Verse of the week -- pray II Chronicles 7:14

Election day. This is it. After years of campaigning, advertising, electioneering, hand-shaking, and baby-kissing, the final vote is here.


More than anything, more than the call to vote, I hear the call to pray.


The days of standing and speaking out are long over. Now, as always, although we often forget, our greatest strength comes as we kneel in quiet prayer.


Some of my prayers in recent weeks have struggled for words. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I don't feel America has any right to petition God's blessing with where we stand at this point. Sometimes when praying I almost felt the need to call down judgment on our nation. Give us what we deserve! That is the only fear we should feel, fear of God's just judgment on our nation. That would be scary.


Forget your fear over the appointment of liberal judges, over socialistic agendas, over wars that never end, over out of touch government. Those fears pale in comparison to the fear of "Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God."


My fear, on behalf of our country, drives me to pray, on behalf of my country. I could hardly do this without II Chronicles 7:14 coming to mind, "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, and will heal their land."


We are still called a "Christian" nation, but we are far from humble, and pretty far from Christian if truth be told. Humility seems almost anti-American. I pray for a change of heart, a humbling, a purifying. I pray that God would hear our cry from penitent lips, will forgive our sin and heal our land.


As I wrapped up at the homeschool co-op today another teacher had been walking around the voting booths set up for the polling place to open first thing in the morning. She said she had been stirred to pray. What a special opportunity. She prayed over each voting booth that waited in quiet anticipation of election day.


I gathered my kids together to pray as well before we left. And, tomorrow, as I pass those polling places I will be again reminded to pray. Pray for voters, pray for candidates, pray for our nation.

This urge to pray shouldn't pass after tomorrow. I know I have not prayed enough in recent years for the spiritual condition of our country. I pray now that I will retain this fervor to see real change in the direction of our country. That my prayers won't waiver regardless of the outcome of the election. No matter who leads this country, we need a lot of prayer.

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, and will heal their land.

~II Chronicles 7:14~