Dear President-elect. Trump,

Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. (Revelation 1:4-5)

You are in my prayers, Mr. Trump. Beginning the morning of November 9, I added you to my daily prayers as I have added every president who has served since I was ordained. I hold the Office of President of the United States of America in highest esteem and respect. As you prepare to take the solemn oath of office, I prepare to receive you as my president and to be open to your leadership. Each day will begin with your name on my lips. Some of the petitions offered for you are the same I have uttered for George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama.

• I will pray each day that you be empowered to personally earn the trust and respect granted to the office.
• I will pray the weight of the office not overwhelm you, but will shape you and mold you.
• I will pray you lead this nation and its people in paths of justice and peace.
• I will pray for you to open your heart and mind to wisdom and love of God.

Because every president’s time in office is particular to time and place in history, I will also offer prayers sensitive to the events and struggles of the world. To begin:

• I will pray that your leadership seek to heal and unite a nation deeply divided over politics, race, the place and role of women, the wealthy and poor, and a host of other issues that cannot be ignored if we are to stay together.
• I will pray that your desire to make our nation rise to a better expression of itself can bear fruit in ways that are healthy and good for all people.

Mr. Trump, I am sure you realize that your campaign and election delights the people who supported you. Your rhetoric and actions mobilized people who heard you saying things they always kept to themselves. I am sure you also realize that that same language and alienated many. You are now president of all the people.

I pledge that when you are able to lead us to being better people and a more vibrant nation, I will celebrate your leadership. I also pledge that if your campaign rhetoric moves toward becoming reality, I will be a most vocal and active critic and opponent. Based on my Christian faith and my holy vows, I will not support the exclusion of and discrimination against Muslims or any group based on religion. I will not support the mass deportation of aliens living in the land. I will not support or tolerate the disrespect, abuse, objectification or denigration of women. I will fight for the poor and hungry, call upon the wealthy to do and pay more and advocate for the sharing of wealth across the income spectrum in a way that is just. I will speak against the sin of racism and work to bridge the racial gap in any way I can. These are promises that rise from the Christian faith and I will stand together with many who share these commitments. I pray that you will make the same commitments so that we can share the movement of God to a future that will reflect a world of life as it is revealed in Jesus Christ.

May God bless and keep you, Mr. Trump. I will be praying for you, our nation and the reign of God to enfold us all.

In Christ,

Pastor Timothy V. Olson

© 2016 Timothy V. Olson. All rights reserved.