Pray for Our Nation and Vote for Our Leaders
Fall 2016
By Betty Miller
We have diligently been praying about the upcoming elections, that we, as a nation, will elect the right person who will hold the office of the president of the United States. We are also praying that we will elect good senators and representatives to rule over us, as well. We know all Christians, have been praying as well. Many believers are divided and confused about the choices before us. As Christians, we should care about character, the Supreme Court, and social issues like abortion and traditional marriage and also the future of our nation. Yet, the Lord has not made it easy this time for us to be at peace about our vote. There are no easy answers. The Bible says as long as we are in this earth, we see through a glass darkly, so we are faced with the choice between two flawed candidates for the presidency. Regardless of the outcome, we are committed to honoring and praying for whichever leaders get elected across the board because the Bible tells us we are to honor the offices of our leaders. The next president will face enormous challenges and problems and will need our support and prayers. We are admonished in the Word of God to pray for them, as God wants us to have leaders that will make decisions that will allow us to live quiet and peaceable lives in an environment of godliness and honesty according to the scripture below:
1 Timothy 2:1-5
1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
What Will the Next President Do?
Months ago, I started praying about the presidential elections. I even asked the Lord to show me who the new president would be, as I know He has revealed the future to some of His prophets and people. I told the Lord I would like to know since I have had such a burden to pray about this matter. My burden came with a lot of weeping and crying over our nation and the upcoming elections and over the spirit of division that is in our land. I have an intercessory prayer burden and maybe I just have a Jeremiah anointing on me right now, as Jeremiah was known as “the weeping prophet.” Anyway, God did not reveal to me who the next president would be, but rather led me to a scripture in Jeremiah and began speaking to me about what the next president would do. Here was the scripture He spoke to my heart:
Jeremiah 1:10 “See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.”
Here is what He revealed to me about the correlation of this scripture and the office of the presidency of which either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton will fill. We are going to have one of these people as our next president and one of them will be “set over the nations” for a very unusual purpose. The Lord does want this nation to change and the needed change is one of coming back to honoring God in our culture and society. Regarding our nation, change means that those things in our nation that are corrupt and dishonest need to change and be removed. Change requires that the bad things need to be rooted out, to make room for the new. The Lord revealed to me that a lot of destruction would be going on during the next presidential term, as there would be a lot of “throwing down” and “rooting out” of past government policies and wickedness in high places. As I stated, He did not tell me who would be our next president, but He gave me this scripture and explained to me what it meant for this election. Either we, as a nation, will repent and serve Him or we will continue to suffer under more pressure from our government leaders and endure more strife among us. Our problems are spiritual problems and not party problems. No one party has the answers to our problems in this nation. God has our answers if we seek Him.
Again, what the Lord spoke to me about, was the next president would be tearing down and destroying a lot of things, before the Lord could begin to “build and plant” good things in our government. The plowing up would come before our nation could be rebuilt. The next president cannot build until some of the evil is rooted out. Then they, or possibly the next president to follow, would then be able to build and plant. This would come after some things were destroyed in this next term of office. My first thought was: “I wonder if this is Donald Trump because he is sometimes like a bull in a china closet and he plans to do a lot of changing in the government if he gets to be president.” But the Lord then revealed to me not necessarily so, as this verse could describe either of them; and could refer to Hilary Clinton, as well, as this election still hangs in the balance. (Sometime our first thoughts toward a Word from the Lord are not exactly the way we mentally process it, but can have a different meaning.) [1] See note at bottom of article regarding how to discern the origin of the things we hear.
What Will be Torn Down?
Wrong policies can tear down many of our Christian values and beliefs in our country (like unrestricted abortions). No party is perfect, nor is any candidate perfect. However, before voting it would be wise, as Christians, to compare platforms of the parties to see which one more closely lines up with the Bible. If we think we cannot vote for a person because of their personality, we can vote for the person who stands upon the party platform that is based more on Christian principals, as those will be the issues that we will live under. We then can pray the person who represents that party will lead the nation in the platform statements they represent. (You can search the Internet for a comparison between the Platforms.) The Bible declares that everything that can be shaken, will be shaken, and only things that are based on the Word of God will stand. We pray the church will be standing for the right issues and will vote in this critical year that will determine our future, because more chaos and destruction are coming to our land very soon.
Destruction and Chaos Coming
The destruction that is coming will either be another judgment on our nation because of increased sin and will continue until we repent and turn back to God. Part of any judgment process is the exposing of sin, so men can be saved, so God may be allowing the exposing of sin in our nation for the purpose of pulling it down and rooting it out. I do believe our country is going through judgment and tribulation, but I do not believe we will be destroyed as a nation, as I believe our national judgments are coming for the purpose of restoration, not total destruction. However, if evil is not dealt with, we will be overcome by it. We could be spared many heartaches if we would just repent and get rid of the evil in our individual lives and then the evil in our nation will lessen. What will be torn down will depend on who is elected for president, along with the house and senate. For a better understanding about this subject, click here for “What the Bible Says about Judgment.”
Hebrews 12:23-29 (AMP):
23 And to the church (assembly) of the Firstborn who are registered [as citizens] in heaven, and to the God Who is Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous (the redeemed in heaven) who have been made perfect,
24 And to Jesus, the Mediator (Go-between, Agent) of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood which speaks [of mercy], a better {and} nobler {and} more gracious message than the blood of Abel [which cried out for vengeance].
25 So see to it that you do not reject Him {or} refuse to listen to {and} heed Him Who is speaking [to you now]. For if they [the Israelites] did not escape when they refused to listen {and} heed Him Who warned {and} divinely instructed them [here] on earth [revealing with heavenly warnings His will], how much less shall we escape if we reject {and} turn our backs on Him Who cautions {and} admonishes [us] from heaven?
26 Then [at Mount Sinai] His voice shook the earth, but now He has given a promise: Yet once more I will shake {and} make tremble not only the earth but also the [starry] heavens.
27 Now this expression, Yet once more, indicates the final removal {and} transformation of all [that can be] shaken–that is, of that which has been created–in order that what cannot be shaken may remain {and} continue.
28 Let us therefore, receiving a kingdom that is firm {and} stable {and} cannot be shaken, offer to God pleasing service {and} acceptable worship, with modesty {and} pious care and godly fear {and} awe;
29 For our God [is indeed] a consuming fire.
This Election is Hanging in the Balance as to the Outcome
The Lord spoke to me this election hangs in the balance and it will be up to the prayers and actions of Christians as to who is elected because the church will determine who will rule over this nation and this applies to all the nations in the world. God rules His Kingdom through His people and if we obey Him, His will, will be done. This is because our leaders are a reflection of the people. The Bible tells us that nations that sin will come under judgment and without repentance we come under the curses of the Bible and one curse is having leaders or rulers that exploit the people by exercising power and excessive rule over them. This does not just apply to our nation, but the nations of the world, as well. The church worldwide was called to be light and salt to the nations and when the church fails in her calling, we all suffer. The church will ultimately determine which candidate comes to power. If we repent and pray, the Lord will see we get the better of the two, although they are both very flawed. People are asking who they can vote for. Perhaps, this time we are faced with voting for a platform that does not list “killing babies” as one of its principles and policies, so instead of voting for a person, we should pray about voting for the party platform of principles and policies that is closest to the tenets of Christian belief and the Word of God.
What About Just Not Voting at All?
One look at our country and we see our nation seemingly getting further away from God and instead of people repenting and trying to get their lives right before God, many just either remain apathetic or laugh things off. Soon none of the things happening in our nation will be a laughing matter if we do not repent. We are praying for a revival in this nation. Some people are refusing to vote at all, because they do not like what they see in either candidate. However, I do not believe the Lord would have us disengage from the voting process because we are disgusted, but try to get God’s perspective as to how He is viewing all of this confusion in our nation. If we refuse to vote, we are leaving the choice to others who will decide who rules over us, as a decision ”not to vote,” is still a decision and that is the decision of passivity. God never calls us to be passive about things. If we do not understand what is going on, we can trust God that He knows the future and will guide us to do the right things today that will affect our future. Some people who are refusing to vote are calling their withdrawal from the election process, as a vote of conscious. They do not want to side with the wrong people. However, when we take that position, we are then allowing others to dictate our future because the presidency is bigger than just one person. There are many people who surround the president that will be making decisions in their respective offices of the Supreme Court, the cabinet members and other government offices. The new president will influence the Senate and the representatives and the nations of the world. Should we just not vote and let others choose who will be doing these things?
There are other issues on the ballot besides voting for the president and other candidates such as the senators and representatives. We have local officials that we will be selecting along with referendums and propositions that affect our cities and towns. One in our state, Arizona, is the issue of deciding if we are going to allow recreational marijuana to be legal. As Christians, we need to say no to this form of drug addiction. Our children are already bombarded with enough temptations without the added burden of legal marijuana which is destructive to so many people. Other states will also be voting on important issues in their areas, so we need to study the propositions and vote on the right side of these issues as well.
Option of Voting for Personality or the Party Platform?
We have two major parties, as we all know, the republicans and the democrats, so in this election, if we are having problems with voting for either of the presidential candidates because of their personalities, perhaps, as I have stated, we should consider casting our vote not based on the candidate’s personality, but instead, we are to vote for the person who stands on the platform that most closely lines up with Bible principals because the two platforms are very different. To look at just one issue, the one of abortion, we find one party supports life, while the other supports death (pro-abortion) and the candidates are both very vocal about their stand on this issue. The other main issue is that of the Supreme Court appointees by the next president. We should consider voting for the candidate whose party platform most closely lines up with Christian principles and then believe God to work with the person to change them and correct them by using the men and women that will serve with them, as each party will have a cabinet of people who will be there to advise them and work with them. This should apply to the other candidates as well at the local and state levels. I am not telling anyone how to vote because ultimately that is each individual’s right and decision. I am only sharing my own struggle regarding voting. I believe we can hear God in the matter if we seek the Lord with our whole heart because He tells us if we do, He will hear and answer.
Jeremiah 29:13 “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”
Bottom Line
Bottom line is that neither candidate is the answer to ultimately changing our country, but rather when we all repent from our sins, and the people of this nation turn back to God we will then come back under God’s protection and favor again. He will then give us the leaders we need who will build up our country again. This go round we should all be prepared to face turmoil on every side, as I know neither candidate will fully have the answers to our nation’s problems, because our problems are spiritual problems and until we return to God we will continue under the judgments that we see all around us. The clearest thing the Lord revealed to me about this next presidency is that it comes with a destructive process of things being “torn down” before we can ever rebuild as a nation. However, it is necessary; as it is like remodeling a house. First, you have to tear a lot of things out, refurbish some things, rearrange some things, add some new things, add new fixtures and paint so that the new remodel will work better for us. We did this in our kitchen a few years back and the process took about two months and it was really hard to live in the house while it was going on, but the end result was great. I had new pull-out drawers so I did not have to crawl on the floor to get into the lower cabinets and other upgrades that made my cooking so much easier. So it is now, in our government. We have to endure the coming process before we will be blessed with the end result. The best way to endure is to pray for both parties and for peace and unity among them so they can work together for the good of the country.
Prepare for the Days of Turmoil Ahead
Since trouble is coming to our nation, we should be prepared physically, financially, mentally, and spiritually. The most important thing is that we get close to God and hear His voice so we know where He wants us to be in the coming days. We must learn to depend on Him for all of our needs. This is the time to seek God and get our house in order for the coming days of tribulation throughout the world. We must learn to overcome the things we all will face by trusting and having faith in God and His Word. We need to pray not only for our country, but for the nations of the world that need Jesus as well. Our answer is to pray that all Christians will work toward establishing the Kingdom of God in each of their respective countries, as we look for the coming of the Lord to rule and reign in the world. This begins with the Kingdom of God established in each of our individual lives. Eventually God’s kingdom will triumph over all. God has called each of us for such a time as this. This will be a time of overcoming and a walk of faith and miracles in the Lord, so from that perspective it will be exciting to see Him move in miraculous ways. We are now living in the days that our Lord will soon return, so we must remember what Jesus said in Matthew 24:13:
Matthew 24:13 “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”
We are praying that God will withhold more judgments on our nation and have mercy on us because I do not believe His people are ready for what lies ahead. We are praying God will give us His wisdom and guidance in this nation and place over us His leaders who can take us through hard times. We are asking the Lord to cleanse us and deliver us from all deception as much of our problems stem from being deceived into becoming worldly. May He give us His discernment so we choose wise and righteous leaders, who love justice and mercy. We pray that our great country will be used to fulfill His will on the earth, as it is in Heaven.
Bottom line is that we need to pray the Lord’s Prayer over this election and listen to God as to his leadership regarding voting, not only for the president but for all elected officials and the voter propositions, as well. We have the privilege of voting and we should not throw that privilege away. We will be accountable before God for all of our choices. My prayer is that all of God’s people will hear His voice and vote accordingly. We can make a difference in this world.
Matthew 6:9-13
9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Editor’s Note: This is not a political article to endorse any person, but was written to encourage God’s people to pray for their national elections and leaders and to encourage Christians to exercise their civic duty of voting by looking to God and the guidelines of the Bible for guidance as to how they are to vote. Betty Miller
You may also like to read an article which is a guideline for voters: “What Does the Bible Say about Voting” or read other timely articles to get your Bible Questions answered at:
END NOTES: [1] Any interpretation of a dream, vision or revelation or guidance from the Lord must be tested or proved and not just taken at face value since we may interpret things with our minds, instead of understanding the correct spiritual meaning. Many times Christians do get a word or revelation from the Lord, but fail to interpret it correctly, as they interpret it out of their own knowledge and understanding instead of getting God’s interpretation of the vision or word. Peter was an example of this, as when he saw the vision of the unclean animals and heard the voice from heaven to “eat,” he thought the Lord was telling him to eat unclean meats, which he had never done because he was a good Jew and the Bible had already forbidden him to do so in the Old Testament (Leviticus 11). The Lord had to reveal to Peter that He was not telling him to eat unclean meats, but rather the interpretation was that the unclean animals in the vision represented the Gentiles and they now could be received as converts since they had been cleansed spiritually by Jesus Christ and he was to accept them as Christian brothers and sisters (Acts 11). We must base our guidance and revelations on the Word of God, the Bible. You can learn more about this subject by going to this link for information about the book “Prove All Things.” Available in downloads, Kindle, Amazon or for purchase at the Christ Unlimited Online Store. You can also listen to this teaching on YouTube.
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