Article October 28, 1996 Issue

Politics, prayer, and prophecy

Elaine R. Follis

It happens in the United States every four years: the emotional rhetoric, campaign promises, public appearances, and "media hype" that typically surround the election of a new President. While it's easy to get swept up in the drama, sometimes it's hard to feel involved at any deep level. When all is said and done, some folks argue, power brokers make the really big decisions, leaving private citizens in the dust along the campaign trail. Why bother, then, to become informed—and besides, what difference will one vote make?

It's proverbial that in a democracy every vote counts. Every vote makes a statement, even if every opinion does not prevail. Such reasoning, while true, doesn't go far enough. Democratic participation may seem futile if it is viewed as taking place only on a merely human level; it can never really be futile, however, if it gains transcendence through prayer to God for guidance.

Prayer aligns the individual with divine power that is never overruled; with wisdom that is equal to the demands of every situation; and with love that is universally available and effective. Prayer reveals the ever-present, ever-powerful government of God—the kingdom of God in our midst.

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