1 Timothy 2:1-4 “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
We have a spiritual responsibility when it comes to politics and government. While present lawmakers seek to keep the church out of Congressional affairs through what I believe is a faulty interpretation of “church and state,” they cannot keep us from the most important aspect of involvement: PRAYER. Paul suggests four levels of involvement. They are:
Supplications
Prayers
Intercessions
Thanksgiving
When we aggressively present to God petitions and prayers and we actively stand in the gap for government officials, we will reap the benefits personally through a social life that is full of peace. God is obviously pleased when we do this (v.3).
You may not have bumper stickers with catchy political slogans or colors of your political party or names of elected officials for fellow motorists to see. But we should participate in all levels of politics. The voice of the prophet was well heard in governments of biblical times. Let it not be silenced in the 21st century. Christian ethics and teaching should trump party affiliation. Alignment with the kingdom of God is the most critical of criteria. As the years pass there will be a continual effort to mute the voice of the church. Lines will be blurred by the conformists whose appetite for tolerance creates a condition where the “salt has lost its saltiness.” Church: be the church. You will not be favored by the culture but you were not created for acceptance. You were created to make a difference. And that can sometimes be annoying. Everyone can get involved at some level. At the very least, pray.