From Pray! Network member Dan Biser - -
Praying over the elections and all these prayer movements that will begin next week. They begin because I believe the 27th is 40 days out from the election.
I know of about 12 - 14 prayer groups leading out on 40 days of prayer. Florida Baptist started 50 days out. All leading up to the election day in November. Is there anything wrong in praying for the elections? Absolutely not. But how we pray and the intent of our prayer is very important.
Simply praying to 'get our' representative elected is not praying rightly. Not much different praying that way, than one that prays for their favorite sports team to win each week.
The right question to ask and pray is, 'What is Your will Father?' In times of unclear what His will is, we pray our desires, and ask for His will to be done.
But if you know His will, then it is easy to pray in accordance with Him. Unless your heart is rebellious against Him.
Obama vs. Romney - who to pray for? I have compared these two choices as choosing between Omri and Ahab. Omri, was Ahab's father, and 'he did more evil in the sight of the Lord than any that was before him.' And then there was Ahab, plus Jezebel, 'who did more evil in the sight of the Lord than any that was before him.' Like father, like son, huh? Which choice to make? Many are simply clairfy Obama as the lesser of two evils. Be careful with that way of thinking, it will affect your praying.
Praying rightly, means that you don't pray personal agendas, nor swayed by circumstances of this present world. You pray for His glory, you pray for His will, you pray in accordance with His ways. Will God be glorifyed if either of these get into office? What is His will?
Knowing His will in all this is so important. A nation that has rejected Him, removed Him, and not responded to Him is in last stage of judgment. As I pointed out yesterday, we are on level 6 of 7 levels of judgment. I truly am expecting another great catastrophe to strike under whoever the next president is. A calamity of war, tragedy, etc. that will kill thousands. All because God's people did not respond, nor did a nation, who should have known better, but never did do better.
Daniel 2:20 -22, is a help in knowing these things:'He changes the times and the seasons; He removeth kings and setteth up kings. . . ' Who does the selection? The Lord puts in office who He wants. And many times of who we deserve. That's an awful thought isn't it?
So we pray for His will, we pray for mercy, forgiveness as a nation. We press into His Spirit to know that we have provoked Him, and ask Him not to give us what we deserve, but breath life into us.
The election will not solve our nation's sin. The church is where the focus should be, but it has not been. Politics dominates the news, the polls, the pulpits. Our priorities are wrong. And we may miss the most important time of our histroy by being deceived. Who is the master of deceptions? Yes, that is right, Satan. The old saying is so important in prayer: Keep the main thing the main thing. God's glory - holiness - deal with sin - obedience
But these arent' the headlines. These are the headlines in prayers - 'Lord, get the democrats out of there.' 'Lord, help our economy.' 'Lord, give us jobs so we can have money.' We want these things without making the wrong right. God doesn't operate that way, it is not His will to do such.
And I wonder out fo these 40 days of prayer initatives, how many will continue to labor in prayer. Start and stop is not being steadfast, nor perservering. Many are praying for their will instead of the Lord's will.
'Seek and find' is our operating command for the Lord's will.
Pray rightly and see God's will done for God's glory.
until,
dan
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With thanks to Thomas Bush, a Pray! Network Featured Prayer Leader
Commentary from Dave Butts, Chairman of the National Prayer Committee
I’ve had a number of requests for my analysis of the results of the elections and its impact on the prayer movement. There have already been a number of keen analyses from many Christian leaders. Mine only differs in that it focuses on the prayer movement
First of all, here is something I wrote a week before the elections:
"It’s over! The elections, I mean. For some there’s a sigh of relief. Some are jubilant, while others are despondent. That happens after every election. But there’s something different about this particular election. Not so much because of the candidates or even the results. It’s different because God has been doing something behind the scenes.
God has been energizing and mobilizing a movement of prayer in the Church in the United States. After crisscrossing the nation multiple times during these past few months, I would say that we have seen the greatest number of Christians praying . . . perhaps more than ever in America’s history. Oh, we’ve still got a long way to go toward becoming a praying Church, but we have taken a significant step.
Across the nation I heard Christians praying for God to step into this situation. The Body of Christ came together across denominational lines to humble itself before the Lord and repent. A cry for revival within the Church arose across the land. We began to recognize that the problem isn’t the White House, but our house.
It’s over . . . or is it? Not the elections, but this re-energized movement of prayer. November 7th might well be a more crucial day than November 6th, election day. Now we must decide whether or not we will continue to seek the face of God on behalf of our nation. It is now, after the heat of the political process has died down, that we see if the Church will allow the fire of the Spirit of God to still empower our prayers.
The Lord made it very clear to me last summer that this call to prayer for the elections was, in fact, not about the elections. Our national elections were simply the occasion that the Lord used to stir us to prayer. Now comes the test of our hearts. Will we still passionately seek the Lord in prayer? Will churches still come together to pray? Will we slip back into a “we can do it” mentality, or have we learned to depend upon God in every way through prayer?
I encourage every believer to keep praying. I encourage every pastor to rally your church toward deeper levels of prayer . . . for revival and for our nation. Don’t sit back now! .... May God bless our churches and nation in the midst of this prayer movement He has raised up!"
OK- I'm back. I still believe what I wrote. As I've considered the results, I believe that Barack Obama was elected to keep us praying and desperate. If Mitt Romney had been elected, there would be the tendency to back off and relax as though we had accomplished something. We always end up wanting to put our faith in a man. God wants us to depend upon Him.
The only thing that can save our precious nation is revival! So, what election result could keep the Church on its face, crying out in desperation....the re-election of Barak Obama! Now, I also believe that this election is also a clear indication that a majority of our nation has rejected God and His ways. So, I do expect some very tough times to come as a consequence. But i do not believe God is done with us. There is yet one more Great Awakening to come for America!
We have much to do in the NPC. It is not a time to let down, but to bear down. Prayer for revival must take precedence. Of course, that ultimately means praying for the Church to begin to experience the Presence of Christ in her midst in a fresh new way.
I'd love to keep talking about this. Is there a next step for us to take? Has God given the NPC a strategy for the perilous but possibility-filled days ahead? Let me know how the Lord is leading you.
Blessings!
Dave Butts
This message was sent to phil@nppn.org from:
National Prayer Committee | PO Box 10667
| Terre Haute, IN 47801