A Post-Election Prayer

Since I posted an election eve prayer, I thought it would be the symmetrical thing to do to post a post-election prayer as well.  On the morning after, half the country is ecstatic; half the country is something of a combination of shocked, distressed, sad, and/or downright bitter.  It's important that Christians keep perspective, don't you think?  Whether your candidate won or lost, it's important to keep God and His word in view.  I hope this prayer does that.

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We praise you, our Father, that you are the God of the universe: Creator, Sustainer, King, the One who was and is and is to come.  Holy!  Holy!  Holy!  The whole earth is full of your glory!  That was true yesterday.  That is true today.  That will be true in every tomorrow and for all eternity.

We praise you that you put rulers in their places, sometimes for blessing and sometimes for judgment, and that you blow them down when they have served your purpose.  We praise you that you can turn the heart of kings to this way or that whether they want it or not, whether they realize it or not.

We praise you that we live in a country where we can vote for our leaders.  America’s people have spoken.  But even more, you have spoken.  Help those of your people who are disappointed today to remember that.

There is much about your sovereignty we don’t understand.  But we can understand this: you call us to pray for our leaders and those in authority.  You call us to prayer whether we like our rulers or not, whether we support our rulers or not.  Make of your church a people of prayer.  We pray that our president and congress will be large people with large character who will address large issues.  Help them to seek your direction, make wise decisions, and work in a bipartisan way to solve America’s many problems.

In the meantime, help your church to be about your business: loving our neighbors and our enemies; proclaiming the crucified, resurrected Christ; serving those in need; acting as seasoning, preserving salt that creates in our neighbors a thirst for you, and as the light that gives our world a glimpse of your glory.  Help us to be large disciples with large character and large hearts who worship a large God.

And as we seek to be your church in nation that doesn’t much like us anymore, remind us of our greatest hope: no matter how things look from day to day and year to year, in the end, you win and your people from every nation, tribe, and tongue will sing your praise around your throne forever.