Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
Let the wicked forsake their ways
and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon. (Isaiah 55:6-7 NIV)
Next Tuesday, our state will vote in the primary election to determine which candidates will appear on the November ballot.
If I’m honest, I really don’t enjoy politics. I dislike the spirit that so often surrounds it—the pursuit of power, fame, or personal gain disguised as public service. I grieve the deep divisions in our nation and the voices that continually stir up anger, suspicion, and hostility toward one another.
At the same time, I know that Scripture is clear: as followers of Jesus, we are never called to hate people. We are called to hate evil and sin, but to love our neighbors—even those with whom we strongly disagree. It is easy to slip into viewing people as enemies rather than as individuals created in the image of God and deeply loved by Him. Our challenge as Christians is to engage faithfully, speak truthfully, and love generously, remembering that our ultimate allegiance is not to a political party or ideology, but to God’s Kingdom.
Politics can become a spiritually dangerous place when we have not settled these truths in our hearts and learned to live them out—when our passion for our convictions becomes greater than our love for people, or when we fail to distinguish between opposing evil and loving those who disagree with us.
Love is to be sincere and active [the real thing—without guile and hypocrisy]. Hate what is evil [detest all ungodliness, do not tolerate wickedness]; hold on tightly to what is good. (Romans 12:9 AMP)
Yet, whether you and I are involved in politics, or just faithful voters, we are called to pray for those who are in leadership positions.
I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. (1 Timothy 2:1-2 NIV)
Although I would prefer to turn a blind eye to the broken and often toxic world of politics, I know that avoiding the darkness does not make it disappear. As followers of Christ, we are called to carry His Light into every area of life—including places where that Light is needed most. When Christians remove themselves completely from the political process, we surrender an opportunity to influence our communities and laws with biblical truth, wisdom, and compassion. Ungodly ideas can become policies when people who seek God’s ways are absent from the conversation. Therefore, we must pray, seek God’s wisdom, carefully research candidates, and vote for those who, as imperfect people, will strive to uphold principles that reflect God’s justice, truth, and love.
So, we pray.
God,
We know that the earth belongs to You, that every person is created in Your image and belongs to You, and that the systems of government You have established serve a purpose: to maintain order, restrain evil, and promote peace. So today, God, we lift up the upcoming midterm elections in prayer.
We pray that the campaigns this week would reveal the true character and priorities of each candidate. We ask that Your children would seek You first—that we would pray, thoughtfully research the candidates, and vote with wisdom, discernment, and a desire to honor Your principles.
We pray for the men and women whose names will appear on the November ballot. May they be people of integrity, humility, and honor who seek wisdom beyond themselves. Give them the ability to work with others, listen well, and create laws that serve the good of all people. Continue to guide Your people with wisdom, knowledge, and discernment as we participate in the process of choosing our leaders.
We ask these things in the strong name of Jesus. AMEN.
Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. (Romans 13:1-2 NIV)