I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings and queens and those in authority. (1 Timothy 2:1-2a)
I just did a little semi-scientific analysis of my TV:
- I have access to a whopping 634 channels. The number that offer “Christian” programming: a grand total of 6 (a little under 1%).
- The number of porn channels: 15 (more than double the number of “Christian” channels).
- The percentage of “Christian” programming that is both (a) biblically sound and (b) capable of holding the attention of the average human being longer than 5 seconds: approximately .000001%.
- The ratio of the number of profane references to God and/or Jesus compared to the number of appropriate mentions: approximately 8,752,486,193 to 1.
- The percentage of Christian characters on TV shows who are shown in a positive light: too small to count.
I found myself wanting to hop in my car, drive to Hollywood and pummel everyone I could find. But then I remembered the above verse.
Who does God want us to pray for? Everyone.
Why? That answer comes a few verses after those quoted above: “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:3-4)
So, don’t hate, ridicule or pummel celebrities — pray for ‘em. In many ways they are the ”kings and queens” of today and wield tremendous authority whether we like it or not.
If you need help getting started, here are two web sites devoted to this very cause: Hollywood Prayer Network and Christian Spotlight on Entertainment. Celebrities in the prayer spotlight include Justin Bieber, Tom Cruise and Keira Knightley. Pray for ‘em!
(Photo credit: Dan Breckwoldt / Shutterstock.com)
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