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DC, MARYLAND PRIMARIES APRIL 3! Remember to pray and vote. More info here.
A week ago, I ran into George Washington in front of my apartment.
For now, suffice to say President Washington offered me a petition. A pastor friend wanted to run for office, and needed needed the necessary signatures to be included on the ballot.
Between signatures, our Nation’s first president was gracious enough to afford me an interview. Almost by accident, his insights are amazingly relevant to the theme of today’s posting. I also included wisdom from Pierre Bynum, prayer coordinator for the FRC. What do we look for in candidates? What qualifies a candidate for office? These are great questions, especially over primary day for DC and Maryland!
CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO–GEORGE WASHINGTON, PIERRE BYNUM, MORE!
My friend Jason Hershey, Director of the Washington House of Prayer, also has some incredible revelation regarding the 2012 election. Jason and W-HOP intercessors recently embarked on a 40 day vigil to pray onsite for President Obama. That to say, he lives what he shares. Jason’s posting is below.
How to pray for the 2012 Elections–by Jason Hershey
There have been many thoughts on how to pray for the elections in 2012. Most of them however, if looked at with discernment are not asking the question of how to pray for the presidential election in 2012, rather they are asking the question, “Which candidate should I pray should win?!” With this article, I want to push us back to the original question, “How should we pray for the presidential elections in 2012?!” I have only two points. First of all, pray for President Obama. Second, pray for those who can vote in this election.
Praying for our President
First of all, Pray for President Barack Obama. I Timothy 2:1-4 says. “1 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”
Is it God’s will that President Obama would be radically made into a new creation in Christ Jesus? Absolutely! We see here that good government is the will of God. We must pray God’s will. But we must also pray in faith. What happens when we ask anything in Jesus’ name according to His will? Come on!
In Faith and the Fear of the Lord
Praying with faith is the most elementary teaching in intercessory prayer. To pray, but not actually believe God to answer that prayer is unbelief through and through. This is a plea for more prayer for President Obama! It is God’s will that he comes to a knowledge of the truth!!
Anything that is not of faith is sin (Romans 14:23) . To pray for President Obama’s transformation, then after the meeting to have a conversation with your buddy about how you really don’t expect him to change, certainly isn’t praying in faith. My friends, repent and believe! So many have put their faith in the electoral process that God’s given us, more than the Holy Spirit of Revelation Himself. We are so grateful for the gift of the voting process, but God is not limited to that for His Kingdom to increase in our government!
If we do not pray for the President we have, we are completely abdicating our authority and not listening to Jesus’ call on our lives in 1 Timothy 2:1-4. How can God grant us Godly leadership when his church is still walking in passivity and unbelief in this key passage dealing with governing officials? We must pray for President Obama, in faith, in the fear of the Lord!
Pray for the American Voter
Secondly, Pray for the American voter. To pray for “kings and those in authority” in America means to pray for the voter. The ultimate accountability and authority in America is not the President, it’s the voter. The President can always be fired, every four years. In America we have had the same supreme authority for over two hundred years, the voter, the American people!
To stand against evil, the American voter, specifically the church of America, must vote according to righteousness and justice, the foundation of His throne. Let’s first pray for the American Church, that we simply would vote! Statistics are such that if the American Church would vote according to scripture we would have pro-life, pro-family, pro-faith leaders in every arena! The greek word, “ekklesia” in Matthew 16:18 translated “church,” literally means “ a governing ruling body” much like our “congress.” Pray that the church would vote and be that ekklesia! No more passivity on election day!
Vote According to Biblical Foundations
Next, pray that we’d vote on biblical foundations. The foundational biblical truth that our American constitution is based upon concerning representative government is found in Exodus 18:21. (18 & 21 are benchmark ages of maturity in America! Remember this reference!) “But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.”
Here we find our foundational requirements to be elected.
- Capable.
- Fear God.
- Trustworthy.
- Who hate dishonest gain.
Every candidate must be vetted in the heart of the biblical American voter on these four points. For a confessed believer in biblical Christianity to vote, “Whoever can beat Obama!” is flat out unbiblical! Change your mind today! “Electability” (in the eyes of the world) is a foolish, unbiblical, and not God-fearing way to vote! How can God send reformation when his church is playing politics and not standing on His Word?!
Knowing Jesus
I might add one thing. How can one say he fears God, when he does even know the name of the Lord? These are the words I’m looking for from a Presidential candidate. “I love the Lord, and his name is Jesus.” But He still must be capable too! King David loved the Lord! Oh God, give us leadership like David!
We must vote! This goes for the primaries, local positions, as well as the Presidential election this coming November. And vote according to Exodus 18:21!
Pray, Discern, Vote
As for me, I will pray in faith for the full transformation of our President Obama, and pray for revival in the American Citizenry. Then next November, I will vet the candidates in my heart according to scripture and vote in the fear of the Lord. If you are in a state where the primary for the Republican nominee is still in front of you, you must vet them according to scripture and vote now! “Electability” is not biblical at all. Let’s pray for all believers in Jesus this year to “vote in the fear of God!”
That’s it! Two points on how to pray for the 2012 elections. If we will pray in faith for Obama and the American voter and then vote in the fear of God ourselves as an American church, expect leadership with biblical world-view in America by January of 2013! No more token Prayers for President Obama! Let’s press in now! And no more playing politics, but back to biblical, God-fearing voting!
I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of feeling disappointed with the options given each November!
If we would do this, I believe one day we will not be voting between the “lesser of two evils” so to speak, but we would have the great issue of needing to discern the better of the two bests! Come on friends! Let’s pray, believe and vote according to 1 Timothy 2 and Exodus 18:21.
A final thought. Let’s caution ourselves about talking about praying for the elections, and never actually praying! I encourage you, stop what you are doing even right now and pray for the leadership of America!
