My Election Prayer For Young Adults
I have watched you growing up and I’ve grieved for the things you lost along the way. My heart aches for all the terrible messages you’ve been told as you wrestled with an ever changing world. We told you to base your worth on believing you deserved a trophy for 10th place and then criticized you for being insecure. We argued about gun control and forgot to console a generation who lived in fear for their safety. We handed you technology and didn’t teach you to use it wisely. We watched you lose your graduations, your social lives, your dreams for the future and we argued about politics and called you selfish snowflakes.
I pray you hear a different voice from us. I pray you know how amazing you are. I am thankful for the stubborn spirit in so many of you. I pray you never lose it. I thank God for you and all the things you see. I thank God for all the things you are making us see.
“Every broken system won’t be fixed in your lifetime. But, every person broken by those systems can know the systems are wrong when they hear your voice! Victims can see your sacrifice and know they matter. That is everything”
Many of you are sad, depressed, and discouraged. I pray for your encouragement. I pray for you to continue to be brave enough to care now that you know how hard caring is. I pray that the people who aren’t brave enough to care will never keep you from showing up and making a difference. I pray you see how much you matter and how much what you are doing matters. Keep caring about the problems you see. It means everything. You are going to make the world better. Every broken system won’t be fixed in your lifetime. But, every person broken by those systems can know the systems are wrong when they hear your voice! Victims can see your sacrifice and know they matter. That is everything. I pray you always know that. I pray you grow in wisdom, confidence, patience, and faith. Most of all, I pray you never look away from the problems. I pray you never settle for being comfortable. I pray you always care, even when it’s hard.
Stay awesome! I believe in you!
Cindy F
This prayer came from my reflections on Ephesians 5:11-17 (NIV) (emphasis is totally mine!) Obviously, there is a ton of stuff to unpack in these verses. Today, I’m focusing on how crazy-awesome it is that God promises to work when the deeds of evil people are exposed. Right now, we are watching some things in our country fall apart. Maybe they needed to. Systems that were hiding corruption and abuse have been exposed. God will bring light into that darkness!
Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said:
“Wake up, sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.