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Three Prayers For Tonight’s Debate (UPDATE)

We're gonna need them.
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By Dan Andros
Managing Editor

October 19, 2016

***UPDATE
Well, I survived. There must’ve been more than enough prayers lifted up on my behalf during the debate last night, because a sense of calm washed over me even as I watched what amounted to yet another train wreck of a debate.

Yes, this debate was more substantive than others – but that’s not exactly saying much. Remember, during the GOP primary debates topics included the size of Trump’s hands and, uh, other things.

I asked for prayers guarding my heart against apathy, anger and self-righteousness. Of these, apathy still remains a threat. Admittedly, I tuned out after Trump and Hillary’s back and forth on the Mosul offensive. Trump issued a meandering complaint about surprise attacks, which made no sense, while Hillary chose to respond by rehashing the utterly pointless line about who was for/against the Iraq war at the outset.

This election is serving as a barometer of the heart. Are you invested too heavily in who wins? Are you placing your trust in man? Politics? If so, it’s time for a reset – Faithwire’s Senior Editor Billy Hallowell has great perspective on this.

Come November 8th, like it or not, we’re going to have President Trump or President Clinton. We have to be prepared to move forward in truth and love, rather than bitterness and anger.

Stay tuned to Faithwire  as we will have plenty more to come on this topic in the days and weeks ahead.


 

I’ll be honest – I’m going to need a lot of prayers to get through the third and final presidential debate tonight.

I came to this realization yesterday when I got a preview of the types of intellectually stimulating and critically important topics likely to be discussed:

America 2016.
America 2016.

Of course, what’s a presidential debate without accusations of lesbian liaisons!?

National Enquirer is on the case.
National Enquirer is hot on the case.

Wow, what a well thought out October surprise. The Clintons have never, ever successfully navigated a sex scandal – they won’t even know what to do with these shocking allegations!

Donald Trump is also bringing Obama’s Kenyan-born half-brother as a guest, although it’s not entirely clear what he’s trying to say or accomplish with that.

Malik Obama, half-brother of America's President elect, Barack Obama smiles November 05, 2008 at his Kogelo village residence where he gave a press conference following news that his brother had been elected President. Sarah Obama, his grandmother, along with family members expressed relief and immense joy at Barack Obama's victory that came following some 18 months of campaigning. Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki was among the first foreign heads of state to congratulate Obama and gave Kenyans one more reason to rejoice when he declared Thursday a public holiday in a statement issued minutes after Republican John McCain conceded. AFP PHOTO/Tony KARUMBA (Photo credit should read TONY KARUMBA/AFP/Getty Images)
Malik Obama, half-brother of America’s President elect, Barack Obama smiles November 05, 2008 at his Kogelo village residence (Photo credit should read TONY KARUMBA/AFP/Getty Images)

Hillary Clinton, for her part, is showing off her every-man credibility by inviting two famous billionaires: Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and Hewlett-Packard CEO Meg Whitman. I’m guessing this means we’re in for more talk of Trump’s ever elusive tax returns, clearly a top global issue. It’s not like there’s a group of suicidal Islamic radicals attempting to destroy all of humanity, or anything like that.

Anyhoo, since there isn’t an October surprise in existence that could even remotely surprise me, or increase my already-to-capacity-and-overflowing levels of disappointment and sadness in the choices this time around, I know the only thing that will get me through this debate is prayer.

“Feel free to reach out to me on Twitter, if you’d like a prayer partner. Together we can do this.”

Feel free to reach out to me on Twitter, if you’d like a prayer partner. Together we can do this. It’s almost over – were’ in the home stretch.

Here’s a few specifics how you can pray for me during the debate:

APATHY

Pray apathy doesn’t overwhelm.  I’ve been incredibly tempted to unplug during this election season, and to be honest, it’s been quite refreshing not sweating every Hillary lie or offensive Trump statement. But there’s a huge difference between happily abstaining or writing in another candidate …and disengaging with the political system entirely. Yes, it is true, God is sovereign and nothing comes to pass apart from him – but regardless of how pious or godless a President is, believers should always strive to implement a government that promotes Godly virtues. We should take part in the process, regardless of how messy or unpleasant it is — and that level of engagement will vary depending on your own conscience this time around.

But man, that is way easier said than done. I can think of far more edifying things I could be doing, like playing Battlefield 1 on PS4.

I’m only half kidding.

ANGER

If I don’t take the apathetic route, the next natural predator is anger. Pray I don’t blow my lid, like the red flaming ball guy from “Inside Out” who goes into rage monster mode at the slightest little thing. My fuse with these two candidates is already short, if I hear another bogus explanation about why she deleted 30,000 emails or how bragging about grabbing a woman’s genitals is somehow normal locker talk, I may unleash a twitter storm of YUGE proportions.

I need to remember my trust is not in any political candidate, my trust is in the Great I Am – it’s all going to be okay. I know we all like to think we’re above allowing ourselves to get carried away, but we all know it can happen – Faithwire previously reported that 7% of people say they’ve ended friendships over this election.

JUDGEMENT & SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS

Pray my disappointment in this election season doesn’t manifest itself in resentment towards others who support either Trump or Clinton. While I can’t bring myself to support either one of the candidates this time around, I realize that many have made the decision to support a “lesser of two evils” because they feel will do the least amount of damage. That decision, even for a Christian, is a matter of individual conscience and should not be so easily dismissed, mocked or ridiculed. The polls show this decision is a struggle for just about everyone, so it should not be mocked. Yet, I have seen many Trump and Hillary supporters ruthlessly belittled for supporting a candidate with questionable character.

If you’re guilty of this, just know that berating someone — in person or online — calling them deplorable, shaming them, calling them bigoted or racist makes you exactly what you claim to despise. Pray we can have empathy and renavigate down a path towards healing these deep wounds.

Given the signs of what’s to come tonight, I’m not setting the bar very high. In my human condition, I know I am going to be extremely prone to wander, so I’m asking for your help. All prayers appreciated.

See you on Twitter around 9pm eastern.

 

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