YES, WE NEED TO PRAY.

More than anything else, Christians need to pray that Democrats are defeated at the polls and kept out of public office. Never have the stakes been greater for America and never has the responsibility of Christians to vote been more clear. But, make no mistake about it, the most important and effectual thing Christians can do for the sake of our nation’s survival right now is to pray for God’s undeserved mercy and intervention.

Christians need to be crying out to God in prayer for our nation like Ezra and Nehemiah cried out to God for theirs (Read Ezra 9:5-15 and Neh. 1:1-11), while making sure, as much as possible, that they are on praying “ground” as described in 2 Chron. 7:14. They need to invite people to their houses over the next few days to pray that evil men and women will not be allowed to dominate the politics and government of our country.

Our prayers are more important than anything else we can do right now. But prayer offered by those who can vote, but won’t and don’t vote, will be hypocritical and hollow. God never performed a miracle of deliverance for His people whether it involved turning a stick into a serpent (Ex. 7:8-10) or making a dry path for them through a sea or a river (14:13-21; Josh. 3) until they did what they had a responsibility to do. Prayer relative to voting falls into the category of the things Jesus said ought to be “done,” but not while other things that ought to be done are left “undone” (Matt. 23:23).

Long ago, two preachers were aboard a ship when it was announced that a fire had broken out below deck and a bucket brigade was needed. One preacher said to his friend, “Let’s go to our cabin and pray.” The other said, “No, let’s get a bucket and pray while we throw water on this fire.” Get the message?