Pray for the Elections...

(Used by permission by my friend Betty Newman in Knoxville TN)

1Timothy 2:1-4 First of all, then, I exhort that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all mankind; for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who will have all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Our precious Heavenly Father, I lift to You the prayers of Your people. those joys and petitions that have been voiced this morning. And for the burdens that lay quietly, but heavily on our hearts. Oh Father, today I pray for this nation. I pray for the leaders of our nation. Today and every day, fill them with Your spirit and Your guidance.

Father, as we are in the midst of a time of elections, as the "positioning" continues, as we exercise our freedom and recognize our responsibility to vote this Tuesday, open our eyes as we seek for whom we should vote. Before we enter the voting booth, let us enter our prayer closets and go to our knees. Lead us in our choice of leaders, and decision makers - both locally and nationally. But oh Lord, even as we pray this prayer, as we cry out, we are afraid that You will give us what we "deserve." That in giving us what we "need" You will allow us to be carried into "captivity" as You did those who were "chosen" and bore Your very Name.But in many ways, we are already in captivity - the captivity of our souls and our hearts. We are enslaved by our possessions and in bondage to our own selfish desires. Father we realize that it isn't the money, or the earning of money that is evil - it is what we do with it! We are entrusted with such a huge amount of the world's resources, and yet still the world is hungry. And we must ask ourselves, is my neighbor hungry?

Please Father, don't give us what we deserve. Have mercy on us, and forgive us. And lead us to elect leaders who will bring us to the place of righteousness. I pray that we have not gone too far. God I pray for revival in this land, in our churches and in our own hearts. I pray that we Your people, who are called by Your name, will turn from our ways, and pray, and that indeed, You will heal our land and our souls. We lift our prayer to You this morning, calling upon the Name above all names, we pray in Jesus' Name - Amen.