Why Intercession During Elections?
2024 is called the Year of Elections!
Elections have been held worldwide in more than 100 countries this year, covering nearly half of the global population. These are expected to have a significant impact on global issues.
If this impacts half of the world’s population, then our intercession is crucial!
Missions intercession is about nations and matters that impact global issues.
God told Habbakuk:
“Look at the nations. Watch them. Be amazed at what you see. I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe. Habakkuk 1:5
1. How to Intercede during Elections?
a. Democracy or God’s Sovereignty?
Voting is a key responsibility of citizens in a Democracy and the free expression of the people’s will in a nation.
Is intercession, therefore, about changing people’s will or praying to God to overrule human will?
While the Bible has no record of democratic governments, it records how God changed rulers and kingdoms – even though their rule was for a lifetime – through Intercession!
b. Human Decisions and Consequences.
The outcome of an Election determines a nation’s quality, whether it advances or sets back a country’s long-term democratic development. Evil leaders like Hitler rose to power through an election and caused untold misery to humanity. Similarly, leaders who restrict religious liberty can hinder the advancement of the Great Commission.
‘When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.’ Proverbs 29:2
God had raised many Christian Heads of State, and in some cases, even Pentecostals, to such offices. Some were influential in bringing about social reform, freedom, and values. Although they represented the King, they could not necessarily establish the Kingdom of God.
Yet, the Church has greater authority and responsibility in enforcing the Kingdom since it was given the ‘Keys of the Kingdom.‘
Even if an ungodly ruler is elected, through intercession, God could fulfill His purpose as He did during the early Church. And if a nation incurred God’s wrath due to wrong choices, like Sodom, the intercession of Abraham still could reverse it.
Jesus said, “My servants would fight” only if “His kingdom were of this world.” (John 18:36)
Peter, after stumbling in intercession at Gethsemane, tried to reverse human decisions through a sword but failed miserably. Later, when the same Council imposed restrictions on religious liberty, Peter and the Church resorted to Intercession to reverse it.
“Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.” (Acts 4:29)
2. Daniel – ‘The Kingdom Changer?’
The Book of Daniel is a ‘biography of an Intercessor’ who enforced ‘Kingdom Transitions.’
He lived through the reign of the 6 Kings and 4 Kingdoms and saw how God deposed and appointed heathen rulers! He even prophetically saw the kingdoms of Greece and Rome and the period of the Democracies of the 20th Century – which he interpreted as the iron and clay in Nebuchadnezzar’s image.
Some keys from Daniel to pray for elections and change of governments.
a. Daniel recognized that ‘Heaven rules.’
Through Daniel, God deposed the ‘king of kings’ of Babylon to become like an ox eating grass till he recognized this.
“Your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules.” (Dan 4:26)
b. He saw all kingdoms moving towards the climax of Christ’s Kingdom.
Therefore, he focused on God’s Kingdom, which lasts amidst unstable and shifting reigns and changing kingdoms.
“God of heaven will set up a kingdom. It will never be destroyed.
It will crush all those other kingdoms. It will bring them to an end. But it will last forever.” (Dan 2:44-45)
His kingdom will last forever. Every ruler will worship and obey him.’ ‘ (Daniel 7:27)
The Church must not forget that Jesus is the ‘King of Kings’ and “the ruler of the kings of the earth”( Rev. 1:5). He is not elected and has no term limits, nor can he be dethroned by elections results! Focusing on Christ’s Kingdom is what gives hope and a anchor for confident intercession!
c. God is the one who changes the Rulers of Nations on earth.
Daniel believed God could work despite the current political climate and processes to bring leaders to fulfill his purpose.
” He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven. He does what he wants with the nations of the earth. No one can hold back his hand. (Dan 4:35)
“He changes times and seasons. He removes some kings from power. He causes other kings to rule.” (Dan 2.21)
God even raised an ungodly king, Cyrus, to fulfill God’s purpose.
3. Apostles’ Intercession for Kingdoms.
The Apostles lived under the wicked tyrannical rule of Nero, who persecuted the Church. Yet, they recognized the sovereign rule of God and that political rulers are temporary. Therefore, intercession transcended the current reality of their rule.
a. Paul asked Christians to Honor and Pray for Rulers.
“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established…They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.” (Romans 13:1,4)
Fanatic prayer during elections may not be necessary if Christians had prayed regularly for rulers in submission, acknowledging God’s sovereign rule.
b. Peter also admonished submission to authority.
“Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors. Show proper respect to everyone… fear God, honor the emperor.” 1 Peter 2:13-15,17
Like Daniel, they foresaw supremacy of God’s Kingdom through intercession, and saw “rulers are not a terror.” (Romans 13:3)
Both Peter and Paul were later executed by the emperor Nero, but their intercession eventually prevailed over the Roman empire! One Bishop remarked:
“Today, 2000 years later, we name our children after Peter and Paul, while we name our dogs Nero and Caesar.”
Your Intercession is Powerful!
4. Prayer for US Elections.
With the above in mind, let us pray for the US elections held on 5th November.
America is not particularly blessed above other nations. Still, it has been a ‘blessing’ to many nations through her Churche’s significant Mission endeavors impacting global missions in the past 200 years, fulfilling Abraham’s blessing: “In you, all the nations of the earth shall be blessed.’ (Genesis 18:18)
Let us Pray!
- Pray for Truth to prevail.
Our enemy has only one weapon – that is lies!
Truth, therefore, has become the first casualty in the political battleground. The ultimate battle is not for ‘votes’ but for the ‘Souls’ of people in America. Pray that people will be released from the lies of the “god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers’ and because they refused to love the truth…so that they will believe the lie ‘ (2 Cor 4:4; 2 Thes 2:10-11) - Pray for Unity.
American people are deeply divided and more polarized than ever because instead of political or economic issues, two very different worldviews compete for dominance in America.
When Jesus warned: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall’ ( Mat. 11:17) He attributed to a nation’s division along with the ‘house’ – the ‘House of God.
Let us pray for the unity in the Church, whose intercession can have a massive impact on elections.
It is often said that the ‘Lord’s House’ is more powerful than the ‘White House.’ - Pray for people to vote for godly values.
Since “righteousness exalts a nation,” the critical issue is the vote for godliness – for ‘sin is a reproach to any people.’ (Prov 14:34),
Let us pray that God’s will and purposes will be fulfilled through the intercession of His Church in America.
‘If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
II Chronicles 7:14