Write Non Fiction In November : #WNFIN Day 28
Let us pray for our political leaders. St Paul tells us in 1 Tim 2:1-3 that our top priority should be praying for kings and those in positions of high authority. Unless those who govern have God in their hearts, the lives of those they govern are going to be rather miserable. Knowing that the better the leader, the happier the people, helps us understand why Jesus as King of Kings, and the Kingdom of God He invites us into, are so important.
A quick look at the current local political scene reveals why the situation is so disturbing, and in need of prayer:
We have the citizenship crisis which has already caused by-elections and the introduction of new inexperienced members to parliament (particularly in the senate).
We have doubt about the short term and long term political stability of the current federal government.
We have a lot of vitriol in the media resulting from post-mortems of the Queensland state elections, as we wait for a final result to emerge.
We have the Victorian lower house poised to pass euthanasia legislation into law.
We have a federal government seemingly willing to pass same sex marriage legislation without ensuring safeguards of freedom of thought, freedom of speech, freedom to teach traditional marriage, and freedom to practice religion.
We have members of parliament who have said they will vote to pass same sex marriage legislation despite the plebiscite vote in their electorates being No.
So let's pray....
We pray for those politicians who did the right thing and resigned from parliament when they discovered they were dual citizens. For those not returning to political life may God guide them to where they can best serve the needs of the communities in which they live. For all those who are candidates in by-elections, may they be given the grace to truly listen to the people in their electorates and the courage to work for their highest good. May God grant that any unworthy candidates, due to corruption and significant moral failings, not win their elections.
We pray for those who have recently won parliamentary seats in elections, and those who will be chosen in the by-elections to come. May each one of them be given special graces of both moral and spiritual conversion.
We pray for those politicians who up until now have been too weak to stand up against the prevailing majority and to speak up for the truth, and who due to weakness have not defended human life from natural conception until natural death. May God grant them the grace to fear His opinion of them far more than they fear the opinion of their parliamentary colleagues and leaders. May God remove the blinders from their eyes, so that they can clearly see the truth and eternal consequences of each decision they make, and the requisite courage to act accordingly.
May God raise up a new breed of politician, a breed firmly convinced that the success of a government is measured by how well they have served the poorest and most vulnerable in our communities.
May God raise up candidates for election and public office who are worthy of being voted in. May our election choices from this point onwards not be between bad and worse, but between great and excellent.
May all those who have been guilty of corruption in public office, or guilty of turning a blind eye to corruption in public office be each granted a true spirit of conversion, penance and reparation.
May those elected leaders who have betrayed electorates and colleagues and leaders for the sake of political and financial gain be given the grace to repent and to seek forgiveness and pardon from God and from all whom they have wronged.
May all of our political leaders be given the will to remove from parliaments all the processes that waste time and resources, and the grace to come together respectfully and bipartisanly to seek the very best solutions for the common good not only of those they were elected to serve but of all humanity as well.
We pray for those political representatives who see politics as a game of thrones and who only see value in short term sound-bite or photo-opportunity wins and not in getting things right for the long term. May God convert them amazingly, or remove them gently from office. O God, please raise up a new breed of politician who wants to enable long term good to be done and who is unconcerned who wins the credit.
We pray for the political king-makers and party whips, may they be given the gift of Samuel to discern who has the anointing of God upon them for leadership, and all the gifts needed to properly train and prepare them to govern with the wisdom of Solomon.
We pray that a new spirit of unity come upon our political parties, so that factional divisions may recede before the needs of the common good of the people they were elected to serve. May the days of political point scoring, as the priority above all else, be over.
Heavenly Father, please may we live to see political leaders whose one desire is to please You, to seek You and Your holy will, to do Your will, and to serve the people You have entrusted to them to the best of their ability. May that day of rejoicing be soon. Amen.
St Thomas More, pray for us
Blessed Charles of Blois, pray for us
St Vladimir of Kiev, pray for us
St Stephen of Hungary, pray for us
Let us pray for our political leaders. St Paul tells us in 1 Tim 2:1-3 that our top priority should be praying for kings and those in positions of high authority. Unless those who govern have God in their hearts, the lives of those they govern are going to be rather miserable. Knowing that the better the leader, the happier the people, helps us understand why Jesus as King of Kings, and the Kingdom of God He invites us into, are so important.
A quick look at the current local political scene reveals why the situation is so disturbing, and in need of prayer:
We have the citizenship crisis which has already caused by-elections and the introduction of new inexperienced members to parliament (particularly in the senate).
We have doubt about the short term and long term political stability of the current federal government.
We have a lot of vitriol in the media resulting from post-mortems of the Queensland state elections, as we wait for a final result to emerge.
We have the Victorian lower house poised to pass euthanasia legislation into law.
We have a federal government seemingly willing to pass same sex marriage legislation without ensuring safeguards of freedom of thought, freedom of speech, freedom to teach traditional marriage, and freedom to practice religion.
We have members of parliament who have said they will vote to pass same sex marriage legislation despite the plebiscite vote in their electorates being No.
So let's pray....
We pray for those politicians who did the right thing and resigned from parliament when they discovered they were dual citizens. For those not returning to political life may God guide them to where they can best serve the needs of the communities in which they live. For all those who are candidates in by-elections, may they be given the grace to truly listen to the people in their electorates and the courage to work for their highest good. May God grant that any unworthy candidates, due to corruption and significant moral failings, not win their elections.
We pray for those who have recently won parliamentary seats in elections, and those who will be chosen in the by-elections to come. May each one of them be given special graces of both moral and spiritual conversion.
We pray for those politicians who up until now have been too weak to stand up against the prevailing majority and to speak up for the truth, and who due to weakness have not defended human life from natural conception until natural death. May God grant them the grace to fear His opinion of them far more than they fear the opinion of their parliamentary colleagues and leaders. May God remove the blinders from their eyes, so that they can clearly see the truth and eternal consequences of each decision they make, and the requisite courage to act accordingly.
May God raise up a new breed of politician, a breed firmly convinced that the success of a government is measured by how well they have served the poorest and most vulnerable in our communities.
May God raise up candidates for election and public office who are worthy of being voted in. May our election choices from this point onwards not be between bad and worse, but between great and excellent.
May all those who have been guilty of corruption in public office, or guilty of turning a blind eye to corruption in public office be each granted a true spirit of conversion, penance and reparation.
May those elected leaders who have betrayed electorates and colleagues and leaders for the sake of political and financial gain be given the grace to repent and to seek forgiveness and pardon from God and from all whom they have wronged.
May all of our political leaders be given the will to remove from parliaments all the processes that waste time and resources, and the grace to come together respectfully and bipartisanly to seek the very best solutions for the common good not only of those they were elected to serve but of all humanity as well.
We pray for those political representatives who see politics as a game of thrones and who only see value in short term sound-bite or photo-opportunity wins and not in getting things right for the long term. May God convert them amazingly, or remove them gently from office. O God, please raise up a new breed of politician who wants to enable long term good to be done and who is unconcerned who wins the credit.
We pray for the political king-makers and party whips, may they be given the gift of Samuel to discern who has the anointing of God upon them for leadership, and all the gifts needed to properly train and prepare them to govern with the wisdom of Solomon.
We pray that a new spirit of unity come upon our political parties, so that factional divisions may recede before the needs of the common good of the people they were elected to serve. May the days of political point scoring, as the priority above all else, be over.
Heavenly Father, please may we live to see political leaders whose one desire is to please You, to seek You and Your holy will, to do Your will, and to serve the people You have entrusted to them to the best of their ability. May that day of rejoicing be soon. Amen.
St Thomas More, pray for us
Blessed Charles of Blois, pray for us
St Vladimir of Kiev, pray for us
St Stephen of Hungary, pray for us