huge drought, with no rain for months. Rather than call for water
> conservation, the governor called on everyone to pray for rain the
> next Sunday (apparently the Gov. did not think God heard the prayers
> of Jews, Moslems, or Adventists). Despite the huge humber of
> churches in this state, and I presume many prayers for rain, there
> was no rain and the drought continued. So miuch for the efficacy of
> prayer.! I suspect that our many friends in Louisian and
> Mississippi would rather have bottled water or another bus to get
> out of the city than prayers.
>
> Paul Finkelman
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