Editor’s Note: a guest post by conservative activist Jensen Young.

I’ve been tinkering with the idea of writing a column on how when Louisiana hopefully gets rid of its entire state income tax it will have up to a 12.3% advantage on California when trying to secure NIL recruits to come play college football in Louisiana. As appropriate as that column seems with the college football bowl season, the Louisiana legislature is not meeting this week or next week that I know of so it would be better to flush out that argument a little closer to legislative session.

A matter that hits closer to home right now is the re-election of our friend US House Speaker Mike Johnson and the prayer that he needs from all of us at this point. I know some of you have been praying for him and his family for years and it is greatly appreciated more than you may ever know. Ever since he took this job on, he has not had an easy row of it navigating the realities of dealing with a Democrat controlled US Senate, factions & health matters within his own barely majority caucus in the US House and the current executive branch which thankfully will be replaced on January 20^th. This job also came with fundraising, travel and media interview requirements that are both astronomical and real.

Let’s not forget a few facts that got us here. Speaker Johnson didn’t initially seek this job out when it eventually fell into his lap over a year ago. Like many of you reading this column, I thought if something ever happened to Speaker McCarthy, our friend Majority Leader Steve Scalise was ready, willing, able, and had even taken a bullet for the cause literally which I thought was more than enough qualifications to be Speaker of the US House. When this didn’t happen other good leaders within the US House names were brought for consideration and the only one that emerged to be able to get to the required 218 votes was Speaker Johnson after several days of palace intrigue.

I do look forward to reading Majority Leader Steve Scalise’s account of all the DC drama that happened in the days before Speaker Johnson became Speaker whenever he chooses to write his memoirs. I know one thing that was done for Speaker Johnson when he started officially running for Speaker was that some folks across Louisiana and even a few friends outside the Sportsman’s Paradise started praying for him and this job opening specifically. It was a roller coaster that in one period of about a day he went from losing an election inside his own caucus to being sworn in as Speaker and having his life changed forever.

I can assure you praying to God on this matter and other matters is much easier than voting, reminding the relatives to geaux vote, volunteering, poll watching, rallying friends to come to a meet & greet, writing a check or chairing a finance committee. The before mentioned items are important and I’m sure will be needed again. If the prayer endeavor scares you a bit and you want to seek some help with Bible verses or more technical questions about God feel free to reach out to someone you know that has a relationship with God, Bible study leader, pastor, priest or rabbi that you trust. I know in Louisiana if you don’t have any relationship with one there is a church nearby no matter if you live in the big city or rural community that will be able to help with this matter.

No one has asked me to write this or do this. I know that Speaker Johnson has written much better columns and given much better speeches than I ever could to motivate the faithful in his years of service as a private citizen and an elected official. I can assure you he has a ton of friends who could have written a far more eloquent column and some of them would have had the appropriate Bible verses to go with it.

I’m a little biased given that I’ve been with Speaker Johnson at church more than once before and after he became Speaker, picked up doughnuts for an event he spearheaded years ago well before he was ever an elected official, been on his campaign payroll in 2016 when he initially ran for Congress and lastly was blessed to help in a small part with the prayer group mentioned a few paragraphs ago when he initially got elected Speaker.

Has he been perfect? No. Does our state and our country owe him our gratitude for his service in this endeavor he has taken on? Yes we do! All I ask is that you join me and others in prayer for him as he and the Republican caucus navigates this endeavor for the next few days. It’s also perfectly fine to reach out to other friends and family to do the same.