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by Ps Peter Walker, Indigenous Elder and Leader, Bundjalung People, Northern NSW

Intention
Daniel shows us how to trust, pray and see God give us the victory in our nation of Australia.

Scripture
“Then they said to the king, ‘Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, Your Majesty, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day.’ When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed; he was determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him. Then the men went as a group to King Darius and said to him, ‘Remember, Your Majesty, that according to the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or edict that the king issues can be changed.’ So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, ‘May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!’”—Daniel 6:13-16

After God sent an angel to shut the mouth of the lions: “The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. At the king’s command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions’ den, along with their wives and children. And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.”—Daniel 6:23-24

Reflection
I believe this could be the most important and crucial elections we are confronted with in our Nation’s history. The country’s foundations are being rocked and are at risk of drastic changes, if there is a change of government.

Our moral values are being threatened, and the churches in general are silent. Our rights to freedom of religion and freedom of speech are under threat, and still the church is silent. As Edmund Burke said, “Evil prevails when good men do nothing”. Or in the words of Albert Einstein, “The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything”.

In fact Martin Luther King Jr’s words are most pertinent at this time: “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at time of challenge and controversy.”

This is not the time for the church to be silent. If the foundations [of a godly society] are destroyed, what can the righteous do? (Psalms 11:3 AMP).

My prayer is that men and women of God will use their right to vote prayerfully and elect Christ-loving, God-fearing candidates—people who have a vision for the nation and a heart for the people of Australia.

In Matthew 5: 13-14, Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth; You are the Light of the world”! God has called us to be salt and light to the world.

I would like to reference some thoughts from Dr. David Jeremiah in his program Turning Point; he spoke about the Prophet Daniel, and his integrity. As we know, Daniel was a young Hebrew man taken to Babylon as a boy along with other young men, under King Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 6:13-15). Daniel had a spirit of excellence and integrity which gave him favour with God and the Babylonian King.

Daniel’s influence exceeded that of the presidents and princes of the time. But these other leaders were overcome with jealousy against Daniel, and they made edicts and laws to trap him—laws that went against his Jewish beliefs and practices.

Today we are faced with the same challenge. We are a nation who stands at risk of laws and edicts being passed that not only stop us from practicing our godly customs, but that also risk consequences of imprisonment or fines for declaring the infallible, incorruptible Word of God. Israel Folau is just the most recent example of this.

Historically, the Labor Opposition, the Greens and their constituents have attempted to change the laws surrounding freedom of religion, freedom of speech and the right to life.

Christians, today you must use your window of opportunity to pray and to vote for freedom, life, family and faith! If we don’t, it could be lost.

Prayer
Father we thank you that this day, the date of the 2019 election, is “the day you have made, and we will be glad and rejoice in it.” We are confronted by darkness and the reality of persecution from our enemies as Daniel faced in the lion’s den. But you can shut the mouths of our enemies as you did with the lions in Daniel’s day. We thank you that you are our Deliverer. We stand just like Jehoshaphat did in the face of his enemies, and we declare today that our eyes are on you, the Lord of hosts! We lift our voice in praise and we declare our allegiance to the Lord of the angel armies. We pray that you would turn the tide of the enemy and bring down the evil strongholds in our nation in Jesus’ mighty name! We pray that our nation would become the Great South land of the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Election Prayer Points

1. Pray that God would rule over this election – that righteous leaders would be elected to govern this nation in truth and justice because, “When the righteous are in authority the people rejoice”. Proverbs 29:2
2. Pray God’s blessing upon all our current parliamentarians and leaders, including their families and all the candidates of all the parties standing for this federal election. 1 Timothy 2:1-3
3. Pray for a multiplication of prayer and unity across the Body of Christ in Australia that people will wake up to the dangers facing our nation and respond in prayer. Ephesians 5:14
4. Pray for a Spiritual Awakening for Australia, Revival and Transformation for our nation and the proclamation of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. John 3:16

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DEVOTIONAL 21 Author, 18 May
The Most Important Day in Australia’s History
Ps Peter Walker

Peter is from the Bundjalung tribe from the Northern Rivers district of NSW and now resides in Rooty Hill, NSW.