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My Election Prayer

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If the current presidential election season has produced anything positive, it might be the increase in political conversations that have been happening at grocery stores, coffee houses and many other spaces where people gather.

I have read some amazing posts and articles whose aim was to soothe an irritated voter base, and perhaps swing them towards peace as they enter the voting booth. I facilitated two forums called “Politicked” where I too sought to bring  balance and levity to our current tension, as well as create a safe space for people with differing views to voice what was on their heart concerning the process, the candidates, and the current state of American political affairs. In my opinion, it was a positive encounter where we learned to hear each other and commit to love regardless of differences.

I have read the many prayers that have been issued forth by pastors who played a partisan card.

I have been discouraged by the way spiritual and theological leaders have sought to anoint one candidate or the other.

I have listened to everyone under the sun explain why they are right and everyone else is wrong.

I have often felt like Solomon when he said, All is vanity…

However, during a short conversation I had with Leonard Sweet this weekend, my prayer focus for this election has shifted. In one way, I feel like my eyes have been lifted from earth and been refocused on God’s sovereign spiritual realm which is grander, more beautiful, and the real kingdom I belong to.

If I were to be honest, most of the prayers I have heard recently have actually been focused upon what the pray-er wants, or what the pray-er thinks is the right divine response to our POTUS vote.

Have you ever noticed that very often even our “holiest” prayers are myopic, selfish and self-serving?

We long for the presidential pick that works in our favor…and if we believe in God then we assume that our favor becomes His favor which ultimately means my/our thoughts on the issues are the right thought and therefore God’s thoughts. Right?

So, back to my conversation with Len…

We were discussing my particular denominational tribe’s emphasis on healing prayer. We see healing as part of what has been provided for followers of Jesus through his substitutional sacrifice (This means that Jesus substitutes his life for our life on the cross. Our sins are paid for by the sinnless Jesus. The chasm of disconnection between us and God is bridged by His offering. Jesus died so that we could live and this results in God declaring us forgiven based on what Christ has done, not on how well we perform.)

Healing, however, is so much more than God fixing the broken arm while we live in a broken world. Healing is a beautiful holistic life of shalom which the ancient rabbis tell us means living in complete peace.

Shalom is how God intended we live, but sin disrupted that vision of life. Jesus removes the sin issue so that we can be fully human, fully alive, and living a transformed life. The healing provided by Jesus extends to my emotional health, physical health and of course my spiritual health.

When we experience healing like this, we then become healing agents in the world so that God’s vision of shalom for everyone is seen, felt and experienced.

As we discussed healing prayer and intercessory prayer, we wondered why our current election prayers were more about candidates winning and losing, and less about healing.

Are you following me?

Why are we not praying that the two primary candidates running for POTUS experience divine healing?

So then, my prayer tonight, on the eve of this unique election is for healing.

Healing for two people who have embarrassed a nation in their pursuit of the highest and most powerful office in the world.

When the ballots are all counted, either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump will hold the office of POTUS…that is a reality.

So why are we not praying for the healing of these two people?

Between the two candidates there are issues of:

  1. Moral failure
  2. Ethical failure
  3. Character deficiencies
  4. Betrayed marriage vows
  5. Broken marriage vows
  6. Slandering tongues
  7. Self-centeredness on steroids
  8. Inabilities to forgive
  9. Performance issues reaching into the past
  10. Narcissism
  11. Insecurities disguised as bravado
  12. Extreme control issues
  13. Lack of faith in God
  14. Self absorption
  15. The list goes on and on…

I am praying for two people to experience a deep healing of the broken spaces and places in their souls. Both candidates are in great need of healing because they will lead from their wounds and that is not good for any of us.

But remember that with God, bitter wounds can become sacred wounds.

Sacred wounds heal others…
Sacred wounds can mend the nations…
Sacred wounds can make right so many wrongs…
Sacred wounds can transform the broken into the hopeful…

I am praying for both candidates, because one of them will be POTUS.

Intercessory prayer is when we passionately bring someone before Jesus through prayer, seeking their restoration, salvation, healing and transformation. Praying for their over-all good as experienced in shalom (holistic peace).

Maybe tonight the better prayer would be for healing rather than winning.

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What I Like About Sanders And Trump

Bernie Sanders

It has definitely been an interesting launch into the election season. Some have called it weird, many seem speechless, but it has created an unusually high amount of interest.

One Huffington Post article noted that; according to a recent poll, Americans would like to have a presidential primary process that doesn’t suck. In the post, author Jason Linkins notes:

The process by which we elect presidents sucks canal water, and people hate it. One of the things that people really hate about it is the long and drawn-out primary process, in which a few states fight to the death to be the first to hold primaries, and then once those are done, everyone agrees to pretend for a while that it isn’t completely obvious who is going to eventually win.

While this primary season may not exactly be what some were hoping for, it has been anything but boring. Two reasons the bore-factor has been in remission can be attributed to candidate Donald Trump, who is running on the Republican ticket, and Bernie Sanders, who is running on the Democrat ticket.

Both Trump and Sanders chose their respective party platforms not because of a longstanding ideological alignment, but rather because they needed a major party platform in order to have a chance at winning the job of POTUS.

Or did they?

I’m not a Sanders or a Trump fan. I have animus for different reasons towards each candidate. But what I do like about them, is the reason this primary season has drawn more interest than primaries past.

In my opinion, they are not playing by the rules, and to me, that is refreshing. Even those who disagree with them have had positive things to say concerning their tenacity. Perhaps another way to say is that they are refusing the role of status quo politicians, pandering to a platform in order to get money and the endorsements. Both of these candidates actually believe in their ideas and are less concerned with Political Correctness.

The early success of Trump and Sanders has been met with loud concern.  In a nutshell, the concern is that their growing popularity over the party “regulars” or “expecteds” will divide the vote thus handing the election to the enemy.

Instead of touting fear about party divisions, a better plan would be for both sides to pause long enough to realize the American people are tired of their politics and long for a leader, not an entrenched “politician.” I would recommend they tap into the disruption beneath the waterline that Bernie and Donald have tapped into…it is getting traction.

Some of you are thinking “Hey Bernie is a politician as he has been in it for a long time.”  That is true, however, he has been an outsider whose voice seems to be breaking through because the party doesn’t own him. Trump is a businessman, brash and egotistical who also won’t be owned by a party.

The Republican and Democrat leadership are scratching their heads right now, and that is good for us.

This is why I like these two guys. They are creating a larger conversation because they simply don’t care about the politics on the Hill.

Would either of them be a great president? I’m not so sure, but perhaps the time has come for “We the people” to take back our political rights and the parties that are supposed to represent us.

The voice of the people has been lost as the desire for political power and longevity has taken the primary place.

While you may not like The Don and Bernie, they are striking a resonate chord with many because they refuse to play the political game.