Gene Burrus
After years of researching Christianity and LGBTQ+ issues, even I still struggle to write a short article with enough nuance to help you wade through our rapidly-changing culture.
Where concepts fail us, though, prayer can help us. The tension of love and truth beckons us to pray and ask the Lord for wisdom (cf. James 1:5). In this article. I give you a few points to guide your prayers this month.
The tension of love and truth beckons us to pray and ask the Lord for wisdom.
1. Use pride flags and symbols as prompts for prayer.
Flags, logos, symbols, and LGBTQ+ representations are legion this month as corporations, small businesses, social media, television, and even the icons on your Roku apps promote LGBTQ+ pride.
“Pervasive LGBTQ-affirming promotions may tempt us to despair or outrage.
But rather than anger or heated arguments, Paul entreats us to pray “in every place” (1 Tim 2:8 ESV). ”
For many traditional Christians, pervasive LGBTQ-affirming promotions tempt us to despair or outrage. But rather than anger or heated arguments, Paul entreats us to pray “in every place” (1 Tim 2:8 ESV).
Take the moments you see the pride symbols to pray for the LGBTQ+ family members, coworkers, and neighbors.
2. Ask the Lord to give you a Paul-like heart for unbelieving LGBTQ+ people.
Paul’s heart agonized with “great sorrow and unceasing anguish” over the salvation of his people, the Jews (Rom 9:2 ESV; 10:1). The Jews needed the good news of Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead. LGBTQ+ folks are a social kind of people group.
Like the Jews, the Jula people in Africa, the Tungusic peoples in Asia, or anyone else, LGBTQ+ people need Jesus. Consider how Christians with a Paul-like heart for LGBTQ+ people could revolutionize our community.
3. Seek to embody God’s kind and patient disposition to sinners (like you).
In Romans 1:24-27, Paul clearly considers same-sex sexual activity sin. But Paul does not stop by calling out one area of sin. He uses an obvious sin to convict the hearts of other hardened sinners who struggle with more domesticated sins like envy, gossip, pride, and even disobeying their parents (vv. 29-31)!
After convincing everyone that they are sinners, he reminds his readers that “God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance” (Rom 2:4 ESV). We all have sinned. God’s kindness, patience, and forbearance challenge us to change our thinking, affections, and behaviors. Pray the LGBTQ+ people in your life would see these godly traits in you and other believers.
4. Pray for your children to receive godly, healthy teaching about sexuality and gender.
Moses taught the ancient Israelites to teach God’s commandments to their children (Deut 6:7). Still today, we must continue with the task of teaching and applying God’s word even when it challenges cultural norms.
On the one hand, we teach our children truths that challenge the LGBTQ+ community: God created two sexes, male and female. We teach one kind of marriage: a Christ-honoring, monogamous, life-long relationship between a man and a woman.
“We must continue teaching and applying God’s word even when it challenges cultural norms—the ones we like and those we don’t.”
On the other hand, we also teach truth that challenges other aspects of our culture: that godly masculinity is about virtue, not violence. We teach that godly femininity is about faithfulness, not idealizing June Cleaver or breaking glass ceilings.
In our society, abstaining from sex until marriage may even be more radical than disapproving of same-sex relationships. If you are a parent, consider using this material to guide these conversations with your kids.
5. Petition God about our ruling authorities, so that we might continue a life of peace.
In the twentieth-first century, religious values have been pitted against sexual and gendered freedoms. As Paul once urged, we should pray for our executives, legislators, and judges so “that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (1 Tim 2:2 ESV).
Pray for peace and for all people to know the God who has saved us.
6. Intercede for Christians with same-sex attraction or gender incongruence.
While same-sex attraction and gender incongruence[1] come with certain temptations, these experiences also include points of pain and suffering. People—especially Christians—rarely choose these desires and often discover them in childhood or adolescence.
“Pray for our brothers and sisters as they groan for the redemption of their bodies, learn to receive God’s love, and find their joy in Christ and the Christian community.”
The emergence of these experiences can be disorienting. Anxiety, depression, and suicide risk may accompany these experiences as well.
Pray for these brothers and sisters as they groan for the redemption of their bodies (Rom 8:23), learn to receive God’s love, and find their joy in Christ and the Christian community.
7. Prayerfully consider how you might show hospitality to LGBTQ+ people in your life.
Many are familiar with Rosaria Butterfield’s radical conversion from an affirming lesbian to a chaste Christian. An invitation from a godly couple was instrumental in her coming to faith.
LGBTQ+ people have often had negative experiences with Christians. By inviting the unbelieving gay man or trans woman over to your house for a meal, you can be an ambassador for Christ and His church, showing them the kindness that leads to repentance.
Gene Burrus is the Counseling Minister at the Sienna Campus of Houston's First Baptist Church. Gene has served as a church pianist, a youth minister, a group facilitator, a seminary counselor, and served as a biblical counselor.
Gene enjoys reading, writing, making spreadsheets, playing piano and violin, working out, and spending time with his wife and two young children.
[1] Gender incongruence is the mismatch experienced between people’s biological sex and the psychological experience of their gender.
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