Prayer Request
It's election time once again, and at least one political party thinks our country has been going downhill for a while, the speed is accelerating, and there's a cliff ahead that if we don't hit the brakes and pick their candidate, we're going to fall off to our doom.
The awmach.com site is where I usually discuss politics, and this isn't going to be a political prayer request as such. But regardless of who you think is to blame, who you think provides the solution, and whether or not you think there even ever could be a solution, the country needs prayer. And that holds true pretty much anyplace you are in the world. Your country has issues that may or may not be unique to your people, but which make your country less of a wonderful place to be than it could be, at its best.
Here in America, we're a diverse body of people as a nation. Some embrace the diversity. Some wish all the diversity was gone. That's just an example of one of our problems. Regardless of what you think the solution is, I'd like you to pray for God's will to be done in each of these following problem areas. I can see and provide a summary of some of the problems, but I don't have a good idea for how to solve them. So pray for God's will to be done.
Some of these will resonate with you more than others. I don't expect you to remember to pray for all of them, and I can't remember to pray for all of them on a regular basis either. But they are all on my heart, or I wouldn't be writing this.
The Economy and Students
As a people, we live in a challenging economy. We used to produce much of what we needed ourselves, although we've always been reliant on other countries for some goods and always will be. Our climate isn't conducive to growing certain foods, for example. But as time has elapsed, manufacturing has moved to foreign countries where cheaper labor offsets the cost of transportation of finished goods or assemblies of goods that are finished here. That isn't really ever going to change. In reality, in spite of how much we may say we wish for the past, we really don't want the higher cost of goods just to claim "Made in America". People can't work for the equivalent of the foreign labor wage here with our high cost of living.
Common TV sizes today range from 42 to 75 inches. That was unheard of when I was young. In 1973, according to Google, a typical 15 inch color TV was $379.95. Adjusted for inflation, that would be $2,694.32 today. But costs aren't that high. And a good part of the reason for that is Asian manufacturing, and of course the advent of the integrated circuit. A 32 inch TV can be purchased for under $100, and it will probably last far longer without needing repair than those from the 1970s. Tubes were notorious for burning out or getting bumped and broken. For half the inflation adjusted cost of the 1973 TV mentioned, you can get an 85 inch 4K TV today. Most products that we typically buy for a home or office are like that. So are clothes. And even if we think the United States should manufacture its own things today, nobody wants to pay the cost to manufacture it here with American labor. This isn't a question of what might be better for everybody. It's a practical argument. Cheap clothes at Walmart wouldn't be available, if not for cheap foreign labor.
The downside of the cheap imports is that there aren't as many good jobs here as there were when I was growing up. The factories and warehouses that are left are automating with robots wherever they can because it's cheaper to fix and power a robot than it is to pay a human to do the work. The robot doesn't need time off to the extent a human does. Except for routine maintenance, they can go twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. It doesn't need medical insurance. It doesn't need a pension plan. And once the software is matched to the task, it almost never makes a mistake. Granted, if the software is wrong, it will happily make the same error over and over and not notice, but that is a human oops and not a robot oops. So we don't have as much job security since technology is always advancing, and the jobs that are available require more training to be able to do. The retail jobs that don't require specialized training don't pay well because the retail space is competing with on-line merchants like Amazon, Walmart, Target, and every other major company that may or may not have retail space at all. Those who don't have an on-line presence or a good on-line presence like Sears or K-Mart are history.
So I guess, the first part of my prayer request is that God would help our students to prepare for the economy that they will be facing. And I ask for God's help specifically because He's the only one who knows what that economy will look like from ten to fifty years in the future. I pray that our students will learn how to learn, because they are likely to be learning their whole lives. And I pray, along with that, that the AI revolution that people keep saying is just around the corner will not be a gigantic mess like some claim it will be. Personally, I think there are some tasks at which it would be okay, and there are some tasks at which it would be disastrous. But that's just me. Regardless, our students need God's guidance as to what course of study to take for where they end up living. Finally, I pray that those who are displaced will be able to adapt, learn, and find work for which they are suited.
But I'd also like us to pray that we would instill in our children the value of learning. The reality is, the more you know and the more you are able to do, the better prepared you will be for the future. I know some of my kids thought some subjects were completely useless. I did as well when I was young. For my kids it was more likely to be Algebra or Calculus. For me it was Physical Education. To each their own. But we need to pray that our kids will see the value of learning, and putting in the work to gain knowledge. Learning how to learn is real requirement today. Completing subjects that you don't think you'll need will still help form your brain and will make it easier to learn new concepts as you age. Never stop learning.
Associated with this prayer is that the school systems will have good teachers who can teach all students well, and administrators that can give a safe environment where the kids can learn. That's getting to be more and more of a challenge as the cost of education rises and the test scores don't keep pace. Pray that the students will value their education and take the time to do the homework (and have schools that assign it and let them take textbooks home to work from). Pray for our schools.
And pray in general for the economy. As I'll note next, there are many stresses related to the economy. But we can pray in general that the economy will improve and lift all boats. Different parts of the country have different economic prime movers that people really worry about going away in the future. But I'd like you to pray for a wider net for all businesses. Pray for the global businesses. Pray for the mom and pop business on main street. All need God's blessing. Pray that the leaders of each business will run it in such a way that God will want to bless it.
Inequity
We need to especially pray for reducing the inequities in the country. They are many and each is growing by almost any measure.
For example, Google AI reports from 1978 to 2023 CEO compensation increased by 1,085%, while that of the typical worker increased by 24%. That's just wrong. No boss is worth that high an increase in compensation compared to the average worker. And it isn't just the percentage increase that is a problem. The base differential is widening. In 2023, CEOs were paid 290 times as much as the typical worker. In 1965, that number was 21. To put that into perspective, in 2023 the average S&P 500 company CEO pay was $17.7 million, and the average U.S. worker pay was $65,470. Few would vote for equal pay for every person. Most would think that would be inequitable and, gasp, socialistic, as well. But the gross disparity is certainly inequitable, and it is growing. That is leading to increased class warfare, higher levels of crime, and more mental issues and health problems as the folks on the bottom end are unable to afford the health care they need.
Depending on where you were born, you will have different benefits and challenges from day one. Kids in California have to deal with earthquakes. Kids on the Gulf Coast have to deal with hurricanes. Kids in the West have to deal with wildfires. Kids in the Midwest have to deal with tornadoes. Some live in areas with volcanoes. Kids in the north have to deal with blizzards. Kids in the Midwest and South have to deal with humidity. Kids in Alaska have to deal with days that are mostly light much of the year, and days that are mostly dark much of the year. And those are just climate differences.
Kids born to wealthy families will have better health care, likely better schooling, and assets to set them on their path to whatever field they choose. Kids born to poor families are likely to struggle for all of these things. While it is true that we don't have the caste system that is present in some other countries, and even the poorest kid could invent something or patent a new widget or medicine and become wealthy, most won't move more than a level or two higher than their parents started. And to do that, they'll need a good education, which again is tilted to the wealthy as opposed to the poor.
There are huge differences in the quality of schools between all the school districts in the country. Some parts of the country have very limited local higher education opportunities compared with other areas. Wyoming, for example, has one four year college based there. In general terms, crowded inner city schools are at a disadvantage to suburban schools. Suburban schools are at a disadvantage to private schools. And again, the wealth of the parents will determine where each kid starts for schooling.
Housing is varied from one end of the country to the other. A $250,000 dwelling might look like 900 square feet in New York City, or 3,500 square feet in Wichita. There's lots of places to see and activities to do in and around New York City, of course, but that's a big difference. Of course in NYC, you may not need cars for transportation so that is a saving. But if you're poor, you run the risk of eviction if you can't pay rent and may end up homeless. And if you suffer a climate event where you live, you can even end up homeless if you are well off.
Health care access will also vary greatly depending on your location. Rural locations are losing medical practitioners and facilities. There may only be a handful of major trauma centers in the state. Specialists may only come to the state periodically. Health matters. Pray for equality in available health services, but also pray for more equitable insurance options for everyone. There's a lot to be said about this subject, that I won't go into here. Some of my politics pages detail some of my thoughts. The situation needs prayer.
It is a sad statement that the race you belong to will present at least some measure of inequity. Maybe you'll be on the winning side, or maybe you'll be on the losing side. But racism is still a thing in the country. It rears its head in many areas like education, housing, banking and lending, access to jobs, promotions, and legal judgments. That wasn't all inclusive. Consider how much hate there is for immigrants, legal or not, by some parties. God is race blind when it comes to offering salvation, His gifts, love, grace, and mercy. He is against sin, period. It doesn't matter who the sinner is. He is for His people. It doesn't matter who the believer is. We need pray for all of us to be equally race blind.
Trust God to provide work for anyone who makes it into the country. Find ways to make them citizens. Trust in Him that showing mercy to those less fortunate will not adversely affect His people. I'm a Republican, but history will judge President Obama far more favorably than President Trump. President Obama's success should have broken every argument for a glass ceiling there is with regards to promotions and what jobs non-white people can do. Pray that people begin to understand this and we can fully implement the changes started way back in the Civil War. That's over 150 years ago and climbing. We should be farther along than we are.
Along with racism, there is still sexism in the country. How far you progress in different jobs will be limited by whether you are male or female. And if you don't identify as one of those, there are larger problems. Pray that we will see each person with whom we interact without any built in prejudices. Not every person is the same, but each person should be judged on their own works and not on things that are out of their control. We need to do better, in all parts of the country. As a Christian, you know that some decisions people make matter to God, and pretending otherwise doesn't affect their eternal destinations. But we must pray to have God speak with their hearts and be less judgmental ourselves. Letting the Holy Spirit guide our words is always a good thing.
I talked a bit about the economy above. What jobs are available is also a big function of where you live. High paying jobs tend to be located in places that are also expensive to live. They tend to be centered around places with many colleges both for continued education and a ready supply of applicants. There are exceptions, and some members of some industries are really hoping that work from home will be a thing so they can live wherever they want. But for now, there are real inequities in opportunities depending on where you live.
I'm not sure what God can do about some of these things. Build it and they will come isn't as big a thing as you'd think. Opportunities tend to get developed where there are already opportunities, because that's where most people already live. Another big factor is that many government funded jobs, programs, or facilities get placed where Congress wants, and many states have huge advantages in size to lobby for their state as the destination. California has 52 members in the Federal House of Representatives. Seven states only have one. Are they at a disadvantage? You bet.
But I do believe that God could do something about some of the inequities in the country and He'd do it in a way that would be fair and just. So pray for His will to be done especially in this part of our country's problem list.
Families
I'd also like to pray for the families in our nation.
In my life, divorce rates have gone from 9.2 to 22.6 per thousand, and has since dropped to around 14.9 per thousand. But although the divorce rate has been dropping of late, so has the marriage rate. So my prayer is that people would make better choices, and that they would be more forgiving and willing to change to keep a marriage from failing. Regardless of how much better one or both members of a marriage union may feel divorced, it can be tough on children. Some marriages are so toxic that the children are better off with divorced parents. But since this will mostly be read by Christians, I'd hope that isn't the case for the reader and you see the reality that life will be tougher for the kids with their parents apart.
Regardless of your happiness level apart, there are now two households to support and there will be less free money to spend. I know that there are situations where one is a gambler, drug addict, drunk, or fill in the blank, where the other party who hopefully ended up with custody of the children may be better off over time and the addict much worse off over time. But again, this is mostly read by Christians so I hope addiction wouldn't be the case. For Christians and others, the kids will have to deal with less financial support, both immediately, and long term as they need help getting started themselves. They also lose out on the physical presence and ready advice of one parent as a general rule. Texting may help bridge some of this, but many times kids don't want a text record. And of course they are using the latest app, so keeping in sync is pretty difficult. If one parent is toxic, then this may be a better outcome. But again, for two Christians, this should not be true.
When it comes to families, we need to pray about the things that are trying to destroy the fabric of families to see them disappear. Anything that we are addicted to that is hurting our families qualifies. Clearly top contenders are drugs and alcohol. We need to pray that the desire for them, which can become a craving after just one interaction for some drugs, is removed. God is able. You can pray that God saves the cartel leaders, but the money is so good that even if He does, someone else will take their place on the production side. You have to pray to remove the demand side. And the money is so great that government interdiction is just a cost of doing business to them. Find who to bribe and buy them. Expense item.
But any addiction is a problem. If you are addicted to football or sports, it can be just as damaging to your family as drugs. It might not destroy your life like drugs, alcohol, or smoking, but it can destroy the relationship with your spouse and children. Maybe your addiction is quilting. Maybe it's cooking. Maybe it's reading - that's one of mine Maybe it's the internet and social media or you're glued to your cell phone during every waking minute. Maybe it's computer games. Maybe it's virtual reality. Whatever it is, if you're addicted, you need to pray that God will set you free. Pray the same for your addicted family members because they may not see it.
This next bit could have gone down under violence, but I ended up putting it here. We also need to pray for moms and dads, and older children to realize that the younger look up to them as examples. Our kids learn how to react and behave by watching how we react and behave. What they see counts much more than what we say. Pray that we all be better examples to our children, grandchildren, and any other children with whom we interact. Pray for peace in our own house and that we will learn how to discuss things without anger and rancor and listen to each other and to our children. A lot of violence is learned behavior. Pray that families do better in training up their children in the way that they should go. If you're wrong about something, own up to it and apologize. Kids are just as worthy of being respected as your friend or co-worker.
We have problems with cliques in schools and bullying. That carries up to the workplace when learned young. But some of that is also learned behavior from the adults in the children's lives. If the "wrong" political operative gets elected to a job, what do we do? Do we pray for them, or do we spend all our time complaining about and denigrating them? How we act every day is important for our children. Likewise, how we discuss ideas makes a difference. Do you listen to your children or are you the "boss" allowing no discussion. The ultimate buck may stop with dad according to the Bible, but a dad who doesn't take other people into consideration needs help.
Modeling behavior is more than just about violence. It is also about addictive behaviors. If you have an addiction, don't be surprised if your kids develop the same one or another one. I realize there are some biological susceptibilities, but there is also learned behavior. Model godly lives for your kids and it's likely that even if they fall away from God at some point, they won't be people that other people try to avoid. Love your kids through everything they go through, whether or not it was avoidable.
So pray for families. Pray that God will change hearts and situations. Pray for the children. Pray that the various pressures that are on American families will be lessened. Pressure comes from all sides. Sometimes it seems like there is no end in sight. Stay true to Him and pray for His help, in whatever situation you find yourselves. Make friends with your neighbors. Get to know the people with which you work. Lift them up in prayer and if they aren't Christian ask God for openings to witness.
Opinions
As I mentioned, we're a diverse group of people. Diverse groups of people frequently have different ideas about how things should be done. No sufficiently diverse group of people will agree on all things all the time - or even most things some of the time. The thing that is concerning is that this fact has always been true. Even back in the far past there were the differences in how country folks did things and how city folks did things, just to throw out a safe example.
But in the past, people were able to come together and work together to make the country a better place for everyone without coming to blows - verbal or physical. That seems to be a thing of the past. Divisions on particular ideas are deep and wide on many subjects. Abortion, immigration, alcohol consumption, drug usage and tolerance, alternative life styles, social safety nets (particularly for health care and survival), foreign aid and foreign actions by our military, trade, deficit spending, taxes and who to tax are among the many problems whose possible solutions divide the country.
So a particular prayer request is that we learn to listen to each other again, that we learn to speak softly, that we recognize that everyone doesn't come from the same place or have to deal with the same things that we do, and that we acknowledge that whether or not we like them, facts are facts, and saying things that are untrue isn't profitable, particularly if we try to make other people believe they are true. I'm particularly speaking to political candidates and the media for that last part of the prayer request. Try to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth for a change. That'll be a hard thing for some talking heads (political or media) to do.
We're diverse. There's far too much my way or the highway in our political system. Democrats and Republicans used to be able to compromise more readily about issues, income, and expense. This last session of Congress, the Republicans in the House couldn't even unite and stay behind a Speaker, to say nothing of working with all Republicans to decide on good legislation to push, much less work with the Democrats for the good of the country. So I'd pray that we try our best to speak the truth, not rely that because X News said it or Y candidate said it, that it is gospel, and do some fact checking ourselves. Truth and facts must be the basis of opinions. Listen to multiple news sources and pay attention to the fact checkers that are out there. Read why they say something is false and look it up yourself if you don't believe it. Don't just say "Well the fact checker must be lying if it doesn't match my ideas or X said it."
Don't go off on a rant unless you have the facts and truth behind you. Carl Sandburg said,
"If the facts are against you, argue the law. If the law is against you, argue the facts. If the law and the facts are against you, pound the table and yell like hell."
I'm not sure if it's a law or facts question, but I know there's too much pounding on the table and yelling like hell today. As Christians, facts matter, and what the Bible and God say matter most. As Christians, there should be more Fruit of the Spirit and less yelling. As a reminder, that's love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance. Most of those should stand directly against the yelling problem we have.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. That includes Christians. Our perspectives will probably differ from that of the world, and they should, in many cases. But we need to do better at presenting our opinions in ways that don't turn people off. I can tell you that is a hard thing to do. My awmach.com website has a lot of opinions that I've felt led to share. I have lots of other opinions that I haven't shared. But figuring out how to say things that I feel need to be said, without causing offence in the world we have today is pretty tough. The same can be said of the Kid's Questions section of this site. Lots of questions they ask deserve the most honest answer I can give them. But sometimes what I think the correct answer is doesn't match up with what a conservative Christian was brought up to believe. Even in Christianity, opinions are tough. Some differences are enough that I put them on the Hot Topics pages.
To sum up this section, pray that we will be able to share and receive opinions in peace, change the minds that we can change using truth and facts and not the lies of candidates and media. Pray that God will help us to know the difference. Realize that God cares about getting people saved. He probably isn't as passionate about most of the rest of our concerns. That isn't to say He doesn't care. But He has His own agenda on which He is ultimately focused. The closer our prayers line up with His will, the more likely they are to be granted.
Climate Change and Disasters
This is another controversial opinion fraught subject. I won't dwell on whether we should be of the opinion that climate change is man made, natural, growing worse, growing better, fake news or whatever. That falls too much into the Opinion category above.
What I'd like to pray for is for all the people who are directly or indirectly affected by the disasters that the country has had over the past few years. I mentioned some of the climate issues under the Inequality section. Regardless of your opinions about their cause, we are having more frequent and more severe climate events. This was most recently seen by hurricanes hitting Florida's coast weeks apart, and not small hurricanes either. The season isn't over yet. The first one sent rain up to the middle latitudes of the country and caused massive flooding for which nobody was prepared. Weather events aren't new. We've had ice sheets covering large chunks of the country and Europe in the past. My mom lived through the blizzard of 1949. There have been many high snow and wind events before and since. But whatever the reason, people are suffering.
So pray for protection for those who are in the path of a storm, pray for wisdom for whether people should move permanently or not, and pray for help for those who have suffered any kind of loss due to weather. Large parts of the country are affected in some way by something. Whether it is monster snow storms or smoke from fires and dry summers in my part of the country, or hurricanes in the south, someone in your area is or has been affected by weather. Pray for all the nation for God's protection and mercy.
And pray that we can be civil when discussing what to do about these issues. Also pray that we will be able to purchase and afford insurance to help cover losses due to weather events.
Foreign Interactions
There is much that could be said in this area. We need to pray for peace. We need to pray for good trade and good relations with other countries. We need to pray that God will bless our country as we accept immigrants. Immigrants have done a great deal for us in our history, and even if we're native born, if we go back far enough we're all descended from immigrants.
We need to pray that God will give the leaders of the country wisdom in deciding when and where to commit our armed forces. Having a big stick and knowing when to use it is a difficult decision. We need to pray for equal wisdom in deciding how to support other countries at war. We need to pray for knowledge and wisdom to prevent attacks on us, and to be a facilitator of peace between warring nations.
We also have a responsibility to pray for other people in the world. Many are under attack by external forces. They are dealing with bombs, rockets, and being overrun. We need to pray for God's hand to be involved in dealing with these issues. Most of the Russian people couldn't possibly care less about the Ukraine and many are trying to avoid being called up to fight. So don't condemn entire populations for the acts of a very few individuals. Pray that God will deal with those people Himself, and quickly. Pray that people stop joining terrorist organizations. But even here, the families of individual terrorists frequently pay a price because one of their relatives joined. Give the terrorist organizations over to God to dismantle.
As mentioned, trade is very important for our country. We need to pray for wisdom in how to expand our country's exports while ensuring that the imports keep coming and aren't made more expensive due to stupid trade decisions like tariffs. There are some items we should be more self sufficient in producing. There are others that it will never be cost effective to be self sufficient in producing. We need to pray for our leaders to have wisdom to know the difference.
We live in a connected world. Pray for global peace, for just and righteous leaders, for love towards one another, and for honesty and fairness in our relations with one another. I could go on and on about things that are lacking, but these are just a few. And they are all things that God will have to correct as most world leader's hearts are not toward Him.
Violence and Crime
I went over some of the reasons for the crime in our country in the Inequity section. Mental health issues account for some more. People's addictions account for some more. Then there's simple greed, lust, envy, and disobedience to God and His laws that you'd find in the Bible which have been a problem since Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel.
But there are some things that I would like to put on the prayer request list. The first, of course, is protection for Christians and that we may live in peace. Both would also confer some protection for non-Christians.
Additionally, I'd like for us to pray that we all be more civil to one another. As mentioned above, we don't and won't ever agree on everything. But we need to learn to listen better, and then walk away if that's what it takes to stop an argument. If you know the other side isn't going to listen, due to hardness of heart or mind, walking away is probably best unless God is telling you that it is important to stand up and speak, regardless. But even in times like that, we need to pray that God will give us the words we need to speak and will help us recall the facts we need to reduce the chances of anger escalating. Sometimes facts aren't enough, but going in without provable facts won't help.
We need to pray for increased love for our fellow man, regardless of that person's standing in life.
Last, and most importantly in this section, we need to pray that God will reveal Himself to still be in control, and to be able to act today, just as He did in the past. Angels haven't gone on strike. A member of the Sunday School class related a time when her husband was cowering in his room as a kid with a drunk dad outside and an angel appeared and told him not to worry. Angels are still doing work for God. But there are a lot more of us to deal with now. And Satanic forces are still hindering their work, just as in Daniel's day.
Regardless, one of the real reasons we have some of the crime problems we have is that all too many people have ceased to think about God or to believe that He exists at all. We need to pray that this changes in America and around the world. I don't think anyone would be up for an Elijah vs. the prophets of Baal type occurrence today. But maybe we need to pray for more moments like that. If anyone thinks there wouldn't be a 1 Kings 18:38-39 moment if that happened, they're mistaken.
18:38 Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
18:39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.
Sadly, after the rapture, all the people who are left are going to be dealing with the wrath of not only Satan who knows he doesn't have much time left, but of God. The violence and crime we worry about today are going to be nothing compared to that coming time.
We need to pray for our country that the causes of violence be reduced. We need to pray that people understand that God exists and will judge everyone at the end (Revelation 20:11-15).
20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Only the blood of Jesus separates us from the eternal consequences of our sin. Remembering that would go a very long way in eliminating violence and crime in the nation. Pray that we show God to the nation and that we allow Him to work through us as was done in the New Testament times. The work started by Christ, and then followed by the first disciples and apostles eventually converted the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great to Christianity. He was the first Roman leader to convert to Christianity. It took some time, but change can come to even a pagan nation.
Armed Forces and Government Officials
We need to pray for all of our Armed forces, wherever they are located in the world and pray for our local National Guard and emergency response personnel of all sorts for their safety, for orders that are legal, for their effectiveness, for the guidance of their leaders, and all other aspects of their work. In many cases, these people present the face of the government to the people around the world. Our vacationers may present the face of the citizens, but the military and ambassadors are the face of the government.
We need to pray, continually, for whoever is in office above us. We may have preferred someone else. We may really not like the person who was elected. But in any case, we need to pray for them. It is possible God didn't care a bit which party was elected, or maybe His will was done instead of ours. But we need to pray for politicians and judges and lawyers and all the civil servants in all parts of our governmental systems. If you can't think of anything about which to pray, then pray for them to be saved if needed, or for God's will to be done through them. Those two things should be safe for anyone to pray even if you are unhappy with them.
And do pray for peaceful transfers of power, whether between the same party or between political parties. If there are legitimate provable issues with an election, then get it to court and get it decided, as it was with Gore for example in Florida. But when the courts have ruled, dismissal because your evidence was faulty, dismissal because you didn't have standing to show you had suffered loss, or just lost the case before the judge, jury, and appeals, let it go. If any party wants to do better in the next election, choose better candidates. That is true for every political party and each and every two years, regardless of who won the last election.
Opportunity
We need to pray for God to grant opportunities for us in all parts of our lives and that He will show us how to take advantage of them. I talked a bit about education above, and that is important. A good education opens up many possibilities for opportunities that would never be available to you without a solid education.
Where you live impacts so much. But wherever you are, God has opportunities where you can succeed. After all, the financial level needed to be successful is drastically different in New York City or San Francisco and the Midwest. But I pray that our eyes will be opened to the opportunities that are uniquely available to make the best use of our talents wherever we are or that He will give us the courage, opportunity, and means to move where we need to be to fulfill His goals for us.
And I also pray that we will realize that opportunity is not just about jobs and finances. Opportunities are also about relationships and spreading the Gospel message. I pray that we, as a nation, will return to Christ, hold Him up as our example to aspire to instead of some person we admire, and learn to make him our King and not just someone who saves us.
Our Churches and Other Religious Institutions
Finally, let's pray for our churches to get back to their New Testament roots. Seek the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Preach the Word when it is convenient and when it is inconvenient. Stand up for what the Word says. Sin is still sin, and separates from God. Help those in need. Don't respect persons based on their riches or position in the community or lack thereof. Look on the heart and not the outside to see them as God sees them.
Become places of prayer rather than political advocacy camps. Root out evil so God doesn't have to do so. Lift God high. Attend services regularly, and that doesn't mean on Easter and Christmas or Christmas Eve. Read God's word. Live lives that are easily seen to be separate from the world. Do whatever work He has called on you to do.
Seek to increase unity in the body of Christ between churches in the same denomination and between denominations. Help each other out whenever you can. Study and debate the Word together to emphasize common ground and discover truth in what the Word says. Pray for mutual protection against the powers and principalities who stand against God and His progress. Lift each other up.
But also pray that false religions will be exposed and will cease to be a thing in our land, and not because we have riled against them or attacked them, but because the power of God has shown through in our own lives and congregations and people have willingly left the other false religions because of the power of God. Many false prophets and teachers will come. Many have already come and led whole groups of people astray by false teaching and adding to the Word of God that which is in conflict with what God said. Pray that people will see the power of God and turn away from that which has been lifted up as true by false prophets, but which is of Satan and his followers in the spirit world. God does continue to speak to His people, but what is said lines up with the Holy Bible (Galatians 1:8-9).
1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
1:9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
Trust in Him and give Him the glory. Lift up the name of Jesus Christ our Savior, God who emptied Himself and was born of a virgin, who lived a sinless life, who died to provide a sacrifice to cover our sins, and who rose again to take His rightful place in heaven. Again, be filled with the Holy Spirit.