“I’m not voting in the 2024 election because neither candidate is good.”
“I’ll write in a better choice than the two running.”
“I want to send my party a message. Pick better candidates or lose my vote.”
I’m sure you’ve heard, maybe echoed some of these phrases. As the 2024 election draws near, I’m compelled to talk about why we should vote for local and national candidates.
God’s choices in leaders, especially in times of apostasy, have surprised me. Hebrews 11 heralds Samson as an example of faith. God chose Samson before he was conceived, yet Samson’s attraction to pagan women ensnared him. King Saul and King David also had issues. But the Lord chose and used these men.
In evil times, when God’s people cried out for Him to save them, God raised up imperfect leaders to rescue them. When the people returned to their sin, which happened repeatedly, He turned them over to their enemies. The people’s actions helped determine the leaders God raised up and brought down. And a leader’s heart toward promoting God’s values greatly impacted the nation. Israel prospered when it followed God’s righteous decrees and enjoyed peace and prosperity under leaders who promoted righteous decrees.
I share the desire for candidates that reflect my faith and moral values in every aspect of life. When I find one, I enthusiastically support him or her. But, as I used to tell my counseling clients, pining for what should be doesn’t move us forward. However, God moves in ways we can’t imagine when we do our best with the choices we have.
Pharaoh and Nero
Imagine living as a Hebrew slave under Pharaoh and his mandate to kill every Hebrew baby boy. By some miracle, Egypt holds an election. Pharaoh’s challenger also worships false gods, but he promises to protect human life and revoke Pharaoh’s cruel mandate. Would you refuse to vote because neither candidate meets your standard 100%?
Or consider the Roman emperor Nero who threw Christians to the lions for sport and blamed them for Rome’s problems. I hope you agree that a flawed individual who protects religious liberties, freedom of speech, and our right to life is a much better candidate than one who doesn’t.
The United States is not a theocracy. Our founding fathers created a constitutional republic where we the people elect leaders who pledge to uphold our constitution. Our founders saw our rights as God-given. As James L. Garlow said, “If our rights come from God, they cannot be taken away by government—or any other person.”
A democracy that undermines our constitution and system of checks and balances can take away our liberties. As a gal in my Bible study said, “In a democracy the majority rules. If you have two wolves and one sheep what happens?” When we elect leaders and judges who override our laws based on the biblical principles found in our constitution we live as a sheep among wolves.
Scandal
It’s interesting how alleged scandals make news close to election day, but bona-fide discrepancies on some candidates are never addressed. Why would those who promote policies that celebrate and promote sexual immorality among our children and ban moral teaching as religious and judgmental look for real and purported breaches in conservative candidates’ pasts? I can think of only one reason. To keep us from voting.
There is no perfect party or candidate. But some support policies that do a better job of honoring biblical values. I pray for protection for those who do. Below I share a prayer and some resources that I hope will help those wrestling over this year’s election. Please do your homework and make the best choice from the choices we have. This is a binary election. Choose the candidates whose policies come the closest to supporting biblical values—and pray.
Strength Finder
Dear Father, You’ve told us to be anxious for nothing, but with prayer and supplication to make our requests known to You. I pray for a fair election. For believers to have discernment and use their discernment to pray and vote. For the election of just, wise, and courageous leaders on every level who will honor You in their roles and recognize that they are accountable to You for their actions.
Please hold back the tide of evil. Use this window to bring in a great harvest for Your Kingdom. Forgive us our sins of commission and omission. Grant us courage and strength to be the people You’ve called us to be. May our lights shine brightly in this dark world.
We surrender this election and its outcome to You. May Your will be done. May we trust You fully. You alone are all wise, all knowing, and all good. You alone can save us. Blessed be Your name.
Resources
- Insightful video by Paul “Skip” Stam on Some Lessons from the Bible on the Value God Places on Human Lives not yet born.
- Link to the 2024 Presidential Election Comparison Guide
- Gary Hamrick’s September 8, 2024 sermon Church, Unite for the Soul of America! Ezekiel 33:1-5 “Good government cannot save us, but bad government can destroy us.”
- Tulsi Gabbard speaking at Rescue the Republic.
A brief summary of the 2024 election policies Gary Hamrick highlights in his sermon.
Judges: (Isaiah 1:26)
Presidents select federal judges and Supreme Court justices. Right judges bring righteousness by their decisions. [Judges that protect criminals create a “criminal” justice system.] Which candidate will select the best judges and justices?
National Security: (Acts 17:26)
Secure Borders: immigration the right way. [Hurricane Helene has shown the impact of an administration that doesn’t put its citizens’ needs first.] Which candidate will work to protect our nation?
Israel: (Genesis 12:3)
God blesses those who bless Israel. Which candidate will best support the nation of Israel?
Religious Liberty: (Exodus 20:3)
(Doctors who don’t want to perform abortions; cake makers, photographers, and graphic designers who don’t want to celebrate same-sex marriages should not be forced to; Christians who object to taking a shot on the basis of religious grounds should not lose their job or be dishonorably discharged from the military; companies that object to providing abortive drugs should not be mandated to do so; counselors who don’t want to support unbiblical behavior should not be forced to or risk their ability to practice.) Which candidate will protect America’s liberties and defend her conscience?
Biological Sex: (Genesis 1:27)
Fourteen states currently have Transgender Healthcare Shield laws. Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz signed legislature last year making Minnesota a trans-refuge state. “If a minor child hasn’t been able to obtain gender affirming care because one or both parents object, the Minnesota law allows courts to have temporary emergency jurisdiction over the child.” This ideology that allows males to compete in women’s sports denies girls their rights and protection. Which candidate will best protect God’s design of biological sex?
Family: (Psalm 127:3)
Children are being targeted by an evil agenda. Which candidate will best protect parental rights, the family, and our children?
Life: (Acts 3:15; Proverbs 6:17)
The Republican party’s platform has moved farther left to where the democratic party of 30 years ago was. But Democratic policy is far worse. No restrictions, allowed up to birth, taxpayer supported. Outside the 2024 Democratic National Convention, a Planned Parenthood mobile abortion unit aborted babies during the convention. “Those who murder the unborn cannot be trusted to govern the born.” Seth Gruber. Which candidate will best protect life?
Voting is a privilege and duty. Ninety million self-identified evangelicals are eligible to vote. Of those, 40 million don’t vote. Fifteen million more are not registered to vote. Fifty-five million Christians don’t vote, ignoring their duty to stop the tide of evil.
You Can’t Afford to Sit Out of the 2024 Election #vote, #pray Share on XClick here to comment.
Blessings,
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Thank you for thinking this through and for your offering of sifting questions. I’ve actually said to my husband that I hope I’m too sick on election day to go to the polls so I’ll have an excuse to avoid thinking about this fraught election year.
The truth is we can’t wish it away, and we have to be faithful citizens of our ACTUAL country. So we do our homework to become informed and we vote.
Michele, I had to smile at your escape route. Unfortunately, we can’t wish this away. Thanks so much for adding your thoughts.
Excellent Debbie and I join you in your prayer!
Thank you, Kim. There is only one Savior! We certainly need Him.
Thank you so much for that very thoughtful and wise encouragement to vote in this election. I agree with you 100%. I’ve sometimes said that the lesser of two evils is the best choice, hands down. Not that I’m saying the man I voted for (I early voted) is evil, no he is not, but he is a flawed individual nonetheless — but, aren’t we all!! I love what Jesus said when the pharisees brought in the adulteress, he said, “He who is without sin, let him cast the first stone.” I’m so thankful to be an American IN America – our beloved and flawed country. We are so blessed! I pray that God will have mercy on us and give us a modicum (at least) of four years with reasonable and responsible leadership. God knows all things and I’m at peace knowing that nothing happens without His knowledge and permission and will. Praise God!
Amen, Sandra. We are blessed, and I hate to see those blessings slipping away. Thank you for your encouraging words. I enjoyed your post on Flight! (My comment read anonymous.) It made me smile.
Thank you for telling me about your comment on my blog. I get so few comments, they are always encouraging! Thanks!!
So beautifully presented and of such critical importance.
Thank you, Ann.
I appreciate your encouragement and well-thought-out questions. I wish I felt like I was actually voting for a candidate rather than against one. Still, vote I must.
I empathize with you. I’m feeling that on our state level too. Makes me consider how important it is to help good candidates during the early stages of primaries.
May God bless America with good leadership. May He show us undeserved favor. God bless, Debbie!
Amen, Nancy! Thank you.
Amen! “and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
2 Chronicles 7:14 NASB1995
May we do our part so that He is free to heal our land. Thanks, Kelly!
I don’t speak about politics publicly very often, but I very much agree we need to be good stewards of this right we’ve been given.
Barbara, I always get unsubscribes when I do, but God keeps bringing passages before me in my Bible reading highlighting those He called to speak, some with severe warnings if they did not do so (Samuel, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Jonah). He also reminded me that these were biblical issues long before they became political. Thanks for reading.
Dear friend,
This is so well written and true! Thanks for your courage in writing it. I shared it on X and with a number of friends as well. We cannot remain silent.
Thank you, Pam. You are a blessing!
Thank you for your prayers for a safe and fair election. It’s a challenging year and hard to discern truth from lies. I pray God will lead us to make the right decisions and that everyone will be guided by His will and will vote. Our forefathers and foremothers made many sacrifices to provide us with the opportunity to choose our leaders. We need to honor that and our Father when we vote.
Katherine, I’ve thought recently about what they gave up so we could have our country. Being shunned or misunderstood for speaking up is a small price to pay in light of what they gave. Thanks so much for your prayers and encouragement.
It’s pretty obvious that we have to vote for Trump. I was hesitant myself in 2016 when his view of women came out in public however he is the one who’s going to uphold Christian values. He’s kind of like a Cyrus who is not saved, but used by God, I believe that the Democratic Party will ruin our country. Thanks for spelling this out for us.
Gina, thanks for commenting. The way those who want to rewrite history and destroy our country have attacked, silenced, sued, and refused to do business with him, his wife, and his children alone should wake us up that something terribly wrong is going on. And as you point out, he seeks to protect our religious liberties and is not a religious fanatic by any definition of the word. I believe it is a spiritual battle which rages on the state and local level too.
Thank-you for addressing the issues in this election so well.
Thank you, Carol!
Joining you in prayer for election and for our country. It is important to participate in elections but I wish more Christians would stop saying negative or ugly things about those they don’t agree with in this realm. We must keep a Christ like attitude in how we treat others regardless of political affiliation.
Well said, Yvonne!
Such good information! Thank you for sharing!
Debbie, hi. It gave me such peace to drop our ballots in the mailbox early Saturday morning. Confident that God allows leaders to rise and fall, often for reasons we’ll never know. Praying for grace and kindness all around … and an atmosphere of respectfulness in the process. No fear – He’s already written the rest of the story.
Bless you, friend.
Linda, that is a good prayer to add, “for grace and kindness all around … and an atmosphere of respectfulness in the process.” Thanks so much for sharing and voting.