Politics ---- It'sTime to Pray --- For Real Though

2 Chronicles 7:12-14
12 And the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for a house of sacrifice. 13 If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; 14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

More than ever before we must realize the great spiritual battle that we are in and understand the pivotal role that the church is summoned to play in the trenches, our homes and all the way to the White House. I believe that though we must strive as those who can be counted on to fervently pray for and support our leaders; prayer now is much more than just a good idea but a necessity. May we get down on our knees and with faces bowed down and even with contrite hearts; do whatever is necessary to seek God our Father in our nation’s behalf.

Why must we wait for tragedies to humble ourselves and seek God? Why must bad happen that good might come? Even on this horizon of change and with the possibilities of new beginnings is it not a good thing to seek the Lord while He may be found? I plead that neither our blessings nor our burdens will hinder us from setting heaven ablaze with our most humble prayers. Most assuredly there are multitudes that not long ago faired well but have since endured a struggle just to keep up with the basics in the heat of this harsh economic climate. Sadly, many of the less fortunate are literally drowning in a sure reality that all is not well. There should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that our nation is sick. She has a terrible fever that must be tended to. Yet, in comparison to most other nations we must never forget that we are still among the most healthily blessed people on earth. No doubt, unfortunately, sometimes it is our blessings that blind us and bind us from ever bonding in covenant relationship with the one who is truly the ‘giver of every good and perfect gift.’

So, standing for neither party but intent on making the most positive vote possible I am left in a rather vicarious situation. Before me I see two extremes each with pros and each with cons. With no options to choose buffet it’s been rather difficult for me to eat everything on the menu from either candidate’s table. I’ve always been a picky eater. Not being a respecter of persons or parties used to make things easy but somehow things have changed. What do you do when you want the best of both foods but the worst in both of them is so bad that one causes migraine headaches and the other cause ulcers? Do you choose the headaches or to you choose the ulcers? While others have easily celebrated, I’ve found myself mentally frustrated and inside of a near death, political experience more and more.

Trying my best to be optimistic, practical, and pragmatic and not to be too much swayed by all the hype or special effects of any platform is difficult. After all, we all carry some degree of bias, prejudice, partiality and preference. Honestly, I’m finding that the road to the place where my self interests are denied and denounced is never a paved road but a dirt road filled with enormous holes. Yet, get there I must. Why? Because a young nation is at stake and she cannot afford to miscarry the baby that she carries. There is a Joshua Generation that is watching to see what the actions of their mothers and fathers will be. They want to know the real meaning of change and to know the difference between rhetoric and reality. They want to know if the bridges that are now being built towards hope will support their weight and if its engineers even thought enough to at least re-check their calculations. They want to know if Dr. King’s dream was true and which one really is more important ‘the color of one’s skin’ or the ‘context of one’s heart.’ They want to know if Adam and Eve are truly co-equal and even co-equipped to subdue the earth. They want to know if God really knew us ‘before we were formed in the womb.’ They want to know if ‘the love of money is the root of all evil.’ They want to know why it is so hard for a rich a man [those making over $5 million a year] to enter the kingdom of God. They want to know if greed can cause failures like Enron and if hate and ignorance can cause an atrocity like Katrina. They want to know which is worst the 5,ooo+ innocent Americans killed when the planes went down or the equivalent or more of our young sons and daughters who will die in this endless war? They want to know if ‘righteousness’ really does exalt a nation and furthermore, they want to know ‘what is righteousness in the first place?’ They want to know ‘who has the right definition of family; God or man?’ They especially want to know what God’s idea of marriage is all about and most importantly, ‘is it even relevant any more?’ Then last but not least there are a lot of Joshua Generation who are still soaking wet who want to know how is it possible that we can protect and police the uttermost parts of the world and not even protect our own ‘Jerusalem’ called ‘New Orleans?’

You see, our Joshua Generation is bright and they have so many questions that need to be answered. They not only want to watch the debates but they want to participate and to get answers for their questions? They are not watching for entertainment. They are not interested in who can slam who the hardest. They don’t want to know who has the knock out punch. They can watch cable for that! But they need to know how long this planet is going to be around for them to enjoy. They want to know what shape this country is going to be in by the time they pick a spot in it to settle down in. I really don’t think its politics that has caught their attention but instead they have caught wind of the fact that in a large way their fate really does rest in our hands. What frightening responsibility we have! What a sobering sense of reality we must live with; that we have been sovereignly chosen by God to make such huge and impactful decisions in such crucial times as these. It is shocking that God would trust us that much!


In closing, politics will always have its place in America and we should be sure to support its lofty ideals and principles to the fullest extent possible. Yet, as the children of God, called to be ‘in the world but not of it’; we must be careful to have a uniquely different agenda and a much different strategy for change from what is being offered by either the Republicans, Democrats or the Independents! That’s why it is that God’s word affirms for us ‘Do not put your trust in man!’ Surely, they all will make their promises but what they have most in common is the fact that regardless of their party they will all fall short! Surely, just like us, they all have strengths and they all have weaknesses. If we look closely enough we can see the freckles of compromise at some level or another on all of their faces. In a nutshell, I honestly believe that if we can peak past the clichés, slogans and the noise of the media we can see two very different people who earnestly want to get to the same location but are dead set on getting there by taking two totally different and almost opposite routes. A lot has been said about a ‘lack of integrity’ and ‘evil sinister plots’ put together to destroy this nation but I believe that’s ludicrous to think so negatively of either candidate. I believe they are both relatively honorable men who are quite different. There is no reason to vilify either one of them. Our only task is to choose just one of them who we believe most able and competent to lead this nation as the next President of the United States of America into a climate of national health via wholesome values, economic strength, national security, foreign policy and the bipartisan unity needed to hold this country together better than super glue .


So, we must do our best not to be blinded by the flash of the cameras for the newfound ‘celebrity’ or to be deafened by the cheering praises of the rich man’s ‘hero.’
If our prayers are to ‘take feet’ and our hope is to become our reality then we must pray differently than we have always prayed. If true change is what we truly want; then every citizen must take on the duty of where all true change starts; not the White House but in the mirror.

Yes, your vote counts [ hopefully!] Yes, your vote makes a difference and it carries the voice of all of those who came before us who wanted to vote but couldn’t. So, let us honor the millions of Americans who were once denied the right to vote in our past along with honoring the millions of our children who will in the future be depending on our vote to leave them a legacy that will serve as their foundation. Let us join our hearts across this nation in doing something spectacular, special and awesome. Let us go far beneath the surface of all that is said no matter who says what. Like the tedious scribes of old let us hold on to every sound and to every syllable and let us scrutinize every word by every candidate, every supporter and every opponent. Let us be sure to listen in with pen and paper in hand. Let us be sure to research every argument for ourselves; sure to investigate each and every claim. Let us evaluate every slogan, speech and the weight of each promise against the weight of God’s word. Finally, let us do whatever it takes using every measure possible to exercise good reason as we are open to hear the arguments of each side of the fence. Then with a spiritual eye and a good conscious we can all know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we made the best choice possible not because of our friends; not because of party loyalty; not because of our prejudice but because of the light of revealed truth. And most importantly, between now and then let us pray for our leaders like the soul of our very nation depended on it because it does. Indeed, she is sick but there is hope indeed.


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