Have you prayed about the upcoming election?
My family will tell you, “Have you prayed about it?” is one of my favorite sayings. It’s one of those momisms the family will quote at my funeral because I guess I say it so much. What can I say? It just pops out of my mouth whenever I hear my family whine or worry or, in their words, try to work through a problem on their own.
My call to prayer is heartfelt and sincere. I truly believe that If we say God is all powerful and the source of all truth, wouldn’t we naturally want to go to Him for guidance and help?
I know. A part of us says, “Shouldn’t I do this by myself? I don’t want to bother God when He’s given me a brain to sort through on my own.”
Well . . .
If you are a Christian, God’s spirit lives within you. That means you and He are a partnership, the deepest kind of intimate relationship. Therefore, He wants to be involved in EVERYTHING. He’s going through life with you. Just as marriage partners in a healthy relationship discuss everything from what brand of dog food to feed Poochie to whether to change career course, God wants us to talk over our plans, desires, and dilemmas with Him.
That includes the upcoming election.
I know which presidential candidate I will vote for. You probably do too. But have you prayed about it? Have you asked, “Lord, who do YOU want to be President? Who do You want me to cast my ballot for?”
Now before you go into high gear, listing the moral failures of your unfavorite candidate and telling me you know who God wants, stop and answer the question. Have you prayed about it?
How do I expect God to answer that question?
Over the last few weeks, my Bible study group has been examining the lives of King Saul and King David. Each week, we’ve asked ourselves, what made each of these men an effective or ineffective leader. Believe me, we’ve discovered there is a lot more to the qualities of a good leader than just the two main issues of honesty and sexual morality that our news media would like to emphasize.
I could tell you what we discovered. But then you might think I was trying to influence your decision. Actually, I want you to seek truth, God’s truth, for yourself. And in our current culture where it is so difficult to determine what is true, what is twisted truth, and what is downright deceptive, it’s hard to find truth. That’s why I think prayer is so very important and necessary. If we ask, God will show us.
I love how Jesus assured us about our quest for truth:
“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth.”
John 16:13 NIV
Earlier, Jesus said to a group of Jews, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free (John 8:31,32).”
I just love these verses. As I’ve wrangled with understanding people’s perspective and motive for what they tell me, whether in my marriage, people in the church, or news media sources, I’ve based my prayers on these words many times Oh Lord! Show me what IS true. Set me free from the bondage of my own ignorance and misconceptions.
What’s so important about seeking truth?
Knowing the truth sets you free from the tyranny of lies. It gives you confidence to move forward in your decision making.
Where do we find truth? Jesus!
What’s true? What Jesus says.
Truth is not relative, what I want it to be. Truth comes from God. “I am the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6).” So, if we want to know what is true, without someone trying to pull the wool over our eyes, wouldn’t we want to go to the source of truth?
As you listen to the campaign ads, the debate speeches, and the news media synopses, I encourage you: lower your head and ask the Lord for guidance. Ask him to give you discernment and sound judgement.
How else can I pray?
Aside from the well-publicized presidential race, there are other matters of concern about the upcoming election.
- Choices on the congressional, judicial, state, and local levels.
- Answering those who disagree with my choices.
- Voicing my personal opinion on social media or other public venues.
- Living with the results of the election, especially if I don’t agree with the outcome.
Pray about it!
God wants to have an after dinner conversation with you. He wants to:
- Discuss each matter with you.
- Give you His wisdom.
- Assure you that He is ultimately in charge of the world anyway.
- Give you His peace.
How can you pass up a deal like that?
So the next time someone vents their personal view or frustration about the current controversy and conflict, ask them. I dare you to ask them:
Have you prayed about it?
I have indeed been praying about it and decided that God’s answer will be revealed on November 3rd. Whichever way God answers is the way I’ll go. I may not like it, but I’ll accept it as God’s will. I view it as either God gives this nation one more chance to repent and return to Him, or He signals His return is even closer than many think. Either way, “I’m with Him.” 🙂 God’s blessings my friend; and thank you for reminding us all of how important it is to involve God in our decision-making through prayer.
You leave such encouraging comments. Thank you.
Thank you for this reminder, Karen. So simple yet so profound. May God lead His church to stand for right, seek His face, humble ourselves , and, yes, Pray.
Amen and Amen!