To read the tribute to SFC Marcus Muralles, please click here
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Prayers for the Election
I kind of dropped the ball when it came to writing posts leading up the election encouraging prayer for the election. The last few weeks would have been "just keep praying," which was important. I just didn't have much more to say.
In two days, our nation officially goes to the polls. (According to Travis County stats, we are going to have a HUGE turnout here, and a larger than expected percentage of registered voters have taken advantage of early voting.) There are groups of people gathering at various times over the next 72 hours (until polls close in Hawaii) to prayer for our nation. Before I explain how I will be praying, I'd like to give you a few verses about government, leadership, and citizenship. (All verses of ESV.)
In two days, our nation officially goes to the polls. (According to Travis County stats, we are going to have a HUGE turnout here, and a larger than expected percentage of registered voters have taken advantage of early voting.) There are groups of people gathering at various times over the next 72 hours (until polls close in Hawaii) to prayer for our nation. Before I explain how I will be praying, I'd like to give you a few verses about government, leadership, and citizenship. (All verses of ESV.)
- Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. (Psalm 2:10-11)
- Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. (Ex 18:21)
- Trusting in a treacherous man in time of trouble is like a bad tooth or a foot that slips. (Pr 25:19)
- If a ruler listens to falsehood, all his officials will be wicked. (Pr 29:12)
- Happy are you, O land, when your king is the son of the nobility, and your princes feast at the proper time, for strength, and not for drunkenness! (Eccl 10:17)
- Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law. (Pr 29:18)
- Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety. (Pr 11:14)
- When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan. (Pr 19:2)
- Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. (Heb 13:17)
- Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. (Romans 13:1-7)
- Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. (1 Peter 2:13-17)
- ...if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (2 Chron 7:14)
- Begin with thanksgiving for our nation.
- Ask that hearts will be open, that we (both individually and a nation) will humble ourselves before God. Ask that revival sweep over our country.
- Pray for wisdom of the electorate, that citizens will take their responsibility seriously and selflessly.
- Pray for safety for poll workers and voters.
- Pray that hidden schemes, conspiracies, and cheating will be brought out into the open and dealt with to the fullest extent of the law. (There are many verses about consequences of bad behavior, starting with the story of the creation in Genesis to Psalm Pr 6:27. Pr 14:12, and the list goes on.) Some web sites talk about how much control Satan seems to have over our country and over this election. Those sites say to pray that strongholds (enemy fortresses) are torn down. They also suggest praying that demonic power be bound and cast away.
- Pray for calm and peace in the days and weeks following the election.
- Pray that the nation will stand behind the new President of the United States and his administration, holding him accountable, yet giving him the respect that his office used to deserve (and pray that the office will once again deserve that respect).
- Pray for the new President, that he would do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly before God (Micah 6:8). We pray for wisdom, for good health and safety, and that he will seek God and seek wise and Godly counsel. (Pray the same for all elected officials. That link has more suggested prayers of intercession for elected officials.)