UPCOMING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

(blog is a reprint from my article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer on 8.19.12)

All the TV commercials touting presidential candidates have me talking to myself. Do I really need almost three more months of commercials to decide how to vote? Probably not. The two viable candidates are clearly opposite on major issues. Most voters could decide today.

So what's my role as an individual citizen?
Well God's assignment to you, per the Bible, is to pray for the leaders of your land.

Yeah, yeah, I know, but for most of us Christians, that's just a religious cliche, isn't it? We would rather discuss the candidates, vote (or not), then spend the next four years criticizing the winner on Facebook, at the office, at family gatherings, you name it!

Oh, quit it.

I'm just sayin'. . . . So what does God ask of me again? I got a bit distracted there.

Pray for your leaders. "I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority. . . ." (I Timothy 2:1-2 ) I don't think it's a cliche nor just a suggestion. Verse 3 says "This is good and pleases God our Savior." Proverbs 21:1 says, "The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord. . . ." We have a president instead of a king, but you get the idea.

I thought this column was going to be about presidential candidates. Why are we talking about my responsibility to pray?

Hey, you're asking the questions.

Well, here's something that keeps me from praying. Can the prayers of a no-name, individual citizen like me really make a difference in a powerful place like Washington, D.C.?

Well, can you think of any examples in the Bible where God's purposes were accomplished through praying citizens when the ruling king didn't even believe in God?

Wait a minute, I thought I was asking the questions!

Sorry, you're right. Well, let me tell you then. There was King Cyrus, not a God-lover, yet God stirred his heart and accomplished his purposes through Cyrus (Ezra 1:1). Then there was King Nebuchadnezzar through whom God worked as a result of a teenager named Daniel, a God-loving man of prayer.

That's encouraging. Now do I pray because I'm a pastor or is this something every Christian should do?

Prayer isn't a special assignment to just a few people. Sure, we've made up some titles for a few who pray, like "prayer warrior" and "intercessor," which has caused the rest of us to mistakenly think we're off the hook. But just like your physical body needs to breathe, every God-follower who's spiritually alive needs to pray.

So I'm going to pray for my leaders instead of criticize them. How should I pray?

That's the question the disciples asked Jesus (Luke 11:1). "Lord, teach us to pray. . . ." Jesus gave them a great model to follow. The highlights are: forgive us, help us forgive, we honor you as God, bring the ways of Heaven down here to earth, lead us, free us up from evil, let God's will happen, give us what we need daily, your authority is above all else.

I think you're paraphrasing that. Where can I look up that prayer?

Google "The Lord's Prayer" or dust off your Bible (kidding) and look up Matthew 6:9-13 or Luke 11:2-4.

I better get busy praying then. Did you know there's a national election coming up?

The Rev. Donna Barrett is the pastor of Rockside Church in Independence. She borrowed her "talking to myself" format from The Plain Dealer's Terry Pluto, a sports and faith columnist.