Pray, Trust, Vote, And Rest Series

### ** Introduction**

Video Ill.: Pray and Trust — Freebridge Media

(Transcript of video:

Sometimes it’s difficult to see God in America.

The principles on which we were founded

Are no longer the principles by which we live.

We have slowly forgotten

Where our freedom came from.

We have abandoned our first love

And turned our backs on our faith.

As election day approaches

Many of us are filled with indecision.

How do we make a choice

When we can’t see the hand of God?

The truth is

There are times when we simply need to pray

And trust in God

Because even in the chaos

He is sovereign,

He is Holy,

He is Faithful,

And He is Lord.

It’s time to Pray and Trust.)

This morning, we are just a couple of days away from one of the great things that makes our country truly special: our national election day.

https://www.rd.com/list/political-jokes/

To break some of the tension around politics in our country today, Reader’s Digest shared some comedic political relief:

A politician running for office once said to his friend, “My poll numbers are dropping. Do you think I should put more fire into my speeches?” To which his friend replied, “Actually, I think you should put more of your speeches into the fire!”

Someone once asked, “What’s the most unfair thing about American politics?” To which someone answered, “We get 50 choices for Miss America, but only two for the president of America.”

Do you know what the difference is between Thanksgiving Day and Election Day? On Thanksgiving, you get a turkey for a day, but on Election Day, you get a turkey for four years.

I read that the only accurate statistic on Election Day is this: 100% of Americans think 50% of Americans have lost their minds.

In all seriousness, all across our country, as we await the outcome of the ballot boxes, there are many emotions and feelings. Many are anxious, nervous, and uncertain about lies ahead.

But as we have studied over the past few weeks, no matter what happens, God is still in control. God’s kingdom is eternal and unshakable.

No matter what happens, we as the church still need to strive to stand unified. Our unity is not found in this world. Our unity is based on our shared identity in Jesus — we are all sinners saved by an amazing grace.

No matter what happens, we should be humble, unlike many in the political realm today. Humility dismantles pride and invites healing in our world.

No matter what happens, we must choose kindness and compassion. By choosing kindness in our speech and service, we demonstrate the love of Christ to a world desperately in need of hope.

No matter what happens, we, as the church, should live lives full of charity and generosity, which can transform lives, communities, and our world.

This morning, I want to share with you four things that we can do on Tuesday to live out our faith beyond the ballot box. Our hope is in God’s sovereignty and unchanging purpose.

### **I. As we prepare for election day, we need to pray. ** 

In A Speech Made In 1863, Abraham Lincoln Said, ...

By Jeff Simms

Copied from Sermon Central

In a speech made in 1863, Abraham Lincoln said, "We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth, and power as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us."

There is one absolute remedy to worry and fretting over uncertain times — prayer: putting our worries and concerns in God’s hands.

Paul said it this way in Philippians 4:

6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4, NLT)

**Key Idea**: Prayer invites God into our hearts, bringing peace in uncertainty and aligning us with His will.

It Depends Whose Hands It's In

By Jeffrey Sturdivant

Copied from Sermon Central

It all depends on in whose hands we place our concerns. A poet one time captured this idea: