Our Next Steps? Pray and Serve

Like the rest of the world, I stayed up later than usual on election night to hear President-elect Obama speak to the more than 200,000 people waiting for his victory speech in Chicago’s Grant Park. As I listened to him address the crowd, I thought about one particular verse.

First Peter 2:13-17 says, “Submit to every human institution because of the Lord, whether to the Emperor as the supreme authority, or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For it is God’s will that you, by doing good, silence the ignorance of foolish people. As God’s slaves, live as free people, but don’t use your freedom as a way to conceal evil. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the Emperor.”

All this talk after the election reminds me to keep a kingdom perspective when it comes to major moral issues of today—and to pray with intensity. We must pray consistently for our President-elect, our government, our lawmakers, our schools, the media, etc.

First Timothy 2:1-4 says, “First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

The election may not have gone the way you wanted, but Scripture commands our steps going forward. They are simple: Pray for Barack Obama and our government, and be servants of the living God.