Soul

Daniel was faced with what seemed to be an impossible task, to not only identify the nature of the dream that Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar had, but to share an interpretation.  This was a task that 
required Godly wisdom, and we find in chapter 2 that Daniel said:
(20b) "Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, For wisdom and might are His.
21 And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding.
22 He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, And light dwells with Him.

We need godly wisdom when we cast our ballots, and we can call upon God to express His will in the selection of our leaders.  In the course of the nation of Israel, we find that there were rulers who honored God and those who did not, all according to His sovereign plan. Even though we recognize that the ultimate choice is the Lord's, we have the opportunity to petition Him in prayer and to respond to the opportunity and the responsibility of casting a vote.  

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In the book of Daniel chapter 9, we find the book's namesake interceding for his nation, which is a great example for all of us. We can read these verses:
3 Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.
4 And I prayed to the Lord my God, and made confession, and said, "O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments,
5 we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments.

The confluence of Halloween with Election Day, just days apart has provided a feeding frenzy for thousands of individuals who claim to be witches, who are attempting to conjure up some magic to defeat President Donald Trump in his bid for re-election.

I kid you not - and I think we have to note that these self-proclaimed "witches" take the practice of witchcraft very seriously.  According to a recent CBN.com article, they are...

...celebrating the rare confluence of two "powerful" moon events in one month, all in an effort to get Joe Biden elected and President Trump removed from office.

Communicating via social media, the witches are plotting multiple "binding" events with their biggest attempt to spiritually attack the President on Oct. 31, right before the election. They've been using the hashtags #BindTrump and #MagicResistance, while calling for what they have named a "Blue Wave" spell on Oct. 31 and on Nov. 2.

This is not some group of outliers - CBN reports there are over 6,000 members of a Bind Trump (Official) Facebook group, and consider this:

Vice.com reports the witches are trying to figure out whose spell gave Trump the coronavirus. They say the announcement of the President's test result on Oct. 1 coincided with the harvest moon, which is significant to witches for its symbolism related to the changing of the seasons, and they believe a very potent full moon.

And, there is a full moon at the end of October, as a particular podcast host pointed out, prompting her to say, "I think the symbolism of it starting with a full moon and ending with a full moon also feels really powerful...It's bookended by these two incredible cosmic moments, and so that feels like a big portal for change and transformation as well."

I'm not sure if the candidates are really aware of who is vying for the "witch" vote, but I can say that there has been spiritual activity surrounding the election, as this article points out.  It states:

Christians have been fighting a spiritual battle for the soul of the nation, seeking God's mercy through a massive rally of repentance called "The Return", held in the nation's capital right at the end of September.

And numerous Christian groups and leaders have also been fasting and praying for a spiritual breakthrough, for revival, and for God's will to be done in the election.

In a blatant sign of the spiritual battle that's underway, Satanic protesters tried to disrupt a Christian outreach held by worship evangelist Sean Feucht in Seattle, but they failed to stop the move of God there.

It was reported that thousands attended a "Let Us Worship" rally led by Feucht recently on the National Mall in Washington, the same day that Franklin Graham called for a Day of Prayer and Fasting.  Graham had also conducted a prayer march in Washington the day of "The Return" - talk about a convergence.  Jim Garlow, in a recent e-mail, talked about numerous prayer efforts in Washington and the fact that people who are associated with prayer have been regularly visiting the nation's capital.  Garlow and dozens of other Christian leaders were part of a virtual prayer gathering this past Sunday afternoon (Dr. Garlow will provide post-election analysis on Wednesday's edition of The Meeting House).  This past Sunday evening, in the River Region, believers gathered in-person and online for the Awaken Night of Prayer at Frazer Church.  Last night, My Faith Votes sponsored an online prayer meeting.

So, on this Election Day, I have a simple question:  Are you in prayer for our nation?  I am reminded of the example of Daniel, who interceded for His people - the nation of Israel, who had been held captive by the Babylonians.  God's relationship with Israel illustrates to us that He does intervene in the lives of nations - He raises up and deposes kings, according to the book of Daniel, and He gives us in America that right to participate in the selection process, and I believe that He expects us to make those selections wisely, soberly, and in accordance with Biblical principles.  This is an incredible right we have as Americans, which many countries, including some who persecute Christians, nations remembered on the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, do not possess.

In this Presidential campaign, we have heard about the "soul of America" needs to be aligned with Biblical principles.  The soul of America, as founded, is centered around Biblical principles, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The soul of a nation is corrupted when the murder of unborn children is allowed to take place, when marriage is redefined to include action that is not pleasing to God, when God's authority is replaced by human wisdom, when government assumes the granting of rights, rather than Him. This is a spiritual struggle - these are all spiritual issues. Candidates talk about "American values" or "Alabama values;" we have to consider that criteria for determining those values, and we should choose Scripture.

And, keep in mind: There is no perfect candidate, and if you hold lack of sinfulness as a prerequisite for serving in public office, then we would have no leaders, no authority.  The Bible is a story about how a perfect God has used imperfect people to establish His Kingdom on earth.   And, we can pray for God to use His chosen vessels to do His powerful work.  

So, have you voted today?  If so, your job is still not done - you have a responsibility as a citizen of heaven and a citizen of earth to continue to pray for our leaders and to live and speak truth to our culture. And, no matter what the results, our mission is first and foremost to glorify God and display the love of Christ to a dying world.  We can unite our hearts and lives together in order to carry that out.