Tuesday, November 4 Is Election Day!

When it comes to elections, people can get really crazy. It seems this election cycle is no different. If anything, in this never-ending-presidential-election cycle we find ourselves in, the lines have been drawn even deeper in the sand. Never before have I seen two candidates further divide a nation, or result in a nation of undecideds, as we have before us today. Tomorrow thousands of people will head to the polls to cast their vote not only for State leaders, but also for Congressional leaders, Senate leaders, and yes, the next President of the United States.

I’ve been fascinated with the rhetoric on both sides of the aisle. Not only in the political realm, but also in the church realm. It’s really hard to find balance anywhere, and I must admit, that’s sad, especially when thinking of the church side.

I’m amazed at the number of emails I’ve received from church groups telling me ‘how’ to pray.

Avoid The Controlling Prayer

“Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation.“

Those were words of instruction from Paul, to his student Timothy, (1 Timothy 2:1-2, The Message). Take note, Paul was not telling Timothy what to pray, he simply instructed him to pray for the leaders and governments to rule well. There’s nothing in there saying to pray for one particular party or person. It’s actually quite the opposite. We are simply instructed to pray for whoever the leader might be, regardless of their political stripe. Why are we encouraged to pray for our leaders? So we can quietly live our lives.

With that in mind, what should we do with the various emails we receive telling us why we should pray for one candidate or the other? With tongue in check I usually say – That’s why God invented the delete button on the keyboard. – While I saw that partially as a joke, there’s also great truth in the statement. Some of the emails I’ve received have been downright rude and outlandish when trying to push one political agenda over another. In all honesty, I do hit the delete button. I’ve even hit the delete button on some emails arriving in my in-box from well established and well recognized ministries which should simply know better.

What should our response be as we journey through this thing we call life?

We need to simply pray for those in leadership. We need to at all costs avoid what are known as controlling prayers. What is a controlling prayer you ask? Simply put, a controlling prayer is any prayer declaring that God wants one person or another person to win the election. Again, as already noted above, we are simply instructed to pray for those in leadership. We are not instructed to pray one person in or out of office.

With that in mind, someone did send me an incredible prayer which falls into the category of simply praying for those in leadership. As we approach yet another election day, this prayer might do well to be on all of our minds, and lips.

A Prayer For the Election
By John Piper

Father in heaven, as we approach this election on Tuesday, I pray

1) That your people will vote,

2) and that they will vote with a sense of thankfulness for a democratic system that at least partially holds in check the folly and evil in all our hearts so that power which corrupts so readily is not given to one group or person too easily.

3) That we would know and live the meaning of
* Being in the world, but not of it.
* Doing politics as though not doing them.
* Being on the earth, yet having our lives hidden with Christ in God.
* Rendering to Caesar the things that are Caesars, and to God the things that are God’s.

4) That we would discern what truths and values should advance by being made law and which should advance only by the leavening of honest influence.

5) That your people would see what love and justice and far-seeing wisdom demand in regard to the issues of education, business and industry, health care, marriage and family, abortion, welfare, energy, government and taxes, military, terrorism, international relations, and every challenge that we will face in the years to come.

6) And above all, that we will treasure Jesus Christ, and tell everyone of his sovereignty and supremacy over all nations, and that long after America is a footnote to the future world, he will reign with his people from every tribe and tongue and nation.

Keep us faithful to Christ’s all important Word, and may we turn to it every day for light in these dark times.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

A Fellow Sojourner,
Dr. Rus