[Darris McNeely] This picture in the news this week intrigued me. It's Governor Mitt Romney at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. Governor Romney is the presumptive Republican nominee for the presidential race this year in 2012 in the United States. He's been on a tour of Europe in the Middle East. He stopped in Jerusalem and he made a tour and a trip straight to the Western Wall and as you can see here he's offering a prayer. The Western Wall in Jerusalem is a unique spot. It is the remnant of the wall that was around the temple during the time of Christ in the first century - the wall itself which was around the temple complex, not the wall of the temple itself.

[Steve Myers] It used to be known as the Wailing Wall.

[Darris McNeely] It used to be called the Wailing Wall. They call it now the Western Wall and it's a place of pilgrimage for not only Jews, but many, many people. Governor Romney is a Mormon. People go there, they view it, touch it, they pray there, put prayers on a piece of paper and stick it into the cracks of the wall. And it's quite an interesting site, but the picture of Governor Romney there struck a thought to me about prayer as a subject, a biblical subject, and especially when it comes to the needs of the United States and many other nations at this time.

[Steve Myers] Well, prayer is such an important aspect of our relationship with God. You know, we're not talking about a Republican or a Democratic issue. We're talking about a spiritual issue. And if we're going to have a relationship with God, we must pray. We must have that relationship and it starts with communicating with God.

[Darris McNeely] The one scripture that came to my mind as I looked at this picture was from 2 Chronicles 7:14 - put that up there - where God said to His people, if they were in a time of trouble, trial, or distress, that if they would pray - He said as My people who are called by My name - will humble and pray, call to Me, He says, "I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14. I think we all recognize that we are in need of healing in our own land in the United States and other nations as well both spiritually, morally, physically in many different ways there is a need for a healing. And the idea of any person praying anywhere at any time to the God of heaven, to the God of Abraham is an idea worth considering.

[Steve Myers] What an amazing passage when you look exactly what that says there. We've got to humble ourselves, especially if we claim to be God's people. That's one of the interesting things about that verse. We claim to be called by God's name. We are Christians. Then we better be humbling ourselves before God and realize our life depends on Him. Everything flows from God and so we better humble ourselves and pray and develop that relationship with God.

[Darris McNeely] People from all walks of life whether their religious, nonreligious, political, apolitical, recognize that there is a need for some changes. The biblical term for that is repentance or turning, turning back to certain values, turning back ultimately to God in order to reverse the course of events that are spinning out of control in our nation and in our country today and creating so many problems. And again just to picture of a would be leader, a presidential nominee in this case, Governor Romney, praying at a wall sets an example and a reminder that all of us can and should be turning, seeking God, examining our own selves before God as to whether or not our walk is righteous before Him.

[Steve Myers] So let's all take that example from 2 Chronicles and humble ourselves and pray.

[Darris McNeely] That's BT Daily. Join us next time.