“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” Psalm 1:1 & 2

Some say America is great, while others do more nagging than praying. Some think we’re off our rocker to the point of no return, and others hold hope. America is a great nation, immensely blessed, but as a country, it’s visible that this DIY, ‘do-it-yourself’ movement is turning out to be a bunch of nails and boards that aren’t holding up. But, there’s hope, people.

I am guilty of complaining more than praying. It’s too easy to see all the bad news and release anger in an unholy way… the whole ‘using mouth more than feet’, ‘speak instead of act’, kind of thing. I don’t understand why the people that are running for president are the way they are, and I sometimes like to hear the ‘What’s happened now?’ news because I wanted another excuse to say that our country is crazy. I got to the point that I was so fed up with hearing all the yucky things all the time that all I wanted to do was talk yucky back.

My mom and I were talking just last night about politics. She was telling me about Franklin Graham and the Decision America tour he is doing across the country, telling Americans that we need to take a stand, and one way to do that is to vote. When my mom told me this, my head got to thinking: ‘there is no one good to pick!’ I thought both were awful — pick your poison. I told my mom that I decided not to vote, that neither one was fit to be president and she wondered if she would do the same thing… before she prayed and read about what Franklin Graham said about voting. He talked about how Christians need to stand up and pick the leader that would best lead our country. Voting is a way for Christians to take a stand. My mom said that if we didn’t vote, it wouldn’t count, and if we wrote some other name on the ballot, it wouldn’t matter. Hillary and Donald are the only two that are in it whether we are peachy keen about it or not, and only one will win the election. Of course, she is not trying to tell me who to vote for, but she did give me insight into my discouraged heart, and I hope that is what this article does for you. This is not said to tell you who to vote for but to offer a new perspective and to ask you to join the movement in prayer… maybe even writing our political leaders encouragement and write thank you letters to the ones who are following Jesus.

“He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers” (verse 3).

Instead of pointing out all of Hilary and Donald’s flaws, what are some of their features? Maybe you know who you want to vote for, but you can still pray for the other candidate as well and for the vice presidents they will choose. Everybody needs prayer, and we are no better than the ones in office. Pray for President Obama, the vice president, and their families. Don't you like the way he is leading our country? I agree, he’s made boo-boos, but he is in need of a Savior. That’s why Christ came — He came for our boo-boos.

Here’s another way to pray. There are states standing for God’s morals, and they need support. Two examples are North Carolina (Gov. Pat McCrory) and Mississippi (Gov. Phil Bryant). Mr. McCrory is taking a stand against men going to the women's bathrooms, and Mr. Bryant is protecting the beliefs of those who do not agree with same-sex marriage. Pray for Oklahoma, a super blessed state. Mary Fallon is trying to hold true to godly morals. Businesses, such as Chick-fil-a and Hobby Lobby, have taken hits because of the values they hold with Jesus. We can pray that they would be strengthened. By our love, people can see Jesus.

“Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous” (vs. 4-5)

The wicked, whoever they are, will not stand. They will not conquer. If you are discouraged by the way the world has learned, lean on God. This world will not last forever. God will take care of us! Look how He has already. I sometimes feel that prayer is not enough. I’m not making enough of a difference, but I am. You are. I want those that don’t know Jesus to know that I’m praying for them, not hating on them. I want them to know that there is a God — the All-knowing, All-powerful God — who loves them and knows what is best for them. Praying can melt cold hearts, I know because God has melted my heart time and time again.

“For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction” (vs. 6)

“We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord,

And we pray that our unity will one day be restored

And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love

Yeah, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.”

(lyrics from “By Our Love” –For King and Country)