Let me begin by saying that I am proud to live in an America that will elect a Black man as President.  We all know there was a time in this country when Black people were not even considered people.  Look how far we’ve come!

Having said that, I want to say that I, along with many others, see the election of Barack Obama as disconcerting and worrisome.  However, I know that my hope is not in ANY elected official, but in El Shaddai (God Almighty)!  He has given me great peace this morning because no matter what or who He is still sovereign.  His plans take precedent over all other plans and His will will be accomplished.

Many of us who call on the name of God spent time praying about this election.  I would like to encourage you to continue to pray for this nation and its government and let it become a part of your regular life.  I have come to see some things in this election that I would like to share with you that you may be encouraged that God wants us to pray and will answer even if it isn’t the answer we thought we wanted.

First, let’s look at Elijah.  In 1 Kings we see Israel going through a succession of evil kings and they were an evil nation.  In 1 Kings 18:1, God told Elijah to present himself to evil King Ahab and after that God said He would send rain which the country had been without for over three years.  God showed His might to the people.  After they were dispersed Elijah went to the top of Mount Carmel and prostrated himself before God.

It is not clearly stated that Elijah prayed for rain but it is clearly implied.  Elijah sent his servant to look for signs of rain seven times while he prayed.  When he received word from his servant that a small cloud had formed he stopped praying and left.

Here’s the thing that is interesting.  God had already told Elijah that He was going to send rain.  Why then did Elijah pray for it?  Because God operates and fulfills His will through His people.  Not because He needs us.  He’s all powerful and all sufficient.  But because He wants it that way.

Still not convinced?  Look at Ezekiel 22:29-31.  It reads:

Eze 22:29  The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully.
Eze 22:30  And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.
Eze 22:31  Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord GOD.

This clearly indicates that God wanted to show mercy, but because He could find no one to pray He had no choice but to send judgment.

Do you need another example?  Ok.  Daniel chapter 9.  Daniel discovered from the prophecy of Jeremiah that God had said Jerusalem would be desolate for 70 years.  That meant that after 70 years the people would be gathered from their captivity and return to the land.  Daniel didn’t just sit back and wait for God to do what he promised to do.  He prayed and hard.  I think the whole prayer should be examined as an example of how to pray for our own nation.

Dan 9:3  And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:
Dan 9:4  And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;
Dan 9:5  We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments:
Dan 9:6  Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
Dan 9:7  O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee.
Dan 9:8  O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee.
Dan 9:9  To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him;
Dan 9:10  Neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.
Dan 9:11  Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.
Dan 9:12  And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem.
Dan 9:13  As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth.
Dan 9:14  Therefore hath the LORD watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the LORD our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice.
Dan 9:15  And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast gotten thee renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly.
Dan 9:16  O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us.
Dan 9:17  Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake.
Dan 9:18  O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies.
Dan 9:19  O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.

The chapter continues with telling us that while Daniel was still praying the angel Gabriel came to him.  Gabriel told Daniel that AS SOON AS he started to pray God dispatched Gabriel although he hadn’t actually arrived until some time later.  Now God had already promised to do the thing, but it was Daniel's prayer according to God’s will that set the thing in motion.

Look also at the way Daniel prayed.  He confessed the specific sins of the people and includes himself as a sinner among them.  According to the book of Daniel, Daniel was faithful to God from his youth.  However, he felt he shared in the sins of his people.  If that is true for Daniel it is certainly true for us.  And he didn’t appeal to God because he felt the people deserved to be forgiven.  Instead he appealed to God’s merciful nature.

I don’t believe this nation would be in the condition it is in if believers served God according to His word.  That would impact the way we live and pray.  Too often we have rolled over and let things happen when we should have taken a stand.  Our own walks with God have been so lacking that we have let this thing happen.  And I say we because I’m convicted of this to.  Everything I’ve written here, I’ve written to myself as well as to you.  I ask God to engrave it on our hearts.

But it isn’t over.  Today is a new day!  Lets commit ourselves to God, allow Him to make us distinguishable from this world, and pray fervently and earnestly for His mercy on our nation and His guidance of our leaders.

If you have been blessed by this study, please leave a comment.  If you would like more info on what salvation is about or if you would like prayer, please contact me as well.