Every candidate — no matter what party, whether male or female, believer or unbeliever — needs the prayers of the faithful followers of Christ (James 5:16; 1 Peter 3:12). The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 13:1-7 that every person is to be subject to governing authorities, “For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.”
Within the passage of Romans 13:1-7, Scripture calls civic authorities God’s “servants” and “ministers.” God is the One who “removes kings and sets up kings” (Daniel 2:21), therefore, when we pray for those who may be governing us, we are, in effect, exalting the Lord for His sovereignty. God will use whomever He wills (believer and unbeliever) for His perfect plan and purpose as He “hardens whomever He wills (Romans 9:18b).
Look at what the Apostle Paul writes with this summation of God’s providential purposes:
“What if God, desiring to show His wrath and to make known His power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory” (Romans 9:22-23).
We should not despair when the candidate of our choice is not elected to office. What may look like a very bad choice made by the people is ultimately governed by our Supreme Authority, the Most High God (Daniel 4:17). Whether Christian or not, our governmental authorities are not infallible. Yet the Lord God who places them in their offices is infallible and holy, and for Christians, in God we truly trust.
The candidates we will vote for or against are vying for a role instituted by God; our prayers will exalt the Lord for His goodness in instituting these positions to keep and oversee the peace of our nation.
Therefore, it behooves us to pray for those the Lord has and will place in civil authority over us. We are to pray for all people, “for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:2-4).
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