Election Day Prayer Focus

How would Jesus vote?

Today the citizens of the United States have the opportunity to choose the leader of the free world. This awesome responsibility is afforded to us by the Constitution and paid for by the brave men and women who paid the ultimate price in the service of our nation. In the words of Bill Gates, "If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you are reading this in English, thank a veteran."

As we cast our vote today, my prayer is that each of us will ask this question, how would Jesus vote if He were standing here? Many may call this presumptious to know the mind of God, however, if we read the scriptures and follow the principles that Jesus taught, we can vote in a way that is pleasing to Him.

We must also consider that we will be held accountable for the actions of the person we vote to put in office. We also will be held accountable for the party platform which we ratify by our vote. If we give power to a party platform that advocates abortion, we are responsible for the lives that are lost.

Please pray for America during this crucial time. It is not only the selection of our next President and Vice-President, but our Senators, Representatives, and local leaders as well. Our vote is a seed and we will reap the harvest in our government. Will we sow to the spirit or to the flesh? Will we reap righteousness or corruption? We the People will declare our future today. I pray that America remains the Shining City on the Hill so eloquently described in President Ronald Reagan's farewell address:

And that's about all I have to say tonight. Except for one thng. The past few days when I've been at that window upstairs, I've thought a bit of the "shining city upon a hill." The phrase comes from John Winthrop, who wrote it to describe the America he imagined. What he imagined was important because he was an early Pilgrim, an early freedom man. He journeyed here on what today we'd call a little wooden boat; and like the other Pilgrims, he was looking for a home that would be free.
I've spoken of the shining city all my political life, but I don't know if I ever quite communicated what I saw when I said it. But in my mind it was a tall proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, wind-swept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace, a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity, and if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here. That's how I saw it and see it still.
And how stands the city on this winter night? More prosperous, more secure, and happier than it was eight years ago. But more than that; after 200 years, two centuries, she still stands strong and true on the granite ridge, and her glow has held steady no matter what storm. And she's still a beacon, still a magnet for all who must have freedom, for all the pilgrims from all the lost places who are hurtling through the darkness, toward home.
We've done our part. And as I walk off into the city streets, a final word to the men and women of the Reagan revolution, the men and women across America who for eight years did the work that brought America back. My friends: We did it. We weren't just marking time. We made a difference. We made the city stronger. We made the city freer, and we left her in good hands. All in all, not bad, not bad at all.
And so, good-bye, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.

(http://www.reaganfoundation.org/reagan/speeches/farewell.asp)

My fellow Americans, may we do our part today and vote to keep America the beacon of freedom, the land of opportunity, and one nation under God. Today, let us once again consider the lessons of 9/11. On that day we were not Democrats or Republicans, we were Americans. We were united in a cause greater than oursevles. We turned to God because we knew that we didn't have the answers. We proudly displayed our flag as a symbol of freedom and honor and a united people. The naysayers said our financial systems would never recover, but we proved them wrong. America - wake up! Cast your vote for the cause of liberty and justice for all. God grant us the wisdom to choose wisely.

Day 46: Election Prayer Focus Washington

Washington - The Evergreen State

Motto: "by and by"

Capital City: Olympia

Largest City: Seattle

Leaders

Governor Christine Gregoire (D)

Senator Patty Murray (D)

Senator Maria Cantwell (D)

1. Jay Inslee (D)
2. Rick Larsen (D)
3. Brian Baird (D)
4. Doc Hastings (R)
5. Cathy McMorris (R)
6. Norman D. Dicks (D)
7. Jim McDermott (D)
8. Dave Reichert (R)
9. Adam Smith (D)

Prayer Points

*Declare revival comes to the state of Washington.
*Declare signs and wonders follow the preaching of the Word in Washington.
*Declare the people of Washington are open to receive the truth of the Gospel.
*Declare the leaders of Washington walk in wisdom and the fear of the Lord.
*Declare prosperity comes to the state of Washington.
*Declare heaven’s strategies come to the leaders of Washington.
*Declare protection over the state of Washington.
*Declare protection over the National Guard, military personnel, and military bases in Washington.
*Declare Christians in Washington get out and vote according to Biblical principles.
*Declare an accurate accounting of the vote in Washington.

As part of the vast Oregon Country, Washington territory was visited by Spanish, American, and British explorers—Bruno Heceta for Spain in 1775, the American Capt. Robert Gray in 1792, and Capt. George Vancouver for Britain in 1792–1794. Lewis and Clark explored the Columbia River region and coastal areas for the U.S. in 1805–1806.
Rival American and British settlers and conflicting territorial claims threatened war in the early 1840s. However, in 1846 the Oregon Treaty set the boundary at the 49th parallel and war was averted.
Washington is a leading lumber producer. Its rugged surface is rich in stands of Douglas fir, hemlock, ponderosa and white pine, spruce, larch, and cedar. The state holds first place in apples, lentils, dry edible peas, hops, pears, red raspberries, spearmint oil, and sweet cherries, and ranks high in apricots, asparagus, grapes, peppermint oil, and potatoes. Livestock and livestock products make important contributions to total farm revenue and the commercial fishing catch of salmon, halibut, and bottomfish makes a significant contribution to the state's economy.
Manufacturing industries in Washington include aircraft and missiles, shipbuilding and other transportation equipment, lumber, food processing, metals and metal products, chemicals, and machinery.
Washington has over 1,000 dams, including the Grand Coulee, built for a variety of purposes including irrigation, power, flood control, and water storage.
Among the major points of interest: Mt. Rainier, Olympic, and North Cascades National Parks. Mount St. Helens, a peak in the Cascade Range, erupted in May 1980. Also of interest are Whitman Mission and Fort Vancouver National Historic Sites; and the Pacific Science Center and the Space Needle, in Seattle. (http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108286.html)

The state is named after George Washington, the first President of the United States. Residents are called "Washingtonians" (emphasis on the third syllable, pronounced as tone). Washington is often called Washington state or the State of Washington to distinguish it from the District of Columbia (which is usually called Washington, D.C.).

Religion
The religious affiliations of Washington's population are:
Christian – 63%
Protestant – 29%
Lutheran – 6%
Baptist – 6%
Methodist – 4%
Presbyterian – 3%
Other Protestant or general Protestant – 10%
Catholic – 20%
Other Christian – 11%
Latter-day Saint – 3%
Other Religions – 5%
Refused – 6%
No religion – 25%
The largest denominations by number of adherents in 2000 were the Roman Catholic Church with 716,133; the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with 178,000; and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America with 127,854.
As with many other Western states, the percentage of Washington's population identifying themselves as "non-religious" is higher than the national average. The percentage of non-religious people in Washington is the highest of any state.

Politics

The state has been thought of as politically divided by the Cascade Mountains, with Western Washington being liberal (particularly the I-5 Corridor) and Eastern Washington being conservative. Lately however, Washington has voted for the Democratic Presidential candidate in every election since 1988. Spokane, the state's second largest city located in Eastern Washington, has been leaning more liberal, with one example being Democrat Maria Cantwell winning by a wide margin in the 2006 senate race against Republican Mike McGavick. Since the population is larger in the west, the Democrats usually fare better statewide. More specifically, the Seattle metro area (especially King County) generally delivers strong Democratic margins, while the outlying areas of Western Washington were nearly tied in both 2000 and 2004.

Washington is the first and only state in the country to have elected women to all three major statewide offices (Governor Chris Gregoire and U.S. Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell) at the same time.