Call to Prayer on Election Day
1 Timothy 2:1-5 (NLT) I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus.
I know we would never say this out loud, but sometimes other things we say and the things we think about or things we post on Facebook—these things unveil a sense that our hope is not fully in God. Either we are trusting a particular candidate or we become anxious thinking about what the administration would look like of the other candidate—or both!
We have to remember that as followers of Jesus, we are not citizens of this world but of the Kingdom of God. The anxiety we feel, the longing to see God heal our land goes far beyond our own country. Our prayer is for God to redeem the entire world—all peoples, all nations, all creation. Amen?
Though we are “temporary residents and foreigners” (as Peter says in his first letter), we are called to make this an interim home of sorts. Look at this.
Jeremiah 29:4-7 (NLT) This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem: “Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce. Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away! And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.”
Of course, God was specifically speaking to the exiles through Jeremiah. But I think we can safely consider ourselves exiles, too. “Build homes and plan to stay.” So any thoughts of running off to Canada after today—we should probably get rid of those! What else? Work for peace and prosperity, and mostly, pray.
Let’s look at Paul’s counsel:
Titus 3:1-2 (NLT) Remind the believers to submit to the government and its officers. They should be obedient, always ready to do what is good. They must not slander anyone and must avoid quarreling. Instead, they should be gentle and show true humility to everyone.
Ouch! This could very well be an indictment of many Christians leading into this election. We might need to take some time for confession.
Job 12:23-25 (NLT) He builds up nations, and he destroys them. He expands nations, and he abandons them. He strips kings of understanding and leaves them wandering in a pathless wasteland. They grope in the darkness without a light. He makes them stagger like drunkards.
Let’s pray that God gives our “kings” (our leaders) wisdom. Amen?
For ways to help you pray today, I highly encourage you to check out “7 Vital Prayer Points.” And certainly, continue to pray beyond today.
LifeShare 