Election Day

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 

 

I won’t be sad when I no longer receive my 5 calls a day from Washington.  I won’t miss the commercials, billboards, and yard signs.  And even more than all of that, I am so ready for political Facebook posts to subside!  Although I say I am ready for election day to come and go, there is part of me that is not ready for it to be over.  This morning I woke with a troubled heart and anxious thoughts.  I feel anxious about what the next 4 years means for our country and my family.  I feel like if we just sit in this limbo I am “safe”.  All of those thoughts are wrong.  They indicate a lack of trust in the One who knows my thoughts.  This morning I opened my devotions and God spoke to me through His word.  He didn’t tell me that the candidate that I will vote for at 12:30 this afternoon is going to win.  And He certainly didn’t tell me that the next four years is going to be smooth sailing for this country or my family.  Instead, God gave me Romans 8. I read it and thanked God that I am not controlled by the flesh, but by the Spirit.  I thanked Him for reminding me of my future glory and assuring me that this world is not my home.  And finally I bow in humble gratitude that He reminded me of this:   

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ³⁶ As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

 

Heavenly Father, I pray for these things foremost:

That your kingdom will come, that your will be done in the United States as it is in heaven.

That you will in no ways remove blessings from our country but rather pour more out according to your will and in keeping with your mercy and holiness. We pray for justice for the indigent poor, the marginalized, the sick, the dispossessed, the oppressed, the unborn killed by abortions past, and the unborn endangered by the threat of abortions to come.

That you will keep your church unified in the gospel of your Son Jesus Christ and in the harmony of love and humility.

That you will keep us from idols, political or religious or otherwise, knowing that our permanent residency is the kingdom of heaven.

And that you will send your Spirit on a mission of Christian revival in this land, which is our only hope of salvation from sin and shame, and from leaders and lawgivers who cannot escape sin and shame nor deliver us from them.

In the authoritative name of Jesus I pray,
Amen

(this prayer was taken from The Gospel Coalition blog)

(I encourage you read all of Romans 8 today.  It is a beautiful reminder for us today and everyday of of what it means for us to live life through the Spirit)