As far as politics go, 2016 was a crazy year. Our country has never been so divided on so many issues as it was during this presidential election. This was the first election to hold my attention. I actually read the news and took the I Side With quiz so I could formulate opinions on the candidates for myself. I was incredibly disappointed that this messy election season was the first that I was really invested in. I felt a call to pray for our country this year more than I ever have in my life.

I never post my politics on Facebook. I’ve never wanted to discuss my personal views and opinions online rather than in person, and I don’t want anyone who disagrees with me to just see me as those opinions plastered on the internet. But as I read other people’s thoughts on the election, I noticed a trend. Many people were trusting in the presidential candidates to “save” our country. Believers and non-believers, republicans and democrats were all rallying around a candidate as if to find someone to redeem our nation. I know there were even moments when I thought that the world was going to end if ______ was elected. But that isn’t true.

Due to the fall of man, all governments have been flawed. God’s chosen people asked for an earthly king despite the fact that they had a heavenly one, and they constantly failed to govern themselves. As long as there is sin in this world, there will be sin in our rulers. But through all those sinful officials, God has still been able to work in the lives of people. The Gospel has survived the persecution of believers and still managed to cross oceans. Despite evil rulers, we still have the gospel of Jesus Christ.

God wasn’t surprised by the election. In fact, Romans 13:1 tells us, “There is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” Paul wrote this while Nero was emperor, yet he did not question God’s sovereignty since God has shown us over and over that there is no government on this planet greater than His. God removes and raises up kings so that we may see him more clearly and understand He is the only perfect ruler.

We don’t always understand why God chooses the rulers he does. But these things are always true: earthly rulers are temporary, they can’t separate us from Christ, and only HE is omnipotent. “For we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper, I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:6)

So on this Inauguration Day, pray for our country. Pray for Donald Trump to be wise and discerning in all his decisions; that he would be surrounded by wise and godly men and women; and that he would be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. Pray for Barack Obama and his family as he leaves office, and that God would work in his life and bless his family as they leave the place they’ve known for these last eight years. Pray that as Christians we would seek to be representatives of Christ, we would show love to all, and be firmly rooted in Christ. Pray that we will hold fast to God’s truth and that it will seep into every aspect of our lives. Pray that we still place our hope not in a temporal ruler but in the eternal one.