The atmosphere grows tense almost everywhere when the subject
of politics comes up. In two weeks America will choose people to set the course
of our towns, states, and nation. At the top of the ballot are two people that
provoke strong reactions in us. “I could
never vote for her! She is …” and then comes the long list of objections. “Him?
Can you imagine him in the White House?” and another long list of objections. It is not just policy matters that divide
Americans. There are deep personal reactions to the Presidential candidates in
this race.
On this we can agree, we need wisdom as we vote. The election is not just about who will
provide more benefits to us. It is about the future, about responding to the ongoing
threats of war, about use of resources, about the kind of society we will be. Christian,
it should go without saying but I’ll remind us anyway. It is time to pray:
real, earnest, heart-felt prayers that seek the wisdom of our God.
Nehemiah heard about the continuing crisis in Jerusalem.
Reconstruction efforts were stymied. People were discouraged. The walls of the
city were still in ruins after decades of trying to rebuild them. The Temple of
God had not been restored for worship and sacrifice. "When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned
and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven." (Nehemiah 1:4, NIV) That
is a model for us in these times, isn’t it? Perhaps we should talk less and
pray more!
His prayer begins with a higher focus. "Then I
said: “O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant
of love with those who love him and obey his commands." (Nehemiah 1:5,
NIV) When we pray for America, our faith
will grow when we kneel in adoration before
the Living, Loving Lord who is bigger than the election of 2016! Nehemiah was hearing a call that he was not
naturally equipped to answer – to go and do where so many others had failed.
So, he looked up.
He continues with true
confession of the sin that caused it all to happen in the first place. “I
confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s house, have
committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not
obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses."
(Nehemiah 1:6-7, NIV) Pointing the
finger of blame only deepens the divide. In our prayer for this nation, we need
to feel God’s sorrow over the sin of this land – apathy about spiritual
matters, greed, hatred, immorality, and selfishness; to name a few. Can you
acknowledge your part in failing God? Nehemiah wept! His brokenness was real
and he felt the weight of shame and guilt of his people. In his confession, he
opened the possibility of forgiveness and change. Lord, break our heart with what breaks Yours.
Then, he prays the
promises of God. “Remember the instruction you gave your
servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the
nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled
people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring
them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’" (Nehemiah
1:8-9, NIV) I love to pray the Word! When my prayers are anchored by God’s promises,
faith grows. Nehemiah’s prayers about the restoration of Jerusalem were
persistent and extended, going on for 6 months. That kind of prayer needs a
solid foundation and he found it in the covenant of God. Christian, we have a covenant, an agreement
with God, that Christ Jesus established. We are invited to come to the Throne
of Grace to find mercy, not because we are good enough, not because we have
accumulated a number of points in Heaven, but because our Great High Priest
invites us in!
Finally, he makes his
request with specificity. "O Lord, let your ear be attentive to
the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight
in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in
the presence of this man.” (Nehemiah 1:11, NIV) Nehemiah went on to do amazing things, not
only restoring the infrastructure of Jerusalem, but laying the foundation of
the renewal of the faith of his people, leading a national spiritual revival! He acknowledges the source of his success,
too. "And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted
my requests." (Nehemiah 2:8, NIV) After we worship, confess, and renew our hope
in His promise, let’s not fail to close the loop by asking God for specific
things with confidence. James teaches us
that one of the reasons we do not see God at work is that we fail to ask! Our God is not obligated to do everything we
ask of Him, but He hears every prayer. A
‘no’ is just as real an answer as a ‘yes.’
May we have the faith to accept what He decrees, but at the same time,
we must not slip into apathy about prayer. We hold the power to change the
course of history!
So, in these next two weeks, let us pray! On that,
hopefully, we can all agree. Regardless
of our political persuasion we who love Christ Jesus can come together in humility
to pray.
Spend a few moments meditating on this word from the Word.
Lord, let faith grow in us, helping us to take hold of the Kingdom and bring
Your eternal purposes to our day to day life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
"Jesus said,
“What a generation! No sense of God! No focus to your lives! How many times do
I have to go over these things? How much longer do I have to put up with this?
Bring the boy here.” He ordered the afflicting demon out—and it was out, gone.
From that moment on the boy was well. When the disciples had Jesus off to
themselves, they asked, “Why couldn’t we throw it out?” “Because you’re not yet
taking God seriously,” said Jesus. “The simple truth is that if you had a mere
kernel of faith, a poppy seed, say, you would tell this mountain, ‘Move!’ and
it would move. There is nothing you wouldn’t be able to tackle.” (Matthew
17:17-20, The Message)
______________________
May we be a shining
light to the nations
A shining light to the
peoples of the earth
'Til the whole world
sees the glory of Your name
May Your pure light
shine through us
May we bring a word of
hope to the nations
A word of life to the
peoples of the earth
'Til the whole world
knows
There's salvation
through Your name
May Your mercy flow
through us
May we be a healing
balm to the nations
A healing balm to the
peoples of the earth
'Til the whole world
knows
The power of Your name
May Your healing flow
through us
May we sing a song of
joy to the nations
A song of praise to
the peoples of the earth
'Til the whole world
rings
With the praises of
Your name
May Your song be sung
through us
May Your kingdom come
to the nations
Your will be done in
the peoples of the earth
'Til the whole world
knows
That Jesus Christ is
Lord
May Your kingdom come
in us
May Your kingdom come
in us
May Your kingdom come
on earth
Chris Christensen
© 1986 Integrity's Hosanna! Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG
Publishing (IMI))
CCLI License # 810055
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