Are you feeling discouraged about the elections, or perhaps angry or frustrated or even depressed and hopeless?
Maybe all of the above?
Well the truth is, you can impact these elections, even though they seem to be growing more out of control each day. That’s right, you can make a difference in more ways than with just your vote.
Although voting is critical and there is absolutely no excuse for not voting, there’s even more you can do on a daily basis to have a positive impact on these elections.
First, you must be able to see beyond the news reports to the unseen spiritual battleground of the elections. When you watch the debates or read about the elections online, it’s easy to become so overtaken by emotions such as fear, stress, anger, frustration and hopelessness that you lose sight of the spiritual warfare behind the scene. Most importantly, you may not realize that your very own thoughts, words, emotions and attitudes actually affect this spiritual battleground.
Perhaps you feel justified and that it’s your right and responsibility as a Christian to gather with other believers or family members and bash the candidates who believe differently than you do. You may even believe on some level that God is on the sidelines cheering you on to bash, condemn, criticize and even hate those on the “other side.”
Second, you must become aware of the impact your own thoughts, emotions, words, attitudes and actions have on the spiritual realm.
For example, when you’re in this mode of “justified Christian bashing,” you tend to forget that bashing is not God’s attitude and words toward the other side, it’s the enemy’s.
The enemy is the accuser or the “basher,” and when you do the same, you are joining with him and increasing his ground in the spiritual battleground of the elections. Additionally, when you respond to the elections, or to anything else, in fear, stress, frustration, anger, discouragement, apathy or hopelessness you are increasing the enemy’s ground in the spiritual battle.
Although these reactions may very well be justified, none of them are from God. They give the enemy a handle or influence in your lives and in the elections. With everything that you face on a daily basis, I don’t think you want to give the enemy more ground, yet he wants you to be blind to how you do and focused instead on how justified you are in your reactions.
You see the real battle for the elections is fought behind the scenes, in the unseen world. The enemy wants to keep you focused on what you can see on your TV and computer screens so that you become consumed with your negative emotions and increase his reign. It’s all part of his deceptive grand scheme.
Third, you must know and believe the good news that you have more power than you think. You are not a hopeless, helpless, victim of the elections. You have the power—with your moment by moment thoughts, words, emotions, attitudes and behaviors—to either increase the enemy’s ground in the spiritual battleground of the elections, or God’s.
Therefore, if you really want to make a difference in these upcoming elections, in addition to your vote, start aligning your thoughts, words, emotions, attitudes and actions with God’s.
Ask Him, “What is your heart toward this person? Help me see what you see, help me feel what you feel about them.” He’s not bashing them, the enemy is the accuser, not God.
His heart is that their eyes would be opened to see the deception of the enemy’s lies, that they would know His love for them, surrender their lives to him, be healed of the strongholds in their heart, live with Him for eternity.
Now God is just and loving and righteous at the same time, so He will not withhold the negative consequences of their choices and behaviors, but His heart’s desire is for them to receive His love, His free gift of salvation, and experience intimacy with Him forever.
The next time you watch the candidates on TV, ask God to remind you to ask, “What is God’s heart toward them?” and start praying for them instead of bashing them.
Pray that the veil of deception would be lifted from their eyes, pray to bind the spirit of deception working in their lives. Remember that they are not the enemy, it’s the enemy working through these people, using deception, stronghold lies—all tools in his toolbox.
Pray that their hearts would be softened and opened to seek and know God, that He would become real in their lives, and reveal Himself to them in a powerful way. Pray that God would place other believers in their lives to be lights in the darkness and draw them to His light. Pray that they would experience His healing of the strongholds in their hearts that drive their behaviors.
Pray for the miracle of salvation in their lives. Praise God that nothing is too hard for Him, and that there is no darkness where His light cannot penetrate. Thank Him that He is able to do above and beyond all you could think, ask, or imagine.
Can you imagine the difference it would make in the spiritual and physical realms if all Christians were praying this way? We’d be making such headway on the spiritual battleground the enemy wouldn’t stand a chance.
Always remember that prayer is your most powerful spiritual weapon of warfare. Reacting with fleshly weapons such as: fear, stress, accusations, criticism, bashing, anger, frustration, bitterness, hatred, discouragement and apathy do nothing to help the situation, but rather increase the enemy’s ground in the battleground of the elections.
It’s time to take responsibility for the power that God has given you and start wielding your spiritual weapons of warfare. You can either increase the enemy’s ground or increase God’s reign in the spiritual battleground of these elections. It’s up to you.
Jeanne Nigro is a seasoned author/teacher, speaking at conferences, churches, and professional organizations, and through her television and radio shows, Facets of the Stone. She is the founder of Jeanne Nigro Ministries, empowering people to stand strong in uncertain times through an intimate relationship with God. Jeanne is uniquely gifted in integrating the topics of healing barriers to intimacy, Jewish roots of our faith, and end times theology and making them relevant, practical and life-transforming.
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