Post Election Prayer Guide

POST ELECTION PRAYER GUIDE

(The first part of this is the teaching notes with suggested answers. The second part is the participant guide with fill-in-the-blanks)

• The election is an anxious time

• for a lot of people in our country

• People are often very passionate

• about their political beliefs

• They believe that their candidate

• will affect positive change for our country

• While at the same time are concerned

• that the opponent will affect negative change

• Some, especially Christians, are always concerned

• about the spiritual implication of elections,

• not just for the President, but for the congress

• and for any state laws that are up for consideration

• Obviously, at the end of the day yesterday,

• some people were very encouraged by the elections

• and others were very discouraged

• I thought we would come together tonight

• and talk a little bit about how the elections impact us

• and specifically how we can be in prayer

• for our nation and it’s leaders

• Let’s start with the positive:

• What are the positive things

• that came out of the election yesterday?

• A reminder of our freedom to choose our own representation

• The blessing of a peaceful transfer of power, something many nations never experience

• The election of the first African American President

• Several state questions that favored the sanctity of human life

• A state question in California that supported the traditional and Biblical definition of marriage

• What are the negative things

• that came out of the election yesterday?

• The election of a president who is decidedly pro-abortion

• The ugliness we witnessed around the country

• So right off the bat we see some things

• that we can interceded for on behalf of our country

• We can give thanks for the blessings of the positive

• We can ask forgiveness as a people for the negative

• Now maybe you would say,

• “Well I’m not asking forgiveness for the negatives!

• I didn’t have anything to do with the negatives!

• I didn’t vote for Obama.

• I didn’t participate in the ugliness!

• Let’s take a look at a passage of Scripture

• from Daniel chapter 1

3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief of staff, to bring to the palace some of the young men of Judah’s royal family and other noble families, who had been brought to Babylon as captives. 4 “Select only strong, healthy, and good-looking young men,” he said. “Make sure they are well versed in every branch of learning, are gifted with knowledge and good judgment, and are suited to serve in the royal palace. Train these young men in the language and literature of Babylon.” 5 The king assigned them a daily ration of food and wine from his own kitchens. They were to be trained for three years, and then they would enter the royal service. Daniel 1:3-5

“But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods.” Daniel 1:8

• If you remember the story of Daniel,

• you remember that Israel had been

• taken captive by the Babylonians

• Does anyone remember why God

• allowed them to be taken captive?

• They had been disobedient to the covenant

• God had made with them

• There came a point where He removed His protection

• and they became slaves to another nation

• So when we read in Daniel chapter 1,

• we find a young man named Daniel

• who is faithful to God and chooses not to participate

• in the sinful culture he’s been subjected to.

• But, it’s important to note

• that almost all of the other Israelites

• continued their compromising ways

• in this new culture

• Now maybe you’re wondering what all of this

• could possibly have to do with the election last night

• and more specifically, what does it have to do

• with us asking forgiveness for things

• we didn’t have any part of

• Well I want to direct your attention to an incredible prayer,

• voiced by Daniel, later in his story

4 I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed:

“O Lord, you are a great and awesome God! You always fulfill your covenant and keep your promises of unfailing love to those who love you and obey your commands. 5 But we have sinned and done wrong. We have rebelled against you and scorned your commands and regulations. 6 We have refused to listen to your servants the prophets, who spoke on your authority to our kings and princes and ancestors and to all the people of the land.” Daniel 9:4-6