Pray for the election’s outcome to reflect heaven’s agenda for America and the nations.
Welcome to election season.
Anytime citizens can contribute to their future by voting for the right leaders, that’s a cause for celebration. Life fares better in a healthy democracy than under dictators or power-hungry despots.
Having said that, however, clashes of opinions regarding who to vote for can easily slide into sharp arguments and even shattered relationships—the exact opposite of walking in love (Ephesians 5:2).
Because nothing should sour our Christian witness, here are five tips to maintain a sweet attitude:
1. Listen with a Heart of Empathy
As time goes on, you’re bound to hear more political talks in your circles. And if you’re like me, you likely know folks with various belief systems. It’s possible you can’t stand some of them because their values run directly against yours.
However, Jesus once said the world will know we are His disciples if we love one another (John 13:35)—even in an election year, if I might add.
So how do we deal with others whose politics we disapprove of?
By listening with our hearts.
What often happens with trigger words is that when we hear them, we get upset—at which point listening decelerates and tempers accelerate.
So, let’s learn to listen with our hearts. The first thing to do is highlight the triggering words you heard. Then, isolate them so they are out of the way. Finally, focus on the gist of what the other person said once the offensive words are eliminated.
Whether the speaker is truly dense or socially awkward, when you practice listening with a heart of empathy, you’ll also learn to listen non-defensively.
2. Serpents and Doves
This phrase came from Jesus’ instruction when He sent the twelve disciples to minister by themselves: “Be wary and wise as serpents, and be innocent (harmless, guileless, and without falsity) as doves” (Matthew 10:16, AMPC).
Can you see a campaign slogan lurking in that verse? #warywiseandharmless
What’s more important than transforming the hashtag into a meme is massaging its content into our hearts. Practically speaking, this means having a solid knowledge base because we’ve done the necessary research on policies and politicians. Let’s stop sound bites and social media from swaying our view of candidates and issues.
Let's do our own digging, shall we?
The second half of the instruction, the “harmless” part, is relevant when others enter the picture—particularly when their political persuasion differs from ours.
Regardless of how repulsive their perspective is, let’s ban unkindness. Don’t allow mean-spiritedness to spoil our interaction with anyone. We can still be winsome while standing our ground. Love is irresistible (1 Corinthians 13:8); the more patient and kind we are in communicating our viewpoint, the harder it is for an argument to erupt.
“Walk in wisdom toward outsiders,” Paul advised in Colossians 4:5 (ESV). Tuck this verse into your heart when you meet those whose politics differ from yours.
3. Vote Your Conscience
How will you vote? Don’t shirk your obligation by automatically following what your friends or famous influencers suggest. God has gifted you with free will; this precious ability is something you should never take for granted, including when it comes to determining the direction of your nation.
Instead, douse this election with prayer. Ask God for His take on each policy, proposition, and candidate. Pray for God to reveal the right individuals to vote for—regardless of their visibility, the rumors surrounding them, or the office they are running for.
Yes, this might mean you’re in for a long prayer. But doesn’t the Bible instruct us to pray for those in authority (1 Timothy 2:1-2)? Notice how the verse ends: “... that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.”
Living peacefully in all godliness isn’t accomplished just by praying for those already in power. It can also be achieved by praying for the right candidates to ascend to the right positions.
By being prayerful over who will win your vote, you are also fulfilling the mandate of 1 Peter 3:15, “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”
If you seek God first, you will be ready with an answer if someone asks your advice on who to vote for.
4. The Primacy of Wisdom
What if the candidate you’re rooting for is simultaneously strong on one of the values you hold dear but weak on another? Which of these values should you prioritize? Should you be a one-value voter? Choose candidates whose stance reflects the value you espouse? If no candidate excites you, should you choose the lesser of two evils?
The answer to all of the above rests in the wisdom of God. Proverbs tells us, “Wisdom is supreme—so get wisdom. And whatever else you get, get understanding” (Proverbs 4:7, CSB).
Isaiah describes God’s thoughts as higher than ours: “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9).
He who views the earth and its inhabitants from His lofty place can give you a bird’s eye view of the political landscape before you. Since He also perceives each candidate’s heart, God can tell you how to vote regardless of how these politicians present themselves.
5. Vote
What if you abhor all of the candidates? Should you sit out the election?
The 32 million churchgoers who will likely abstain from voting in 2024 think so.
But I sincerely doubt the Holy Spirit would lead any child of God to not vote.
We are instructed to do everything by walking in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16). To walk in the Spirit is to let your spirit lead the way, because your spirit is in constant touch with the Spirit of God.
Meanwhile, affinity and repulsion toward political candidates often originate from the soul.
What’s the difference between the soul and spirit?
A ton. Much can be said about this topic, but for now, suffice it to say the spirit is your channel to connect with spiritual things. In contrast, the soul, which contains the mind, will, and emotions, is what makes you unique as a human being. Walking in the soul means following our own innate desires and what we think is best.
(Let me know if you’re facing a spirit/soul confusion or stumped by a real-life dilemma pitting the two.)
But back to politics. We are to exercise our civic duty by prioritizing the Spirit’s leading, not what our soul thinks and feels.
Please do not renege on your responsibility as a citizen of heaven by ignoring the chance to shape the earth’s future via this election.
A Special Call to Prayer
The earth’s future?
Indeed. Perhaps you’ve heard the saying, “When America sneezes, the rest of the world catches a cold.” America exerts a significant influence around the globe. What happens in the US has the potential to impact the masses in many countries.
So, wherever you live, I ask that you pray for the November election. Daily.
Pray without ceasing for the Lord’s will to prevail in every local, state, and federal race in America (Matthew 6:10; Luke 18:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:17). Pray for justice. Pray for transparency and truth to reign. Pray for the election’s outcome to reflect heaven’s agenda for America and the nations.
May God position leaders after His own heart all over America (Jeremiah 3:15).
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