Pray Network Forum

As we head to the polls today to vote in the mid-term elections, here are a few final thoughts for prayer:

Thank God for the process

• Thank God for the blessing of free elections and the democratic process.  Thank him for giving us the right and the means to vote and determine our leadership.

Pray for the elections

• Ask God to protect each voting place from all harm; to protect our elections from outside influences of all kinds; to give strength and stamina to the precinct workers, many of whom will have very long days.
• Pray that God will clear away any barriers that would stand in the way of those who have the right to vote exercising that right, and that He would lead believers especially to be faithful in carrying out our responsibilities of citizenship.
• Ask God to keep the elections fair and honest, to protect the elections from all fraud, and to prevent those who do not have the right to vote from casting ballots

Pray for the voters

• Ask God to grant wisdom to all those who are voting today - to give them insight to see past rhetoric and know how the candidates would lead.
• Pray that God will make character and integrity important to the voters.
• Pray especially for believers who are voting, that God will show them the candidates who would honor him in office

Pray for the results

• Ask God to raise up men and women at all levels - federal, state, and local - who will lead with integrity, wisdom, and courage.
• Pray that God will appoint leaders who know Him and who will lead this country in a direction that honors him.
• Ask God to create a Congress (Senate and House) of representatives who will be able to work together for the good of the country
• Pray for accurate tabulation of the results and for acceptance of those results.

Pray for the church

• Thank God for all those who have been praying for this election cycle.
• Ask God to continue this movement of prayer even after the election, and to expand it in such a way as to transform churches into houses of prayer all across the country.

Pray for the candidates

As the midterm campaigns enter their final couple of days, one way we can impact the races for God's glory is to pray specifically for the candidates and those who are campaigning on their behalf.  This may be the hardest part of prayer for the elections, because it can be difficult to separate our own preferences from God's leading.  But there are some Scriptural principles that we can use to pray God's will into the election.  Here are a few; please use these as God leads. 

• Safety and health.  Pray for safe travels and for God's protection from all harm.  Pray specifically for protection from violence on the part of voters who might disagree with a candidate's positions.
• Words of truth.  Pray for honesty in campaign speeches and that God will grant wisdom to voters to see through any deceit.  Ask God to guard the words of the candidates to keep them focused on the issues that are important to voters and to the future of the country.  Pray for the Holy Spirit to restrain speech that divides and to encourage candidates to speak in ways that will help bring unity.
• Hearts of servanthood. Pray for God to place in the candidates hearts of servanthood and a commitment to lead for the benefit of the people rather than for their own benefit.  Ask God to make clear to the voters those candidates that will truly serve them.
• Integrity and righteousness. Ask God to reveal shortfalls in truthfulness or other character issues that should disqualify candidates.  Pray that he will raise up leaders who will lead with integrity and whose values line up with God's Word.
• Wisdom.  Pray for God's wisdom for the candidates as they speak and especially for those whom he puts in positions of leadership.  Many (if not most) of the candidates probably do not know God, so pray for their salvation as well.  Pray for the humility needed for repentance where that's appropriate.
• Media.  Finally, ask God to reign over the messages given out by the media.  Pray for integrity, fair coverage, and unbiased reporting.

 We need to pray for candidates at state and local levels as well as those higher-profile national candidates.  Often, it's the local officials who will have the most impact on how school boards influence our children, etc.  While their responsibilities may not be as broad as the national leaders, their decisions often have more direct impact on our lives.

There are many organizations and sites devoted to praying for the United States.  One of the largest is the Presidential Prayer Team.  Founded in 2001, PPT is a source of prayer information and requests for all three branches of our government, plus a source of prayer for international events.  The PPT is chaired by Franklin Graham, CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

Father, please be in control of the elections across our country tomorrow.  Stand with those who are going to vote, and protect them from any danger, discrimination, or harassment.  Keep our polling places and vote counts honest and accurate.  Protect this wonderful process from all evil and from any attempts to thwart your will.

Where we have men and women leading us in righteousness, integrity, and servanthood, please grant them continuation in office.  Where this is a need, please raise up new leaders who will lead from servant's hearts, who will seek your wisdom, and who will stand up with courage for what is right.

Purge our system of any pockets of greed, immorality, and corruption.  Replace these with compassion for those in need, wisdom to make good decisions, and discernment regarding direction and the future of our country, from the national level to the local level.  Raise up leaders who will cooperate together across party lines for the good of those whom they serve.

May your Church find favor in your sight and may your people find favor in all the ways in which they participate in our electoral process.  Make of your church a prophetic yet compassionate voice, a light that points the way to you.  

In all of this, Lord God, we acknowledge that politics does not hold the ultimate answer.  We rejoice that you are in charge and that you are powerful and sovereign to bring your will about - either through or in spite of the efforts of people.  We look not to our leaders but to you for our hope and our future.  At the same time, we rejoice when men and women of integrity and righteousness are raised up to leadership, so we ask you to do that - for the sake of your people, for the sake of our country, and ultimately for the sake of your own great Name.

In Jesus' Name,

Amen.

Did you hear the response yesterday when the Democratic moderator at their convention asked for a vote as to whether they would reinstate God into the party platform? A significant part of the crowd voted with a rousing "YES!"  However, a group that sounded just as large boomed a resounding "NO."  As the cameras moved in on those voting negatively we saw people standing and waving their arms as they seemed to be defiantly saying, "We don't want God's name even mentioned in our policies."

Now to be honest, it should not be surprising when ungodly people act ungodly. What is more troubling is how many people were so overt about their disapproval of even recognizing God. How sad to think that in our country there are enough people who want to debate this issue. There have no doubt always been people in our culture who would disavow God's existence or importance. But today it appears to becoming more and more of the "in" thing. It's popular, progressive and cutting edge now.

That's one of many reasons why I hope we who love God and follow Christ will do more this election season than just utter a few "God bless the election" prayers. First of all, we need to vote, but we must also pray. Let me suggest ten things to have on your prayer list, things I hope we might consider starting to pray for soon, maybe even for a biblical forty days starting September 27th or so.

1. Pray for the election results to bring God glory.

2. Pray for the truth to be prominent and win out over falsehood.

3. Pray that whatever the results Christians will be energized to stand for Christ, remain compassionate and learn to trust God more deeply.

4. Pray for Christian leaders in government to stand strong and firm and to remain committed to leading like Jesus.

5. Pray that our public arena will continue to welcome the mention of God, freedom of religion and fair dialogue about the role of faith in our country.

6. Pray for a harvest of decisions for Christ and the election of more Christians and moral leaders to public office.

7. Pray for a reduction of our debt and a new commitment to wise spending and use of our resources.

8. Pray for the safety of our country from terrorism and an ongoing development of military protection and readiness.

9. Pray for the churches of America to remain focused on their mission to go into their communities and all the world with the Gospel and its message of compassion.

10. Pray for heart change towards God in the current administration and leadership of our country.

Add your own items but let's commit to pray together this year. It will probably matter more than we even think.

I have a confession to make. I've voted in maybe about 15 national elections over the years, and I can't remember a time when I asked God which candidate should get my vote. To be honest, my prayers for elections tend to be more about me informing God who I've decided the right candidate is and asking him to get that person elected. Seems a bit backward, doesn't it?

I've participated in prayer groups in the past that focus on praying for our country and have come to realize that my reliance on my own human "wisdom" is not unique. It's difficult for a church to pray in a unified spirit when we're all bringing our own wisdom to prayer rather than seeking God for his wisdom. If I'm praying for candidate A and the next person is praying for candidate B, there's no unity there.

What would happen if we instead focused our prayers on asking God to raise up leaders after his own heart - leaders with servant hearts, leaders who will be concerned more about the well-being of the people they lead than about their own gain, leaders of compassion, wisdom, and courage. What if the church united to pray for God to raise up righteous men and women to lead our country? What if we were able to put aside our own agendas in favor of seeking God's wisdom?

I'm going to try something different this year - asking God to guide me regarding how to vote, and asking him to appoint people of his choosing to office. Will you join me?