Feba 27 Oct

A Psalm On The Eve Of An Election By John B. Aker Copyright 2008

Music: Michael W. Smith, Thy Word, from Freedom 2004

King of All Kings God in Heaven, Lord of my heart… I bow low before You As my spirit rejoices and rests in the reality That You are truly King of Kings, Lord of Lords, My Sovereign and my Savior...

Rev 19:16

That You hold all things in Your Hand... Ps 103:19/115:3

And that you do all things well.

Rev elation 4:11 I thank You, my Father, That absolutely nothing happens Which You have not Either planned or permitted For Your purposes and good pleasure...

James 1:17 And yet, Lord, I would be less than truthful If I did not confess that I am truly distressed and burdened in spirit For the present state of this great nation Which You have blessed so richly And which I love so deeply.

Hosea 2:14-23 As abundantly as You have prospered this land And as greatly as You have endowed its people, America is not The Promised Land, And we are not, as a nation, Your Chosen People.

Although The Prophet Jeremiah Was addressing Your People Israel in his day, His words seem so very fitting in our day For this land we call America:

Jeremiah 2:7-13 I brought you into the fruitful land, To eat its fruit and its good things. But you came and defiled My land, And My inheritance you made an abomination. Your priests did not say, ‘Where is The LORD?’ And those who handle the law did not know Me. The rulers also transgressed against Me, And the prophets prophesied by Baal And walked after things that did not profit... ‘Be appalled, O heavens, at this, And shudder, be very desolate,’ Declares The LORD. ‘For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, The Fountain of living waters, And hewn for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water...

Jeremiah 5:22, 23-24 ‘Do you not fear Me?’ Declares The LORD. ‘Do you not tremble in My presence?’ But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; They have turned aside and departed. They do not say in their heart, ‘Let us now fear The LORD our God...’

Jeremiah 5:26-29 ‘For wicked men are found among My people, They watch like fowlers lying in wait; They set a trap, they catch men. Like a cage full of birds, So their houses are full of deceit; Therefore they have become great and rich. They are fat, they are sleek, They also excel in deeds of wickedness; They do not plead the cause of the orphan, That they may prosper; And they do not defend the rights of the poor. Shall I not punish these people?’ Declares The LORD. ‘On a nation such as this, Shall I not avenge Myself?’

Jeremiah 5:30-31 ‘An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land: The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule on their own authority; And My people love it so! But what will you do at the end of it?’

Father, God... I know what we will do at the end of it-Because Your Word tells us clearly what You will do At the end...

Galatians 6:7…Proverbs 14:3-4 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; For whatever a man sows, this he will also reap... And... Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a disgrace to any people...

And it is for this very reason I come before You this morning. It seems so apparent that We have disgraced ourselves, But, far more importantly, Disgraced You...discounted Your goodness...and disobeyed Your Law.

We took Your Person and Precepts lightly All the while foolishly thinking we could sin with impunity. But You will not be toyed with nor trivialized... And so, Father, Because we have resisted Your Love and rejected Your Law You have removed Your Hand of blessing From America...

I Samuel 2:30 Those who honor Me, I will honor, And those who despise Me will be lightly esteemed.

John 1:29 As a nation, then, Our sad and somber confession Must be that We, For whom You offered Your Only Son As The Lamb of God, Have chosen freely to be Friends of the world-Becoming contaminated by, and conformed to, it--

Revelation 19:15 And so positioned ourselves as Enemies of You, O God, And must, therefore in The End, Reckon with Your Son Who, as The Lion of Judah, will Tread the wine press Of the fierce wrath of God, The Almighty.

Your unfailing Word teaches That Your Plan for the ages Will find its fulfillment In The Return of Messiah. I believe, my Father, That, even now, As the saints cry out, How long, O God,

Because You cannot, and will not, bless That which is not done Your way, I do not ask that You restore Your blessing on America-But rather That you renew her people And bring those whom You have chosen Before the foundation of the world To genuine repentance.

I pray, Lord, For our national leaders, for... Our political scene is perforated with a lack of integrity and accountability

Psalm 2:1-7 Why are the nations in an uproar, And the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together Against The LORD and His Anointed: ‘Let us tear their fetters apart and cast their cords from us!”

Psalm 58:1-5 Do you indeed speak righteousness, O mighty ones? Do you judge uprightly, O sons of men? No, in your heart you work unrighteousness; On earth you weigh out the violence of your hands. The wicked are estranged from birth. They have venom like the venom of a serpent; Like a deaf cobra that stops up its ear, So that it does not hear the voice of charmers Or a skillful caster of spells.

Remind them that one day they must, and will, Stand before You--Judge of all men, before Whom all things are open and laid bare-To give an accounting For their power abused And Your Person abased. Instill deep within them God-If their hearts are not yet too hardened-A right and reverential fear For You from Whom their power came.

I bring before You, O God, Our spiritual leaders... Our pulpits are polluted with a lack of authority and sincerity!

For from the least of them Even to the greatest of them, Everyone is greedy for gain, And from the prophet even to the priest everyone deals falsely. And they have healed the brokenness of My people superficially, Saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ But there is no peace.

Jeremiah 6:13-15 Were they ashamed because of the abomination they have done? They were not even ashamed at all; They did not even know how to blush. Therefore they shall be among those who fall; at the time that I punish them, they shall be cast down,’ Says The LORD.

Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, And have neglected provisions weightier than The Law-Justice, mercy, and faithfulness; But these things you should have done Without neglecting the others. You blind guides, Who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!

Matthew 23:23-28 For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, But inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee, First clean the inside of the cup, So that the outside of it may be clean also. Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs Which on the outside appear beautiful, But inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so, You too outwardly appear righteous to men, But inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Lord of The Church, Purge and purify All who purport To speak Your Word...To Your People...In Your Name. Away with those who are neither hot nor cold! Bring once more to the Sacred Desk The fervor of commitment, The fire of conviction, And a fear of Christ alone...

Great Shepherd of The Flock, I pray for Your Church... Our People are profaned with a lack of piety and humility!

Isaiah 29:13-14 Then The LORD said, Because this people draw near with their words And honor Me with their lip service, But they remove their hearts far from Me, And their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote, Therefore, behold, I will once again deal marvelously with this people, Wondrously marvelous; And the wisdom of their wise men shall perish...

Hosea 4:11-13 Harlotry, wine, and new wine take away the understanding. My people consult their wooden idol, And their diviner’s wand informs them; For a spirit of harlotry has led them astray, And they have played the harlot, departing from their God. They offer sacrifices on the tops of the mountains And burn incense on the hills, under oak, poplar, and terebinth, Because their shade is pleasant. Therefore your daughters play the harlot, and your brides commit adultery.

Matthew 15:8-9 Jesus said: You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me. But in vain do they worship Me, Teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men...

For even though they knew God, They did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; But they became futile in their speculations And their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, And exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God

Romans 1:21-25 For an image in the form of corruptible man And of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, That their bodies might be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, And worshipped and served the creature rather than The Creator, Who is blessed forever. Amen.

O God, May we hear Your Spirit call, Remember...Repent...Return... Be Renewed...Be Restored... Let The Church be Your Church! Father, You Who loves Your Children, Do whatever it takes to bring us before You On our knees With broken and contrite heart In lowly submission and loving adoration Before Jesus comes again...

And, God, You Who never change, We are in a most precarious position--like fools, setting ourselves up for a great fall... Our principles are perverted with a lack of consistency and authenticity!

Proverbs 12:19-22 Truthful lips will be established forever, But a lying tongue is only for a moment. Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, But counselors of peace have joy. No harm befalls the righteous, But the wicked are filled with trouble. Lying lips are an abomination to The LORD, But those who deal faithfully are His delight...

James 4:17 Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do, And does not do it, To him it is sin...

Proverbs 28:9 He who turns his ear away from listening to The Law, even his prayer is an abomination…

Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision, The people perish...

O God, Most Pure, How desperately we need a cleansing! We, at times, neither seek nor speak truth. Regardless of how we might pray, Lord, It is not Your Will and Your Way we would do, But ours!

Father, God, You Who inclines Your Ear To the voice and supplications of Your children, Hear my prayer...

We bend with each deceptive breeze. You have graced us, Each and every one, With the capacity for consequential choice-And the consequences are now upon us...

And Sovereign Lord, Apart from Whose Will-permissive or directive-No authority is established,

I bring before You The concerns of countless Christians For our upcoming election... Our Presidential Race is punctuated with a lack of honesty and morality!

Proverbs 6:16-19 There are six things which The LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers...

Matthew 5:33…37 Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not make false vows, But shall fulfill your vows to The LORD...’ But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; And anything beyond these is of evil…

Proverbs 11:9, 14:12 With his mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor, But through knowledge the righteous will be delivered... There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death...

Proverbs 17:7, 9:10 Excellent speech is not fitting for a fool; Much less are lying lips to a prince... The fear of The LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of The Holy One is understanding...

Lord, I do believe with all my heart That even the outcome of this election Is in Your Hands. And because the American landscape Is very much as portrayed above--

You have already positioned All things for The Final Act-The culmination and consummation of Your Purposes in Christ-And that, At any moment, You will lift the curtain And begin What mortal man sees only as The End.

• A political scene perforated with a lack of integrity and accountability... • Our pulpits polluted with a lack of authority and sincerity... • Our people profaned with a lack of piety and humility... • Our principles perverted with a lack of consistency and authenticity...and... • A presidential race punctuated with a lack of honesty and morality--

I come to You as my First Resource and my Last Recourse as I pray for that individual whom You already know as our next president...

May that one know You, and Your own dear Son, Jesus Whom You sent-And may he truly be Your child by adoption and regeneration... And not simply by creation.

May the refining fire of Your Holy Spirit Fuel an unrelenting passion for an everdeepening relationship with You. May Your Word be his meditation in quiet moments And His shelter and stay in the storm.

May his knees know the path to Your Throne of Mercy and Strength-And may he truly speak with You before he speaks to others.

Humble him in solitude--that he might always walk tall before men. And never let him forget that he comes to that office Only by Your Permission and for Your Purposes.

May our next president, by Your grace, truly seek and speak truth-And may he ever have the courage to live his convictions without compromise.

May he speak to defend the rights of those who cannot yet speak for themselves. And may life, all life--in utero...vivendo...ad terminem--be sacred to him Regardless of condition and circumstances.

God grant that he might be more concerned With morality and integrity than polls and popularity. May he never take a stand against Your Will and Your Word-May the sanctity of Your plan and precepts for sex and marriage Be upheld by him--even if he must stand alone.

May he own a genuine love for America and her people. May we all be precious to him--regardless of color, creed, or station in life. And may he truly expend his energies in defending this land And restoring our honor and dignity.

Give him a heart for the little people-Not only at home, but abroad as well. May he never abuse the power of his office, But ever use it for the good of all men.

Lord, Give him wisdom and knowledge That he might lead For the greatest good of all men And for Your Glory, Sovereign Ruler of all.

And Father, Remind me, as Election Day draws near, That regardless of its outcome... The World--and all that is in it-is still Yours… Your Will for Your People is still found in Your Word…

All truth is still Your truth… Your Spirit is still at work in The Church and in The World… Jesus is still The Only Answer for this sin-sick world… The Great Commission is still His Final Commandment for His Church…

Prayer is still the first, and best, recourse of Your People… You still care intensely for us because we are still Your chief care… The Promises of Your love are still available to all who call upon You…

Jesus Christ is still Lord of All-and still our Soon-Coming King...

And On 5 November, You will still be in control!

And Father, should our next president be, or do, none of these things, Help me to pray for him each and every day-without ceasing... Because as I pray even now, I ask that Your Will be done on earth...as it is in heaven...

In Jesus’ Name, And until He comes again... As He most surely will! Amen. And Amen. -John B. Aker Philippians 4:6-7 Philippians 4:6-7