Good Morning Everyone,
Well, the campaigning is over. The rhetoric has come to a screeching halt. The political ads have been shelved for another day. My email “inbox” was empty of political emails this morning. (Thank you Lord!!)The votes have been counted and we have a new President.
Just a couple of days ago I wrote that I have committed Christian friends who are supporters of both candidates who ran for President. My Republican friends are disappointed this morning and my Democratic friends are ecstatic. I prayed for both this morning.
Before I prayed for my friends I prayed for our new President. I prayed that four years from now we will be able to say that Barak Obama was the best President that we’ve had in our lifetime. I prayed that the Lord would grip Barak’s heart like no other President we’ve ever had. I prayed that the Lord would bless him as he chooses those who will surround him so that they might give him good counsel for the important decisions that he will have to make beginning with the new year. I prayed that the Lord will use the pressure cooker of being Commander in Chief in drive our new President to his knees in prayer. I also prayed that the Lord would bless his wife, Michelle, and his little girls for that they might thrive as a family in the White House.
I also prayed for the people of our nation. I prayed that we, as Americans, will rally around our new President and support him with our prayers. I prayed that we will open our arms and hearts to embrace him as our leader. I prayed that those who didn’t vote for him will give him a chance. I prayed Ephesians 4:29 for those who have been so passionately opposed to the thought of Barak Obama being our President.
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
(Ephesians 4:29 NIV)
I know that for those in our society who are not walking with God all of this is nonsense. Those who claim no allegiance to Jesus, and supported Obama, will gloat over their victory and use every means to rub it in the face of those who did not support him. Those who claim no allegiance to Jesus, and supported McCain, will continue to say all kinds of stuff to try and undermine Obama before he is even sworn into office. But, for those of us who are followers of Jesus, this cannot be our path, this cannot be our plan of action from this day forward. We must recognize that our governmental leaders are “placed” in their positions of power by God and it is our responsibility to pray for them. We must recognize that our new President and his family will desperately need our prayers and therefore we must begin to pray for them even now. We must recognize that we, as followers of Jesus, are not first and foremost Democrats or Republicans, but we are Christians–called to be a blessing to our leaders.
I went to bed last night before the votes were ever counted because I knew that when I got up today God would still be God no matter who won the election. I slept like a baby because I know that Jesus is Lord over every nation, over every elected official. I went to bed knowing that when I woke up and learned the final tally of the voting that I would be committed to praying for whoever my new President would be. I hope you will join me in praying for our new President regardless of who you voted for in yesterday’s election.
In His Steps,
Mike