Thoughts on America and the elections

Tuesday’s election was a very significant crossroads for the nation of America. Our nation elected the first African American president and at the same time elected perhaps the most pro-choice candidate that has ever been in office. Mike Bickle spoke briefly at our 10am prayer meeting yesterday morning regarding these issues and made some very good points on the election that I really want to pass along to you. It’s so easy to get derailed and discouraged by Tuesday’s results if our hope was in John McCain as “God’s candidate” or if our trust was in a political process that is detached from the ways of the kingdom of God. I’m hoping this little post brings encouragement and clarity and reconnects you to the bigger picture of what the Lord is doing in our nation and in the world today.

Before I get to what Mike said though I want to address the common question I am sure many have been asking - “What about the prophetic words? What about all of our prayers? I guess we didn’t pray enough.” I want to boldly state that to ask this question means we are believing lies about the heart and the nature of God. First, prophetic words are given as an invitation from God, not a guarantee. When Daniel was living under a wicked Babylonian king and saw the crisis ahead for his people, he set his face towards God to pray and fast (Daniel 9:1-3). He earnestly prayed and from the first day he set his heart, his words were heard (Daniel 10:12). Jesus longs to hear our voice. Every prayer we prayed counted, and not one was lost. When we pray, we’re not “charging up God’s battery” wishfully hoping that we can pray enough that He would finally be “charged” and moved enough to act. Prayer is about agreement with who He is and what He desires. Prayer is not for Him, it’s for us. In saying “we didn’t pray enough”, we’re essentially saying “God doesn’t hear my prayers” or “God won’t act until enough people pray”. These are unbiblical, unfounded lies from the enemy that we must resist and fill our mind and heart with the truth of God’s word.

Even though the cries for change were greater than the cries for mercy on Tuesday, that does not negate or cancel out all of our cries for mercy. Jesus longs to dispense mercy much more than we want it. Our prayers were heard and they will be answered. But we must understand that what He is doing is beyond our ability to know and discern fully. He sees the big picture, and Barack Obama as our president is the exact thing the Lord has set in place to provoke the greatest number of people to the deepest level of love without violating anyone’s free will in the process.

Well, Mike spoke yesterday and said that Tuesday November 4, 2008 marked a “great and terrible day” in our nation’s history. It was great in the fact that an African American president was elected. This is a massive statement about America itself – where it has come even in the past few decades from its racism and hatred of black men and women. This is something to be so thankful to Jesus for! We should also be so thankful for the great victory that happened in California, Arizona, and Florida – same sex marriage was banned by law and the institution of marriage between a man and a woman was upheld.

But Tuesday also marked a terrible day in our nation. It marks a day on the heavenly calendar of a clear turning of our nation towards darkness. The turn has been stirring and gaining momentum for several decades but Tuesday documented it and made it the official record on earth and in heaven. We now have a president that is fiercely pro-choice, with little to no regard to life in the womb. President-elect Obama’s policies on abortion are disastrous for the unborn, and the blood guilt over our nation is perhaps the most dangerous thing imaginable for our nation, beyond anything we could really understand.

As we have seen through the Biblical narratives of Israel and throughout history, God has always given nations a king after their own heart. He gives them over to what they really want. In Samuel’s day, Israel cried out for a human king like the rest of the nations. The Lord gave them Saul, who turned out to be a very wicked man in the eyes of the Lord. The Lord gave Israel Saul and gives nations the king they desire so that they face themselves and live with the consequences of their king.

On November 4, 2008, America chose a king after their own heart. One of the most sobering things about this is that the emerging power base, the 18 to 30 year olds, primarily voted pro-choice and against the sanctity of marriage. Both unbelievers and believers sided with darkness. This is a terrible thing for America, but it does not mean that the issue is settled and our opportunity for change is over.

In the midst of the encroaching darkness the Lord has a divine strategy - He is raising up a (primarily) young adult prayer movement all across our nation. The power of intercession is more powerful than any army on the earth or force in the realm of darkness. We have access to the throne of God - through prayer, light is released that drives darkness off the planet. God is raising up an army that is being trained now to prevail against the most evil man that the world has ever seen – the antichrist. There will be many victories, setbacks, and defeats before it’s all over, but through the process of “working our faith muscle” and believing the Lord in prayer, we will be transformed, strengthened in insight, wisdom, love, and resolve to stand with God’s authority as we wage war in the Spirit.

We are kingdom of God people first before we are Americans. As citizens of that coming kingdom, we have been given a sphere of influence to steward. Namely for us here at IHOP it is Kansas City, the regions surrounding Missouri, and then the nation. Rather than just sitting back in complacency, God has given us the opportunity and the mandate to ask Him through prayer for His kingdom to come in a measure on the earth before it comes in fullness at Christ’s second coming (Matthew 6:10).

But in light of our new president-elect and his opposing views on many issues that the Lord cherishes, we are still to pray for his blessing, prosperity, and strength and for the spirit of wisdom and revelation to come upon him. We want God's light and truth to touch his heart in a way that turns him towards Jesus. Our heart posture must be that of Romans 13:1 – the authorities that exist over us are appointed by God. We don’t want to take on or war against men in a fleshly, carnal way. We don’t have to wrangle, argue, or get stirred up in the flesh. Why? The saints are the only people in the earth who have a greater way to wage war – we have access to the throne of God to release light over darkness in the heavens. We are billionaires in the Spirit!

We must set our eyes on the end of the war. Though we may and will lose many battles before it’s over, we can set our hope on the clear biblical promise that Jesus wins! This is the good news, the blessed hope, and the continual motivation given to us by the Holy Spirit to contend for how much of the kingdom we can have now and at the same time long for the fullness of it at His return.