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Intention

There is no sacred-secular divide in God’s world. Everything on earth is His, including Australia’s future government.

Scripture

The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice;

    let the many coastlands be glad!

Clouds and thick darkness are all around Him;

    righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.

Fire goes before Him

    and burns up His adversaries all around.

His lightnings light up the world;

    the earth sees and trembles.

The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,

    before the Lord of all the earth.

—Psalm 97:1-5

Reflection

As Westerners, we tend to view the world in two great halves, separating the sacred from the secular. Conventional wisdom says that people are entitled to their religious beliefs, so long as they keep these views out of politics. The “separation of church and state” is a phrase people often use to articulate this idea.

But when the founders of Western nations instituted the separation of church and state, what they were trying to prevent was not so much the incursion of religion into the political sphere, but the opposite: they hoped to stop the government’s overreach into religious life. Like Luther before them, they were concerned about authorities having too much sway over the inner lives of their people.

In Australia, there is an accepted mythology that our nation is more worldly and irreligious than Britain or America because of our convict past. It’s true that criminals were well-represented among the early white populations. But that was only the case until around the 1850s. Beyond that point, the majority of immigrants were free settlers who came from all over Europe, and who built places of worship as a matter of priority.

The many churches, chapels and cathedrals peppered across the continent still stand as evidence of Australia’s strong Christian roots. My own hometown of Lobethal was one of many German settlements in South Australia founded in the 19th century: Lobethal was Martin Luther’s translation of the “valley of praise” mentioned in 2 Chronicles 20:26.

Australia’s Christian identity was rigorously discussed in the lead up to Federation in 1901. This was understandable: the percentage of Australians identifying as Christians at the time was in the high 90s. Alfred Deakin — who led the movement for Federation and became Australia’s second Prime Minister — declared that, “Without God and without immortality there can be no true or efficient morality from generation to generation, no task for the race, and no goal for it to attain.” He spoke on behalf of a nation.

It was only from around the 1960s that the phrase “the separation of church and state” was being reframed by secularists to keep religious views out of public life. This was a trend not just in Australia but around the West. Over time, Christians and people of other faiths have felt the force of this and have largely been intimidated into silence. But we shouldn’t be.

The idea of a “secular state” or a religiously neutral public square is a myth. Politics and beliefs — secular or otherwise — will forever be mixing. And as long as Christians are members of representative democracies, they are not only permitted but should be expected to let their beliefs influence their political behaviour, just like everyone else.

As we pray for the upcoming election, let us reflect on the words of Abraham Kuyper, who said, “In the total expanse of human life there is not a single square inch of which Christ, Who alone is sovereign, does not declare, ‘That is Mine!’” Australia belongs to Christ. May He guide this nation back to himself and be glorified in the weeks, months and years ahead.

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Prayer

Father, Australia is Yours.

Every inch of this Great Southland of the Holy Spirit is Yours. The future federal government is Yours. We declare that you are the Lord of all the earth. We echo the Psalmist: “The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad!”

Lord, make Australia glad again. Call our nation back to Yourself.

In Jesus’ name we pray,

Amen.

Author Bio

Kurt Mahlburg is Canberra Declaration’s Research and Features Editor. He hosts his own blog at Cross + Culture and is also a contributor at The Spectator Australia, MercatorNet, Caldron Pool and The Good Sauce. Kurt is also a published author. His book Cross and Culture: Can Jesus Save the West? provides a rigorous analysis of the modern malaise in Western society and how Jesus provides the answer to the challenges before us.

21 Days 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 Revival for Australia, Spiritual Awakening and Transformation for our nation, and the proclamation of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. John 3:16

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