How to View the Election with Hope and Peace
I had another post written for today when I realized it’s the morning after the U.S. Presidential election. So, I’m saving that one for another day because the Lord has prompted me to share something else.
Many of us voted yesterday and did so with strong feelings about the outcome. With that in mind, assuming we know the election results, I imagine some of you are happy and relieved and some are upset and concerned about the future.
It’s possible that even if your candidate won, you’re feeling anxious about the country’s future. I understand. Our political leaders and media personalities have done their best to tell us that we’re about to experience the end of freedom as we know it.
Things may change, that’s true, but not even the most powerful authorities in the world have absolute authority.
I was reminded of the following truth as I read these words from Paul…
Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
Romans 13:1 (NIV)
The Life Application Bible Notes add the following…
“Christians agree that we are to live at peace with the state as long as the state allows us to live by our religious convictions. [No understanding of this verse] advocates rebellion against the government’s laws or regulations unless those laws clearly require you to violate the moral standards revealed by God.”
As followers of Christ, we are children of God called to faith in Him which prompts us to TRUST and OBEY His will.
Remember…
God used countless terrible kings to accomplish His plans and purposes. Here are just a few…
- Pharoah made slaves of God’s people and refused to free them.
- Ahab promoted idolatry and child sacrifice.
- Nebuchadnezzar took God’s people captive to Babylon.
- Herod the Great fulfilled prophecy by killing baby boys in Bethlehem.
- Herod Antipas killed John the Baptist.
Whenever God allowed an evil ruler in Scripture, He did so to show His people how very much they needed to KNOW, LOVE, and TRUST Him.
No matter who sits on earthly thrones, the Lord alone is forever and always King of kings and Lord of lords.
A Psalmist wrote…
The Lord is king! He is robed in majesty.
Psalm 93:1–2
Indeed, the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength.
The world stands firm
and cannot be shaken.
Your throne, O Lord, has stood from time immemorial.
You Yourself are from the everlasting past.
However you feel today, God is in control! When the enemy challenges you with fear and anxiety about the future … remind him who’s in charge and keep an eternal perspective. Whatever happens here is temporary. Leaders come and go but the promises of the Lord last forever…
For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
2 Corinthians 4:17–18
Let’s pray…
A Prayer to View the Election
with Hope and Peace
Father God, You are well aware of all the unrest that has led up to this election. Promises and accusations have flowed from both sides and people have chosen the person they believe is best for the country.
Today, some are relieved and some are devastated. I come to You in faith trusting that whoever has been elected You are on the throne. You reign over all Your creation. You use persons and circumstances to accomplish Your plans and purposes.
Your desire is for “everyone to be saved and to understand the truth” about Jesus and Your grace, mercy, and love. (1 Timothy 2:4) I pray, whether we are happy today or not, that You will help us all focus on the truth of Your eternal promises. You will bring many to SEEK and TRUST Your Son and our Savior, Jesus.
Then please prepare our hearts and minds for His return. May we focus on the things that last forever and always. May we love You and people as You desire.
Finally Lord, will You turn the hearts and minds of our leaders to You. May they make God-honoring decisions following Your commands in ways that bless us and glorify You. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
The Holy Spirit inspired Timothy to write…
I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.
1 Timothy 2:1–4
In the days and weeks ahead, may we diligently pray for our leaders asking the Lord to give them knowledge of the truth, wisdom, and a desire to be just and righteous.
God be with you, bless you, and give you His peace. He is Lord of all! He has a plan and nothing will stand in His way.
We would love to pray for you.
You can leave your prayer requests here…
and even take a few minutes to pray over the list left by our friends.
Never Miss an Update
Leave your email address and I’ll send you a short email every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to alert you to each new devotion. Plus you’ll receive a copy of 30 Ways to Bless Your Marriage and Keep the Spark Burning
I always enjoy hearing from you! Please take a minute to say ‘hi” and share your thoughts in the comments below.
And if this article blessed or helped you today — would you share it with someone? Maybe a friend, family member, coworker, or through the links below…
Thanks again for visiting! Don’t forget to check out the links below to find additional posts that will bless you…
What a great message, Deb. Yes, I’m happy and I know God is our sovereign and forever Lord. Blessings!
Thanks so much, sweet friend! God bless you!
Thank you. I just shaared this on Facebook. Having friends on both ends of the political spectrum and everywhere in between, I’m looking for unity and peace. Beautifully written.
Thank you so much, Kim. Thanks for sharing it as well. I’m joining you in prayer asking the Lord to unite us and give us His peace. Blessings and hugs!
Amen, Deb! I pray to react with grace in any differences I have with anyone. I am also praying that our leaders look always to God and lead our nation with grace, humility, and dignity. We have become such a country of weariness and disillusion, and I pray for America to once again become “One Nation Under God.” I pray constantly for healing for our nation, but accepting God’s will always. GOD is INDEED the RULER of the world and offers grace to all. I pray today for God to heal our land with His Amazing Grace as we extend grace to each other, even those we may think of as enemies. Giving God all the praise, all the glory and trusting always in HIM! May hope and joy be with all those who read this today! Thank you for this grace filled post today! Love and hugs, dear friend!
I am joining you in those prayers, Kathy! I know many of us have been praying and asking the Lord to heal our nation. May this be the beginning of revival and change. God’s richest blessings! Hugs!!
From a neighbor to the north, who doesn’t understand the results, but trusts God’s plan and timing, I pray the same for all of you, for all of the United States…May you all stand UNITED in His plan and timing❤️
Thank you, JoAnne! I appreciate your visit, your encouragement to us all, and your prayers. God bless you!
I love all of this post, and I especially love the part where you said leaders come and go but the promises of God are forever!! That is so very true. I am happy and hope, like Kathy and others that our leaders will follow the Laws of our Lord. We have a great country. God should always be front and center of all we do.
God bless you my sweet friend. You wrote a beautiful post today, (of course, you always do)
Thanks so much, dear friend! I agree! Oh, that we could have revival and turn back to the Lord as a nation. God bless you!!
Perfect message and so direct to the truth, thank you, just what all needs to hear and understand.
Thanks so much, Alice! Continuing to pray for the Lord to heal and unite the country. God bless you!
For me, this election had absolutely nothing to do with the candidates. But everything to do with what they represented. The current leadership went out of its way to turn their nose and thumb up on God. They challenged His sovereignty, they despised God’s laws, even His very name. They challenged God’s creation of a men and a women. This was the first time in this country’s history that the foundation of this Nation on God was questioned and challenged. It was also the first time that God was omitted from official communication. It was the same challenge that Satan issued at the beginning of the ages in his quest for God’s throne. Our leadership became wicked toward God. Wicked is disobedience to Holy God. Wickedness is deliberate, willful, rejecting the Truth of the Word of God, not only by what we say, but by the way we live.
In these past years it came to culmination that we’ve become a compromising nation. We have accepted ways of life that absolutely are forbidden, and warned by God there will absolutely be a judgment. We have allowed our faith to be questioned; our convictions to be questioned; our lifestyle to be changed. And we have allowed it to happen right before our eyes.
For me, this was at stake at this election…..God’s honor and the big question, if we as a Nation, willing to recognize how far we got from God, His will and law, and repent as the Ninevehians did and return to Him.
If a nation has drifted from the Lord, then even when leaders consider themselves advanced and intellectual, their thinking nevertheless becomes darkened (Ephesians 4:17-18). Soon sin is commonplace and considered acceptable among the people. We have to stand up for what we believe. We’re to be true to the Word of God. We know what the Truth is.
God warned us – “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life”.
If you look at the way we’re living as a nation, we don’t believe this passage. You can’t turn up your nose at God and just say, ‘Well, we’re going to do what we want to do and we’re going to be blessed anyway and we’re going to get by with it’. God says, “Whatever a man, sows, this he will also reap”. You can’t change that.
Not just God bless America, but God, turn America around. Send us whatever is necessary to bring us to repentance.
I love that you included Nebuchadnezzar Deb. As he is a perfect example of God’s endless mercy. While he was a ruthless king, he too turned his life around and surrendered to the one God. Nothing is impossible to an omnipotent God 🙂
I used previously quotes from Reagan, and these are two that have very special meaning to me –
“”Without God, democracy will not and cannot long endure.”
“We must be cautious in claiming God is on our side. I think the real question we must answer is, ARE WE ON HIS SIDE?”
Apologies for the long winded comment…
Hello Gaby,
I love reading your post. I can feel your passion for our God as I read it. However, I must say I thought it as a bit ironic. We can go down the history books about political parties and their values, end the end it is our right to choose with party closest represents the values that mean the most to us. So, voting one political party over another is not and shall never be an issue in the Christian church. However, voting for a man who practically spits in your Christian bother’s and sister’s face, laughs at our God by the way he lives and the things he says, spuing hatred our of his mouth every chance he gets because he is a marketing genius, lies at every turn…You gave some great scriptures but you may want to read them again and apply them to the man that was voted into office. Again, voting republican or democrat is not and never shall be a problem. If you feel the Republican leadership as a whole aligns closer to your Christian values than democrats, then great, vote republican , and the same goes for the other side. But lets not lie to ourselves or disrespect our God but say voting for that man was voting on God’s side.
I think you’re right, Leak. Many vote the platform that best aligns with their values and voted for Pres. Trump because his was the platform that best fit their Christian values. It’s then up to us to pray for the person who is elected. I’m praying that we as followers of Jesus can come together for the good of our nation. God bless you!
Not once did I say that Trump is sinless. On the otherhand, maybe growing up in a communist regime, I also understand and can see through the propaganda that an aligned media can create and the influence it can wield. And the fact is that both the opposing party as its minions in the main stream media spewed hatred toward this man in the past 9 years non stop. And many believed at face value what they heard. I’ve seen the same kind of trials they subjected him to in my own communist oppressed country. There was no difference. Anyone can be tried and found guilty with the properly selected prosecution and judges…..that’s all it takes.
But here comes the question – are we aligning with the world and its opinion of life’s affairs, or are we following God’s law? Are we seeking His truth and wisdom in each situation, or we following the crowed?
Aside of these political aspects – I have to refocus on the main subject, – this election wasn’t about Trump. It was about what the other party elected to represent, the standards of the anti-christ. That plundered to globalism, that purposely omitted and removed God from the equation of the daily life. That mocked and persecuted Christians and believers. If a Saint would have run under their flag, which Harris is far from, I still couldn’t vote for them for these very reasons. Do you know that the only way the Beast/anti christ will be able to succeed during the tribulation is through globalism? Only through globalism will he be able to gain ultimate control over the world, its financies, all aspects of life, and punish the remaining believers and jews on this earth by preventing them buying and selling = surviving.
And while I see perfectly clear who Trump is, let me ask this. How were you able to reconcile to vote for Biden who took showers with his own teenage daughter, who sold out the country and its people piece by piece to the highest bidder for personal gain. Who’s greed has no limit neither for money or power. Or, for Harris, who made a career by sleeping with married man double her age so they can push her career ahead. And when she had control then she used it to jail innocent people who spent decades in jail, their lives forever ruined that cost CA millions in retribution. Who unleashed on the country and its citizens half a million convicted criminals that caused the lives of countless young girls, children, a mother of 5. Who declared there is no such a thing as men and women = God didn’t know what He was doing and His creation is faulty. Who condoned the mutation of children on the altar of LGBTQ and transgenderism. The same was going on during Biblical times in Sodom and Gomorrah, during the times of Noah and in Canaan when Joshua reclaimed the land. And God’s judgment for these practices was loud and clear.
That’s why I never vote on ideology, neither by party lines as they all faulty based on human traits and founded in sin. But vote on which side represents closer God’s view point. I’m not worried about my needs, as the Lord proven time and time again that until I place my trust and faith in Him, He’s going to meet my needs regardless who’s in power. Survived this past 4 yrs. Wasn’t easy, required lots of sacrifice but God was there with us each step of the way.
The biggest thing is that the Nation recognized how far it got from God. Social media was filled with these cries, repentance and prayers for another chance. Just as Nineveh did when Jonah gave them the ultimatum….. Turn or Burn….
This is why that Reagan quote hit home – the real question is ARE WE ON GOD’S SIDE?
While I don’t know how Trump reacted, I know what his campaign people did – broke out in the wee hours of the morning in a spontaneous, collective singing praising God…..
I love that last quote, Gaby. It is so true. We must be most concerned that we are living in alignment with God’s will. No, we won’t ever do it perfectly this side of heaven. (Praise God for His mercy and grace.) But we certainly can make it our hearts’ desires and do our best. May we make every effort to live for God’s glory. Blessings, my friend!
Deb, this touched me so much. In my heart I know that no matter who is sitting in the White House or any of our seats of authority, God is on the throne and in control. I am so tired of the media creating so much dissent in our country. Satan is at work and that’s what I keep reminding myself but sometimes it gets so hard to turn a deaf ear to it because he just bombards us with it. My husband listens to it practically non-stop and he stays depressed. I’ve asked him why he listens and he says it’s to stay current. I just don’t trust any of them. Maybe that’s wrong of me. I pray that I can keep my eyes on the Lord and let Him lead me, not man. Thank you for your words of encouragement.
I hear you, Donna! The enemy is using many outlets to divide and upset us. I think you’re wise to try to limit who and what you hear. Rev used to challenge me to ingest less of the news. I try to balance and I’m very careful about the voices I choose. And then I remind myself daily that it is all in God’s hands. If He could use Pharaoh, Herod, and Nebuchadnezzar to accomplish His purposes in the past … He can use anyone He chooses today. Thanks for visiting and for joining the conversation. God bless you!
I enjoy getting you post in my email. They provide a great way to add to my morning devotion. Let me say I agree with everything you said about God being in control, we know that ultimately, He is. However, feelings are real and we live in a time where leaders are voted in by the people, showing the make up and conscious of our nation. What is so sad about the outcome of this election is that I keep hearing so many Christians (and I am a Christian by the way, an Elder at my church) talk about voting their morals but yet they voted for one of the most outwardly self-proclaimed sinners who has ever ran to President. Feelings would not be so harsh if our country would have voted for the Republican party to gain control of the Senate and the House. It is the fact that they voted for him and try to use Christian values as the excuse. Voting republican or democrat is not the issue as I can provide a list of pros and cons that each party does as it relates to Christian values according to the Bible. The issue our country faces and what will show the true divide in the Christian Church is that so many were willing to over the the sins of this man, willing to vote for lier , bigot, cheat, chauvinist, narcissistic … showing just how far they are willing to compromise in their Christian values. Voting for him shows a persons true colors and their lack of love for their brothers and sisters. Once again, the overall negative feelings people are experiencing is not about voting Republican or Democrat, that has never split the nation or the Church to this extreme, it has everything to do with showing just how the nation feels about other by voting for him.
Thank you, Leak, for subscribing and reading my devotions. You are right. Feelings are real and I know there are many who are disappointed with the outcome of the election. I do believe that God can use the President Elect now and in the years to come to accomplish His plans and purposes. God knows we’re all sinners saved by grace. We all need Jesus to work in so that He can work through us. So, let’s pray for the future President to have great faith in the Lord Jesus and serve the country with wisdom. It would be a wonderful way for Christians to unite prayerfully asking the Lord to heal our nation. And may we as a country turn back to godly values and live according to His will. May God be with you and bless you!