Nigeria is going to have a new president. Is this news to you? It was to me. How many of us pay attention to elections in other countries? The current president, with the wonderfully whimsical name of Goodluck Jonathan, lost to Muhummadu Buhari yesterday.
I am familiar enough with Nigerian politics to have been able to tell you Mr Jonathan’s name, but that’s about it. (That might be partially because his name is so fun, but also partially because I have friends in Nigeria, that I met through Bible study, so I do pay a bit of attention to what’s going on over there.)
I pray for my friends on a fairly regular basis ~ for their safety in a country where it’s not always safe to be a Christian, and for their work, and their children. But I didn’t know there was going to be an election. I don’t know what this outcome means for Nigeria. I don’t know when the new president will take office. I don’t know how close the election was, or what ~ if any ~ impact there will be on the U.S. But I do know that my friends are disappointed that President Jonathan will not get another term. They posted something on facebook, and after I saw it, I wished I had been praying.
And why hadn’t I been praying? What is my excuse? That I didn’t know there was going to be an election? So what? There are a myriad of ways to pray for something we don’t know anything about, and I should have been doing that. Heck, I should always be doing that!
But praying for world events of which I’m unaware is just one “mysterious” prayer we should pray. Psalm 90:8 says, “You have sent our iniquities before You, our secret sins in the light of Your countenance.” In other words, God knows about sins we have committed, that we ourselves don’t even know about. And Jesus Himself prayed, on the cross, for forgiveness for those who did not know what they were doing. Who did not know the sin they were committing.
I think I’m completely underestimating how effective my prayer life is. It comes down to trusting my life, and my family, and my country and my world to Him, really. But I need to say that to Him more often.
Light Expectations 