How to Pray for Partisan Issues Like This Contested Election

It can be difficult to know how to pray for political issues that are inherently partisan, such as the contested presidential election of 2020. Far too many people find it easier to simply disengage than to be controversial. So, what does it look like to pray for political issues in a manner that is not overly partisan?

To answer this question, I’d like to offer my own personal prayer for the 2020 election as an example of how this can be accomplished. Below are the prayer points from my article “Persevering through a Never-Ending Election,” followed by a prayer unpacking these points.

• An election result that honors God
• If corruption is occurring, let it be exposed
• If Joe Biden won the election fairly, let it be revealed. May the election be scrutinized to such a level that we the American people will be compelled to accept the results–whatever they may be
• May our system of checks and balances be permitted to run its course as designed so that we can be confident in the winner and preserve our trust in future elections
• May the uncertainty and insecurity we are feeling in this process drive us to seek refuge in the Lord rather than political figures

Troubled by the circumstances of this election process, I turn to you, Lord, believing that you are active and moving in this moment. It seems that 2020 has been a year of intense spiritual warfare, and this election is no exception. I believe you have been using the events of 2020 to sift your church and to prepare your people for what is coming. Therefore, I pray in faith believing you are not yet finished with this election.

Perhaps you are exposing corruption in our electoral process. Perhaps you are exposing how partisan our courts have become. Perhaps you are exposing how quick we are as a people to give up virtuous fights in pursuit of a misguided sense of peace and unity. Perhaps you are exposing how disconnected we as the American church have become from the cultural issues that affect people on a daily basis. Perhaps you are exposing how little we Americans value truth and righteousness. Whatever you are doing, I ask that we, as your people, would seek to join you in this moment.

May this begin with your people repenting of those areas where we’ve pursued unity at the expense of truth and where we’ve tolerated evil. May we no longer fear controversy. Then, may we align our hearts with your heart for truth and justice.

May this be an election that brings you honor. Regardless of what happens, may you be honored in how we conduct ourselves. Be this in our words and accusations. Be this in how we challenge irregularities and possible fraud. Be this in how decisions are made—whether they be made by We The People, our elected officials, or judges. In all things, may you be honored throughout the process of this contested election, and may truth prevail, and justice be dispensed.

If the last few years have taught us anything, it should be that our country—its leadership and institutions—are far more corrupt that we’d like to admit. Indeed, Lord, they are far more corrupt than many probably realized, and this corruption has extended to our most respected leaders and institutions. As such, it is not difficult for me to believe that corruption may be occurring in our election process. Certainly, this is something we’ve battled many time in the past as a country, yet we’ve found ourselves in a moment of history where we are being asked to have an implicit faith in the integrity of our elections—despite alarming evidence to the contrary.

If corruption is occurring in this election process, I ask you to expose it. You are the God who catches schemers in their own schemes and trappers in their own traps (Psa. 141:10). We ask that any traps that may have been laid will ensnare those who laid them. We ask that if people are improperly scheming to skew the election results, they will be exposed—regardless of their political affiliation. Likewise, you are the God who will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will shout from the rooftops what is said in secret (Luke 12:2–3). If there is anything illegal occurring in this election process, I ask that you will make it public—and that it will become public in such a way that we cannot ignore it, nor can it be censored by those who are seeking to control the flow of information in our country.

Because you are a God of righteousness who hates corruption, may we be grateful for the opportunity to openly hold to account our election process. Serious questions are finally being asked. Many of these are questions that have, for all practical purposes, been forbidden questions in the past, so I am grateful for the opportunity to have a national conversation about the integrity of our election process. However, I realize that we have a news media that is desperately trying to suppress this conversation. Additionally, we have a tech industry that is trying to suppress this conversation. Therefore, I ask for greater exposure for those who are bringing forth legitimate questions. I ask that any efforts to silence them will only increase the spread and awareness of their concerns.

I thank you that so many average citizens are mobilized and motivated to engage in answering questions about this election process. May we be grateful for those who are speaking up and questioning this process. And yet, may they exercise wisdom so as not to needlessly divide or sow seeds of doubt where it is not merited.

If Joe Biden won the election fairly, let it be revealed. Thank you that you are a God of truth. May we desire truth as much as you do. Thank you that we need not protect the truth from scrutiny. With this in mind, may the election be scrutinized to such a level that we the American people will be compelled to accept the results—whatever they may be. May we be able to unify around the election results because we have a restored confidence in the integrity of the results.

Thank you for Tuesday’s Michigan Senate Oversight Committee hearing.^[1] May this not be simply for show. Instead, may our leaders respond to the testimonies presented. May this prompt them to do their own investigations. May they themselves submit their concerns to our department of justice. May they demand answers, and accountability before progressing the vote in Michigan. May our leaders value the integrity of the vote over party politics and personal risk.

Thank also you for the informal hearings in Pennsylvania^[2] and Arizona^[3] on election irregularities. May these hearings motivate government leaders to engage where they have authority to act rather than delegate their responsibility to the courts. May these hearings silence the unfair accusations of the media that there is virtually no evidence of voting irregularities. And where they refuse to be silenced, may the average person reject their misrepresentations and false narratives.

Serious charges of illegalities have been made. Given the gravity of these charges, may the Department of Justice begin investigations. Unlike so many Department of Justice and congressional investigations from these last few years, may these investigations be serious, objective, and result in indictments wherever the law has been broken. Likewise, may any investigations by state departments of justice be serious and not simply for show. I particularly lift before you the more than 250 open investigations of possible voter fraud in Georgia, asking that the truth will be determined and justice will prevail.^[4]

May our system of checks and balances be permitted to run its course as designed so that we can be confident in the winner and preserve our trust in future elections. May President Trump’s legal team be given their day in court and granted hearings to present their evidence in every contested state. When these hearings are scheduled, may they prove to be objective evaluations of the evidence. I especially lift before you the first scheduled court hearing of this entire process which will occur in Nevada on Thursday.^[5] And since no hearing was granted by any court in Pennsylvania, may the U.S. Supreme Court be willing to hear the case.^[6][7]

I ask, Lord, that the difficulties of this time will serve to strengthen and restore our national checks and balances. May our faith in our institutions and in our checks and balances be increased if merited. If not merited, may we be so shaken and appalled that we the people will demand reform and accountability.

Finally, I pray that the uncertainty and insecurity we are feeling in this election process will drive us to seek refuge in you rather than political figures. May this be an opportunity for each of us to evaluate whether our trust and hope for our nation and personal aspirations truly rests in you. If we’ve succumbed to the temptation of trusting in our government for security and for solutions to our problems, then may this bring us to a point of repentance. All-the-while, may we not succumb to the temptation to ignore the political in a misguided display of faith in your sovereignty and provision.

In our eagerness to point people to You, may we as your people and your church not avoid addressing these cultural issues to the point of being irrelevant. Rather, may the church find its voice at this time. May your people use this moment to emphasize your attributes of truth, righteousness, and justice. May your people use this moment to highlight your concern for the oppressed and exploited. May your people use this moment to remind one another that, even if we do not feel as though we’ve received justice at this time, divine justice will eventually be dispensed.

You will make all things right. Wickedness and corruption will eventually be judged. Furthermore, righteousness and faithfulness in the present will be richly rewarded—even if we suffer for the time being.

You are not a disconnected God. You are actively involved in the affairs of our country, and you have invited us to participate with you in these affairs. Therefore, may pastors and church leaders across the country use this moment to remind their people of the importance and power of prayer. May you stir up the prayer warriors in your church at this time. May we, your people, rest in your sovereignty—but not use it as an excuse to disengage. May we pray in faith, believing that your desire is to see truth prevail and justice rendered. And through this entire process, may we learn the value of persevering regardless of our perspective and understanding and regardless of the circumstances.

We do not know what you are seeking to accomplish at this time, but we want to be participants with you rather than mere observers. Guide our spirits in how to pray, how to speak, and how to act at this time. In your holy name, amen.