I remember working in a hospital...... that's a secular job.... right?
Ocassionally a patient would ask me to pray for them. The hospital had rules about even these request.... that we were supposed to be sensitive and inclusive of all religious beliefs. But I consider a request for prayer as a very personal request and never involved the hospital by bringing it up...other than the brief moment of my time with the patient while I was still on the clock. I always asked the patient and informed the patient of these things. I asked them if they wanted me to pray with them right then..... If the answer was yes...... and at first it surprised me that often it was afirmative..... Then I'd inform them that I was a Christian and I would be praying in Jesus name, so would that offend them? I never got a 'yes' answer from any who requested. We'd then talk about any particular concerns which they had and wished to include in the prayer..... then I'd pray sofly with them.... and depending upon how I felt led... might ask them if they wanted to join in to do so..... before I closed the prayer 'in the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.' I worked in an environment where I often felt I had offended this person or that person...employees..... but never had a complaint returned against me for having prayed with a patient.
As far as Palin's staff is concerned..... wasn't it chosen for her by the McCain campaign? From the leaks which came out.... her ill preparation..... and the targeting of questions specific to areas which could line her up for ridicule..... if she had any staff that were fully in her corner..... then she never had the opportunity in the whirlwind of a speedy campaign to know who the insiders were that were with her and who the insiders were that resented her...... and I think her cup had plenty of the later.
One might pray for their enemies....... but one doesn't pray with the enemy. I'm not saying that any of her staffers were 'enemies' but in as much as some harbored any ill will at all towards her or what she believed, or any resentment over McCain's choice of VP..... she didn't have around her exactly what I'd consider as loyalists or friends. The very fact that these are continuing to defend themselves by their own touchy offense at her remarks..... is an indication that they never fully sided with her..... and add justification to her feelings that there was noone to join her in prayer.
However, be that as it may, the campaign is over and this is trivial: The people got what they wanted and likely what they deserve. Many are discovering now, what they were unwilling to see before the election, that as far as conservatism..... there is very little of it in either party ...... but it was mostly in the Republican.... but the Republican party is not wholely representative of conservative or constitutional or moral values.
If Christians would unite around those morals and values which are Biblically directed as the expression of their LIVING FAITH, then, as a block of voters.... we COULD turn this country around. However as long as we put Party loyalty above Christ, and put more trust in the power of political machines than we do in the power of the Holy Spirit, we will just keep playing into the hands of those in both parties which disrespect our God and ridicule our beliefs and are determined that we drop out of issues concerning the government of our country.
One day, and maybe soon...... they will get their wish .....when the true bride of Christ is raptured out, and the world and its devil control both peoples and governments.