Advent Week 4: Love (God’s Love Story)
December 22, 2024
Heavenly Father,
A presidential election takes place this week for the United States of America. We aren’t looking so united these days. I find myself this morning wanting to ask your forgiveness and plead for your mercy.
Forgive us.
(1)
Forgive we the people for…
(2)
Forgive the media for…
(3)
Forgive each candidate for…
their sin. Neither has been entirely honest. Every human being has been dishonest, but these candidates are running for president. Forgive them. May they not hide. May they walk in the light.
(4)
We plead for your mercy on our nation.
We ask this week that the best candidate win. Not the candidate that will save the country. (Neither will.) But the one that will make the most headway for Your story in this country,
(5)
Because we are broken.
We are divided, emotional, confused, befuddled, in debt, falling behind, have misaligned our priorities and have lost our way.
Bottom line is, we need You.
(6)
I acknowledge today that You alone know the best solution for leadership between 2016 and 2020.
I invite you into this election.
I invite you to show Yourself strong.
I invite you to surprise us this week if you want.
To the greatest extent you are able, God, bless America.
Please join me in praying. I invite you to comment with your own prayer for the nation and this week’s election. Let’s blend our voices together for the spiritual protection of our country.
Picture explanation: I select certain coffee cups each morning based on the need of the day. If I am in deep need for God to protect me, I grab a cup purchased decades ago when my life was difficult and God saw me through (1). That cup has traveled with me and reminds me. I have a favorite cup from each of my kids (2-4). When one of them needs prayer or has blessed me, I grab their gift to me. When I miss my long-distance friend Margee, I sip from her mug (5). When I am just plan happy and enjoying fall, my mug from Tish is used (6). This Tuesday, November 8, I will be having my coffee and saying my prayers in the company of this mug….
© 2016 by Oaks Ministries. All rights reserved.
I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes growth.
1 Corinthians 3:6
2 Responses
Agreeing wholeheartedly with your prayers. I posted this on Facebook: If ever there was a mystery regarding politics, it is now. How in the world did we get where we are??!! More than one person has called this whole election a train wreck! A mystery at another time in history caused an even more desperate situation: the wise people in Babylon would be executed if they didn’t solve the mystery of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream! Even with the threat that they would be cut into pieces and their houses turned into rubble, the astrologers came up short in interpreting the dream. But with wisdom and tact Daniel inquired into the matter, he then urged his friends to plead for mercy from God in order to save their lives, and God revealed the matter to him. Lives were saved, Daniel was able to witness to the king about a God greater than either of them, and he and his friends who followed God ended up helping rule the land!
Listen in on Daniel’s praise to God when God revealed the mystery to him: (Daniel 2:20-22)
Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
wisdom and power are his.
He changes times and seasons;
he sets up kings and deposes them.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to the discerning.
He reveals deep and hidden things,
he knows what lies in darkness,
and light dwells with him.
As fellow believers, let us follow suit. Let us:
– speak with others with wisdom and tact
– pray, asking God for mercy on us and the USA,
– and let’s expect God to lead us in how to vote,
– while trusting that God is ultimately the one who appoints all rulers.
Thanks for your intense heart for prayer.