Romans 13:1 says, "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God."
Many of us see this election as a reflection of the will of the people and we feel frustrated that Americans would desire a leader who stands for so many things we don't agree with. However, if we take God's Word seriously we recognize that Romans 13 states that the election actually reveals, not the will of the people, but the will of God Himself. Am I saying that God wanted Barak Obama to be President? It seems that way. "Why?" You might ask. We have no idea, but we have to trust that God has a plan.
As long as an opportunity exists to elect someone who represents those things the Bible upholds as godly virtues, we need to work toward seeing that candidate elected. However, once an election has taken place with a different outcome than what we wanted, we must accept the idea that for whatever reason, God has another plan.
So what is our assignment now? Simple. We must pray for our elected leaders. In 1 Timothy 2:1-2 Paul writes, "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness."
We are a divided nation with lots of challenges. We must pray like never before.
