Two Weeks

"You are the light

that gives light to the world. 

A city that is built on a hill

cannot be hidden.” 

Matthew 5:14 ncv

Two weeks ago, I joined about 40 others to pray for our nation and the upcoming election decisions. It was a solemn experience. We focused on five areas: financial matters, global connections, the justices, government authorities, and those serving in the military. At each station, we read scripture and then prayed as the Spirit led us. Several times from different pray-ers, one confession was repeated…including by me.

The sin of prayerlessness: the shortage, absence, scarcity, deficiency of prayer;

My heart ached as I realized how little I’d been praying for my nation. Guilt. Remorse. Repentance.  The mirror of my heart reflected too much self-centeredness.

I laid a hand on my friend whose son is in the Army as I prayed for my own family members serving in our armed forces. It gave me great pause to consider the need to pray for the economic situation the citizens of our country are facing. We prayed for our lawmakers, police officers, and judges to have wisdom, knowledge, and discernment. I thought about our role as a nation in the world. “Are we still a city on the hill?” as President Reagan called us.

So, for the past two weeks, I’ve prayed regularly for those elected to find solutions to tough situations, and direction for the future. And for the citizens of this great nation to make wise choices as they vote in the national elections as well as the local ones—state, county, city, districts, parishes, boroughs, townships. The choices are many and each is important.

 

"Those who wish well to the State ought to choose to places of trust men of inward principle, justified by exemplary conversation. . . .[And] the people in general ought to have regard to the moral character of those whom they invest with authority either in the legislative, executive, or judicial branches." ~ John Witherspoon, 1723-1794, Represented New Jersey at the Continental Congress

Mostly, I’ve prayed that each and every registered voter will PRAY and VOTE for those God lays on their heart. 

November 6^th is TWO WEEKS from the date of this posting.