II Chronicles 7:14
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, will heal their land”.
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, will heal their land”.
Last month I had the opportunity to write about the sin of judgement, and the special, unprecedented challenges our national election is presenting me. Regardless of who you are supporting and where you align yourself politically we can at least agree on the importance of character and of maintaining our Christian and Catholic position of discipline and virtue. Please do not rely on a single source of information for making decisions in this key election as they have already taken sides. You must do the digging. Read everything you possibly can. More importantly, talk with the young voters in your family and express the importance of being an informed voter. They do not have your wealth of life experiences and the intellectual maturity to understand all that is at stake. Ask them what they think and why? Listen, and then patiently explain what your experience has shown. You may have to agree to disagree. Decisions they make on November 8th will remain with them and our country the rest of their lives, long after we are gone. Everything is at stake: the economy and jobs, security, and frighteningly our very Constitution including religious challenges. Each election we hear it proclaimed that this is the most important election in generations. Well my brothers, I agree with them.
To this end I offer you readers this prayer and hope it guides you and the other voters in your family.
O God, we acknowledge You today as Lord, Not only of individuals, but of nations and governments.
We thank You for the privilege Of being able to organize ourselves politically And of knowing that political loyalty Does not have to mean disloyalty to You.
We thank You for Your law, Which our Founding Fathers acknowledged And recognized as higher than any human law.
We thank You for the opportunity that this election year puts before us, To exercise our solemn duty not only to vote, But to influence countless others to vote, And to vote as informed citizens.
Lord, we pray that Your people may be awakened. Let them realize that while politics is not their salvation, Their response to You requires that they be politically active.
Awaken Your people to know that they are not called to be a sect fleeing the world But rather a community of faith renewing the world.
Awaken them that the same hands lifted up to You in prayer Are the hands that pull the lever in the voting booth; That the same eyes that read Your Word Are the eyes that read the names on the ballot, And that they do not cease to be Christians When they enter the voting booth.
Awaken Your people to a commitment to justice, To the sanctity of marriage and the family, To the dignity of each individual human life, And to the truth that human rights begin when Human Lives Begin, And not one moment later.
Lord, we rejoice today That we are citizens of Your kingdom.
May that make us all the more committed To being faithful citizens on earth.
We ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Please get out and vote November 8th. Sitting this one out is not an option.
Acts 17:30 – “Pray for repentance for yourself and for our nation”.
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