Prayer before the Election

God works powerfully through prayer (James 5:16).

I am planning to have a special day of prayer on Monday before the election.  I am urging you to join me.  If you live nearby and have time, I will be praying in the fellowship hall of Severn Baptist Church on Monday from 12 to 1pm.  If you want to pray together at another time (Sunday evening, early Monday morning, or Monday evening), just let me know and I’ll be glad to meet you.  If you don’t live close enough to come here, I encourage you to meet with at least one or two other Christians and pray. If you can’t meet with another Christian, then I encourage you to set aside extra time in private to pray.

Throughout the Old Testament, the New Testament, and Christian history, many times followers of God have chosen to fast in order to focus their hearts and minds more fully on God during times of special prayer.  I encourage you to consider fasting.  The details may be left to each person, but here are some possible options:

1.  Fast Monday until you are done praying at noon.

2.  Fast all day Monday.

3.  Fast all day Monday and Tuesday until the election is over Tuesday evening.

You do not have to be fasting (we won’t even know) to join us in prayer Monday at noon.  The fasting part is just between you the Lord (Matthew 6:17-18).

The rest of this post is a prayer guide based on the Lord’s Prayer and other scripture passages.  I encourage you to print it out and use it during your prayer time(s) between now and Tuesday night as the Lord leads you. I think you will find more than enough material to pray on your own or with others for an hour or more.

1.  Pray for Christian Unity

Notice that the Lord ’s Prayer uses plural pronouns (our, we, us) indicating the importance of Christian unity.  Christianity is a “team sport”, a “family affair”, and a “group effort”.  Unity is essential.

In this election, sincere, Jesus following, Bible studying, Christians have different opinions about how to vote.  I know and deeply respect Christians with different views.  They each have strong arguments, and some of them have a hard time seeing any other view than their own.  That’s ok.  But pray that disagreement over this issue does not distract from the great unity we have in Christ:

Ephesians 4:4-6

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

John 17:11b  

Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.

Pray that during a time of much conflict and division, true Christians will show a deep and strong unity.

2.  Pray for people to realize that God is entirely good

Many Christians probably do not know what “hallowed be your name” means.  Basically, it is a prayer asking God to cause people to know that He is entirely good and never has anything to do with evil.

In this election, neither of the top candidates for office have lived lives that appear to be anywhere close to “holy”, even by our miserably low human standards.  There is a danger that people will think that anyone in power is corrupt and evil, and that this will even color their view of God.  Pray that people will know that God is not like us.  That He really is entirely good and pure and that He has never once done anything wrong and He never will.  Pray that people will trust God even when we can’t trust human leaders.

3.  Pray for God’s Will to Be Done

In the Bible, the “kingdom” of God refers primarily to God’s reign.  It has both a future and a present aspect.  With regard to the future aspect, we pray for Jesus to return at God’s appointed time.  When Jesus comes back it won’t matter anymore who is president.  We do pray for this, yet the emphasis in the Lord’s prayer seems to be on God’s reign on earth here and now, “your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”.

Pray for God’s will to be done in the elections.

Remember to pray not just for the choice of President, but for the many thousands of other leaders at national, state, and local levels who will be chosen.  Pray that God will bless us with leaders who are better than we deserve and who will lead us in a godly direction.

No matter who wins, pray that God will use it for good:

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Pray that elected officials, and the judges they appoint, will care about God’s will more than anything else.  Pray that they will care about God’s will more than being popular, or rich, or even getting elected again.  Pray that they will seek His will first:

Matthew 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Pray that God will even use those officials who neither know Him nor fear Him for His good kingdom purposes.

4.  Pray for God to meet our needs

Pray for God to meet our needs.

Pray for our national economy to improve, especially for those who are working hard and barely making it.

Pray for our brothers and sisters around the world who have far less than us.

Ask for forgiveness for our national sin of materialism, as many are greedy and want to horde a whole lot more than what is meant by “daily bread”.

Pray that wise government leaders will be chosen.

5.  Confess our sins and ask for forgiveness

Quietly forgive anyone who has sinned against you.

Confess your own sins.  Ask for forgiveness.

Confess the sins our nation and plead for grace:

2 Chronicles 7:14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

A good example is Daniel confessing the sins of his people and pleading for forgiveness and restoration. 

Daniel 9:

3 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.

4 I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed: "Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments,

5 we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws.

. . .

18 Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy.

While praying, consider that to a large degree the candidates we have chosen reflect our national character and values.  That should give you plenty to confess and pray about.

Also, remember that many people around the world associate America with Christianity.  I was living among Muslim neighbors when the first states in the US allowed gay marriage.  It broke my heart to hear them gleefully mocking “Christianity” in America.  Pray that God will protect His Name.

6.  Pray that we will not be led into temptation

 

Pray for yourself and all God’s people that we will not be led to follow the bad examples of our candidates.  Pray that we will not give in to the pressure of society with regard to the homosexual agenda and other sins.  Pray that we will not become accepting of sexual abuse of women or filthy talk.  Pray that we will stand firm and keep doing good deeds that draw people to Christ.

The days ahead may bring pressure to go along with the world.  Pray that God’s people will stand firm.

Philippians 1:27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel

7.  Pray for protection from evil

While God does use evil and persecution to bring about good, including the purification of the church and the spread of the gospel, the Bible never encourages us to pray for evil.  In fact, there are MANY examples of praying for deliverance from evil and protection from evil.

I am especially concerned about the possibility of the radical liberal agenda advancing if Clinton is elected and is able to appoint one or more Supreme Court justices.  This could result in a lot of harm and evil.

Pray.

Feel free to copy, modify, edit, and distribute this prayer guide in any way you feel is helpful.  If you would like a copy of this in MS Word (which may be easier to modify and print than my blog page), just send me a note at:  MarkCorbett0@gmail.com

May God bless us all and have mercy on our nation and His people.

Hebrews 13:16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others . . .