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?
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