056 – After the election, your prayers are more important than ever
A lot of people I’ve talked to are troubled about how things might develop after the Presidential election in the United States, on November 3.
Some people are worried civil war will break out. Some think there will be civil unrest and protests no matter who wins. There is a concern of voter fraud and valid votes not being counted.
The news media are always speculating and predicting all kinds of extreme possibilities.
Prayer after the election
Where does prayer fit into this and will it even matter if you pray at this point?
Yes, it will make a difference if you pray. And prayer should be at the forefront of all we think and do during the coming days and weeks.
But how should we act and pray? If your candidates win, will you gloat and feel empowered? If your candidates loose, will you react with resentment and calls of foul play? How will those attitudes affect your prayers?
OR…will you respond with grace and pray for blessings upon whoever wins, even if you didn’t vote for them?
1 Timothy 2:1-4 ESV
1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,
2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.
3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,
4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
These wonderful Scriptures encourage not just Timothy, but you and me as well, to pray for all people, for the leaders and those in positions of authority. It doesn’t say only pray for them if you voted for them and you agree with them.
All leaders need your prayers right now.
The United States is at a crossroads. We will either become more divisive or we will heal our angers and resentments and go forward together. Your prayers can make all the difference.
The right hand and the left hand
Your right hand and your left hand do not argue about who is right. The right hand can do some things by itself. Same with your left hand. But there are sometimes when they must cooperate and work together to get a job done.
The political right and the left should take a lesson from this relationship. One by itself cannot run the show without the other’s input and aid.
My prayer request
Please pray for all those in government to be healed of animosity and pride, be filled with neighborly love for those in the other party, and work together to find solutions to our country’s problems.
And let this prayer start with you in your dealings with those you disagree with.
In this episode...
- I share where you can find a guide book, an owner’s manual so to speak, on how to pray after this election. It’s a sermon given many years ago by a well-known preacher.
- I talk about how Jesus had a different perspective on government than we do.
- There are lots of Bible verses this week. You can find them all in the show notes for this episode: thebiblespeakstoyou.com/056
I’d love to hear how you are praying during this important time. If you are not in the U.S., I hope you find these ideas helpful for when there is an election in your country.
Thanks so much for listening. If you think of anyone who would appreciate this episode, please share it with them.
Blessings to you and thank you for your prayers,
James
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Bible References in this episode:
Mark 1:15 ESV
15 The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand;
Acts 1:6-8 ESV
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
John 18:33-36 ESV
33 So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”
34 Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?”
35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?”
36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”
Matthew 6:33 ESV
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Matthew 5:9 KJV
9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Isaiah 55:8-13 ESV
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
12 “For you shall go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
shall break forth into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;
and it shall make a name for the LORD,
an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”
Daniel 2;20, 21 ESV
20 Daniel answered and said:
“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
to whom belong wisdom and might.
21 He changes times and seasons;
he removes kings and sets up kings;
Luke 4:27-30 ESV
27 there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”
28 When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath.
29 And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff.
30 But passing through their midst, he went away.
John 6:15 ESV
15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
John 12:12-17 ESV
12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.
13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”
14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,
15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion;
behold, your king is coming,
sitting on a donkey’s colt!”
16 His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him.
17 The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness.
18 The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign.
19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”
1 Timothy 2:1-4 ESV
1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,
2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.
3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,
4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Matthew 6:10 KJV
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
John 6:38 KJV
38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
Sermon on the Mount
Matthew, chapters 5-7
Matthew 5:44 ESV
44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
Matthew 6:14, 15 ESV
14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you,
15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Matthew 5:38, 39 ESV
38 You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.”
39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
Matthew 6:19-21 ESV
19 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,
20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Ezekiel 21:27 KJV
27 I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him.
