Pray and Vote...

“We the people….” is how the U.S. Constitution begins. These words claim that we the people are the sovereign. We rule through institutions we establish. We govern ourselves through our agents in the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches.

The Bible says, “Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God (Romans 13:1).” All government has proper limits and is accountable to God. Yet, government is God’s servant for good, when it functions properly.

In Lutheran theology government reflects God’s Kingdom of His Left Hand. God rules the civil sphere, broadly understood, through institutions such as government. What fascinates me is that God gives us, in this country, the privilege to govern ourselves through our institutions.

This is one reason I pray not only for the President, Governor, legislatures, magistrates and others at all levels or government - federal, state, and local - but also pray for the electorate. Yes, I pray for the voters. The voters who rule themselves. My prayer is that God gives the voters wisdom. I pray for the electoral process to go forward effectively and with integrity.

My place as a representative of the Kingdom of God’s Right Hand, The Church, is not to tell you how to vote. Pastors diminish the pastoral office by using their office to push politics. Pastors need to use their office to address eternal issues. Vocation as citizens is such a concern, but not telling people how to vote.

My place is to encourage you to pray about your role as a voter. Pray for wisdom. Pray for integrity in the electoral process. Pray for good government that allows us to live and serve the Lord with “a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (1 Timothy 2:2). Then, pray for those elected to every level of government. They are your agents, your servants, as well as the Lord’s. Lift them up to Him in prayer.

(Editor’s Note: This column is written by a different Littlefield pastor for the Leader-News each week. The columns are published on this page on Wednesdays.)