Aliens in America: Day 23

Peaceful Transition 

‘As aliens, live in reverent fear’ (1 Pet. 1:17) 

Election Day. Please vote. Get up and out: activate your citizenship. Yes, we are aliens, and yes, agents of good change in America. Jesus-in-you experiencing the world, the law written in your heart, has formed a conscience that invites a ‘yes’ or a ‘no.’ Declare what conscience asks of you today. Vote. 

And pray with me for a peaceful transition of power. In truth, two prayers: first, this election will be a decisive victory for one candidate. Yes, we may go to bed tonight with little clarity, but a winner will emerge uncontestable when we wake up. Pray for decisive election results!  

Second prayer: that Trump, if not the clear winner, will not contest the election. Thousands, maybe millions of people in this country still believe he won in ’20, and tomorrow, could declare a ’24 victory on the same grounds of election fraud.  

If he loses, please pray that Trump concedes defeat gracefully. He tends to contest who or whatever gets in his way. And he has no Mike Pence alongside him this round to differ (VP hopeful Vance still holds that Trump won in ’20). 

Trump’s strength is his weakness. May his refusal to acquiesce on foundational matters not undermine one central plank of our democracy, the peaceful transition of power. 

The good news: it hasn’t yet. A warning: it still could.  

That is why we have made the ‘peaceful transition of power’ a central tenet of our daily prayer, right alongside the rights of prenatal persons. And that is why we placed this ‘aliens’ fast/prayer the way we did (just on day 23 of 40!). What happens in the days after the election is equally important to the peace and well-being of America.   

Get out and vote. And pray with us:   

‘Father, we love this country and what she stands for in all her beauty and blemishes. May no one or nothing disrupt our voting and its results, clear and incontestable. In particular, we ask for extraordinary grace and restraint to be upon Trump and their friends. May Harris and Trump respond with dignity to whoever we choose.’  

‘Jesus, You are the King, and we are first citizens of Your Kingdom. Would you free us for You in this election season, not to hide but to shine? You’ve always asked nothing less from Your elect whom You have made ‘strangers in a strange land’ (Ex. 2:22). Here we are, a people who don’t know what to do but who look and listen to our King.  

“Father of all holiness, 

guide our hearts to You. 

Keep in the light of Your Truth 

all those You have freed from the darkness of unbelief. 

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son.”’ 

Amen