It seems as if every 4 years there is an epidemic of
hand-wringing leading up to the presidential election. Supporters of each side fears that their
opponent will bring certain destruction and annihilation by their dangerous
policies. With my political observations
stretching back as far as childhood, having been raised on AM news radio, I
feel that I can say with some degree of certainty that NEVER in my lifetime has
there been an election cycle where so many were afraid of both candidates. I know of many splitting from the party they’ve
supported their entire lives to support a third party or write in candidate,
while some are even casting their ballots across the aisle.
Despite being immensely fortunate to live in a democracy, political predicaments like this can leave us feeling completely powerless. We do our duty and cast our vote but are tempted to think, “I know which way my state will go, this is an exercise in futility.” While I’m sure that there are many political science majors who could argue either side of this fatalistic thought until the next election, the rest of us are thinking, “Ok, I voted, what else can I do?” The answer is one that may sound cliché at first but is, in fact, the most powerful… you can pray.
Please don’t misunderstand this as a call to toss up the ol’ last resort, hail mary pass prayer. No, I’m talking about taking advantage of your access, as a follower of Christ, to have direct communication with the sovereign master of the universe. As I’ve heard Chip Ingram say, “This is not a ‘now I lay me down to sleep’ prayer”. We’re talking about earth-shaking, history-making, hell-shattering prayer. So how do we do that?
Well, the Bible is pretty clear that our prayers are most effective when they are prayed with faith and when they are aligned with God’s will rather than our own. As 1 John 5:14 says “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” This is modeled for us in the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” And the fastest way I’ve found to identify God’s will is by looking at what He’s already revealed in scripture.
This helps us avoid the trap of praying for things that align with our politics or our reasoning but don’t align with what The Lord wants. After all, he’s the one who has all the information, the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. He’s not relying on what a political candidate said on the campaign trail for his decisions. He knows what crises will come and how each candidate would react. He knows about private character and hidden loyalties. He knows it all. So let’s get with His program and pray that His will be done, on our little patch of earth, as it is in heaven.
Below are a few prayers that have been derived from the
scripture listed beside it. I hope you
will join me in lifting up our nation and our leaders:
Lord, we come to
you, praying for our nation and its leaders because your word says that you are
both willing and able to answer our prayers, Your Word says that if your
people, not everyone else, but your people, who are called by your name
will humble ourselves, pray and seek your face and turn from our evil ways, you
will hear from heaven, forgive our sin, and heal our land. (2 Chron 7:14) Lord,
we humble ourselves now and lay our sins, not the sins of our neighbors, before
you and ask for your power to help us turn from them so that you may heal our
land.
We know that it is
you, Lord, who changes the times and seasons; You set up kings and depose them.
You give wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. Please cause our leaders to ask for your
wisdom and discernment that you may give it to them. (Dan. 2:21) Your Word also says that kingship belongs to
the Lord, and You rule over the nations." (Ps. 22:28)
We come to you with petitions, prayers,
intercession and thanksgiving for all people— for kings and all those in
authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and
holiness. We
know that it pleases you when we pray for everyone from the least to the
greatest because you want everyone to
be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
(1 Tim. 2:1-4)
Finally, Lord your
Word tells us "Do not be anxious about anything, but
in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your
requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all
understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Phil.
4:6-7) We have come to you now with our requests and give thanks that you are
in control, please enable us to continually walk in your peace, which boggles
our minds.
Your Word says that the one who trusts in You, whose confidence indeed is the Lord, is blessed. He will be
like a tree planted by water: it sends
its roots out toward a stream, it doesn’t
fear when heat comes, and its foliage
remains green. It will not worry in a year of drought or cease producing fruit. (Jer. 17:7-8) We know that
regardless of what events happen around us, IF we put our trust and confidence
in You alone, we will flourish and will not be concerned or in a panic when
tough times come. Instead, we will
continue to be fruitful and thrive.
We love you and are
thankful that you care for us and involve yourself in the affairs of
humans. We thank you for the sacrifice
of Christ, because it is only through his blood that we are even able to come
to you at all. It is in His name and for
His sake we pray. Amen.
Reflection Lake, Mt. Rainier National Park
