After almost two years of non-stop political talk and TV, radio and newspaper advertising filling the media, it is finally over. The voters have spoken and the American people have a new president and vice president-elect. And along with this new leader, thousands of government leaders and representatives were elected or reelected across the United States.
One characteristic of this particular election was that the extremists on both sides of whatever issue, seemed to control the agenda and steer the conversation in their direction. The two issues that seemed to dominate this election cycle (other than candidates’ personal issues) were race and ethnicity.
“Race and ethnicity are God’s gifts to us,” according to The Galli Report. “Given human weakness, they are also a curse, because it’s almost impossible to extol one’s heritage without inadvertently, in subtle ways, denigrating the heritage of others. It’s called pride, the original sin...Subtle and inadvertent racism is part and parcel of the fallen human condition. That means it also applies to black, Native Americans, Asian, Latinos, and so on.
Galli continues, “As I said, the human condition. It’s why the gospel of grace remains today’s core “justice” issue—or better, justification issue. And why we followers of Jesus can listen to the most extreme voices with charity and patience as we try to discern the grace and truth of Jesus in these turbulent times.”
Now we need to turn the page and start working on and praying for the serious issues confronting not only the United States but also Canada.
J. Lee Grady, (Fire in My Bones, October 26, 2016, Charisma) gives us ten requests we should pray for at this crucial time in our history remembering that our leaders can’t solve our nations’ problems.
1. That our leaders will turn to Creator God. Chief Spokane Garry was a leader who was not afraid to declare his faith in Jesus. He was the first to teach the Bible among the Spokanes. He also dared to work with the White men of his day to fight for the rights of his tribe, even though in the end the non-Indigenous people turned their backs on him. Pray that the new president-elect, cabinet, and Congress will not be ashamed to call upon God for wisdom and stand for godly principles.
2. That the U.S. president and Canada’s prime minister and our chiefs will rediscover Creator’s forgotten laws. In the days of Israel’s King Josiah, when the nation’s moral compass went missing, the scrolls of the Old Testament were found in a closet. When the king heard the words of the Scriptures, he tore his clothes, repented and called the nation to serve God again (Second Kings 22-23). Pray that our leaders will follow in the footsteps of Josiah and bravely call for a reformation.
3. That godly prophets will have access to government leaders. Prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah and Elisha called on the kings of Israel to obey the Lord—and Israel was blessed when leaders heeded their message. Who will be the next Billy Graham? Pray that our leaders will open their doors to those God is sending to speak for Him.
4. That we will have righteous judges. Pray that God will raise up judges who honor God’s laws.
5. That we will stop shedding innocent blood. About 3,000 unborn babies die every day in the U.S. (300 a day in Canada). But this devaluation of life is not only evident in the slaughter of innocent children. It is also seen in the sex trafficking of children and women; in the mistreatment of immigrants; in violence against racial minorities; and in exploitation of the poor by greedy corporations. God judged Israel not only for the horrible practice of child sacrifice but also for unjust treatment of the poor (Malachi 3:5). Pray that justice will be restored in our land.
6. That our children will be protected from evil. Pray that our children will be delivered from the schemes of the Evil one—such as illegal drugs, promiscuity, sexual confusion, fatherlessness and harmful entertainment. Pray that we will respond by nurturing a new generation of youth who follow godly truth.
7. That God will defend us from our foreign enemies.
8. That our economy will not crumble. In the days of Elisha, the spiritual condition of Israel was so bad that God sent a famine that resulted in economic crisis. It was not unlike a Great Depression—and it was so bad that people resorted to cannibalism to survive. It could happen again if we forget the source of our true wealth.
9. That a great spiritual awakening will revive the nation. After King Josiah heard God’s Word and repented, he triggered a national turnaround. No king in Israel turned so dramatically back to God (Second Kings 23:25). Could the same thing happen today?
10. That God will show mercy instead of judgment. When Hezekiah became king, “he did right in the sight of the Lord” (Second Kings 18:3). The result was that God showed mercy to Israel and even extended the king’s life. Could He do that today for Canada and the U.S.?
James 2:13 says: “Mercy triumphs over judgment.” Let’s be the true salt and light in our culture and be a spotlight and reveal truth where there’s darkness.
