Election's message to Christians: Seek spiritual, rather than political solutions

As people of faith, I think we have largely neglected the one thing we bring to the table that nobody else can -- spiritual weapons to fight the spirital battles that mascarade as political battles. I'm all in favor of precinct walking, GOTV efforts, registration drives, contributing money as well as time, and the like (and each election I involve myself in these efforts), but God has given us resources to combat evil that the RNC will never be able to put into play -- the power of prayer, spiritual discernment, the authority of the name of Christ, and for our part we need to be utilizing the spiritual resources the church has to fight these battles.

An increasing number of Christians have been called to a ministry of intercession for the nation over the last few years, but I can say from experience that when you call a prayer meeting before an election, only about 1% show up, if that. After the election of 2000, we called friends together to pray as the recounts in Florida progressed. All told, we probably had 16 people who met with us in our livingroom to pray (not all at one time, but over the course of the next five weeks a total of 16 people met with us for prayer on various evenings -- and we opened our home up for prayer every evening until the recount mess was over). Out of those 16 people, only four continued to pray for the nation once Bush was declared the winner. After 9/11, we had a spike of about three or four other people, but after a few weeks, they fell away. People think Haggard was a scandal, but the church is full (100% full) of people who struggle with things in life, who fall, but who, hopefully, experience redemption in Christ. The real scandal is that God has given us spiritual resources and riches in Christ that Christians don't walk in.

Pray is effective, and it's our primary weapon -- that and worship -- against the forces of darkness. And Christians are walking through this world without using that weapon and the spiritual resources of Christ.

As long as Christians want to fight these battles with only the eyes and the political tools of the world, we won't be effective. Use the tools of the world, but use them in concert with prayer.

I believe many Christians are not engaged in either front of the culture war: political or spiritual. I've know Christians who don't vote, or don't vote in a way consistent with their faith or who refuse to vote unless the candidate is perfect on all issues. I also know many who don't pray. We need both activities -- political and spiritual.