This year is the 400^th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower. What were the pilgrims hoping for?  As they sailed across the Atlantic in search of religious freedom, my guess is that their hearts were hungry to build a culture and government that rested on Kingdom principles, that kept God at the helm, and that gave them freedom to worship as they felt led.

…And the government shall be upon His shoulder,
And His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

There shall be no end to the increase of His government and of peace,
[He shall rule] on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness
From that time forward and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.  Is 9:6-7 AMP

The Hebrew definition of government, “misrah,” is to rule, have power and dominion, to prevail.  I believe the pilgrims had God’s heart for a ruling establishment – one which is in vast opposition to the general view of government today.  This is evident in the aversion many churches have to even in engage in political conversation and in the prevalent consensus of a “silent majority.”

In the same passage, the word peace is the Hebrew word “shalom” – which translates as whole/entire peace, health, welfare, and safety.  Think about how this “peace” translates to today – and how this understanding of Scripture can influence our prayers.

God’s heart for government, regardless of whether you are considering today’s political culture and climate or the government of His Kingdom, denotes influence.  And I would argue that our “influence” should be prevalent in every place we touch and are involved with here in our nation.  Our influence, as believers in Christ, should create ripples in culture.  And without hesitation, the voice of the believer, and thus the Church, should have influence in government and the present tensions that plague our nation today.

The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.” The Lord will stretch forth Your strong scepter from Zion, saying, “Rule in the midst of Your enemies.”  (Ps 110:1-3 NASB)

In this passage, David uses the Hebrew word “radah” (rule),which means to rule, have dominion, subdue, and to cause to dominate.  I believe the time is now.  With our current elections less than two months away, with the many tensions magnifying the divide in opinions, I believe our prayers, our efforts, and our voices are more important than ever before!

We sit at a crossroads, a convergence of days and times, festivals and elections, culture, agendas and God…  How do we, the ekklesia, move forward?

I don’t believe the Lord EVER intended for His people to live passively and silently.  The pilgrims sailed to the Americas in hope of retaining their voice, to prevent it being extinguished by the prevailing culture in England and later Holland.  Are we not in a similar place and time – four hundred years later?

And while we may not be hopping on a boat to escape our nation’s present-day struggles, we do have the opportunity of blazing a new path.

Let’s step back from political platforms and let’s look at the establishment of THE Kingdom – of which we are citizens (Phil 3:20).  It’s from THIS government that we need to look for our guiding principles.

As we are stepping into the last weeks before the elections, I have a few suggestions of what to pray into:

• Pray for supernatural discernment. Pray for eyes to see clearly and ears to hear clearly.  FEAR is not the Lord’s language – so when you read or hear things that stir up in you a heart of fear, stop and ask the Lord to help you to sift through the details such that you can hear HIS heart on the matter.  Much of what should be guiding us is a “fear of the Lord” and allowing that to be our starting place for wisdom and instruction (Prv 1:7).
• Pray for what we carry. Pray for our voice; pray for your voice.  As carriers of His presence (1 Co 3:16, 6:20-21), and as a royal priesthood (1 Pt 2:9), the atmosphere should shift simply because we have stepped onto the scene.  We are called a temple of the Holy Spirit – holiness, boldness, and courage should emanate from this place.
• Pray against fear and for empowerment to walk confidently where He asks us to go. We need to constantly lay fear at His feet and pick up His armor – to be ever prepared to take back what the enemy has stolen.  We belong to Him and carry the authority that comes with The NAME – Jesus!    “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of sound judgment and personal discipline [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control]” (2 Ti 1:7 AMP). Pray for courage like that of the pilgrims.
• Pray for the light of the Church to become the prominent influence in culture. Pray for a move and revival such as we have never seen in our lifetime.  Pray for a culture of repentance, fasting, and prayer.  I believe we are in a time where “this” can only come about through prayer and fasting.