A post-election petition to God

Heavenly Father, it is two days after our General Election.

For starters, I thank you for placing me in this beautiful and blessed country. I cannot forget strife-torn places like Somalia and Afghanistan where there is untold suffering. But they too are in your agenda. You haven’t forgotten them.

Lord, I am grateful that you have seen me through the last five years since our last polls. Speaking of elections, Father, I make a special request: Please make all losers accept the results and give winners the humility to work with the losers.

This country is blessed, although sometimes we refuse to put the wisdom you have given us into practice. We even fail to see simple things like the fact that in all competitions, there must be a winner and a loser.

HIV status

Father, you have proved to me and through me that people can be served and reached, not only by those elected to office, but even when they use their HIV status for the good of others. Election fever and shortsightedness make us fail to acknowledge that leaders come from you.

We forget it is not all about powerful parties, wealth, experience, families or history. It is about you and your choice. You chose David, Jesse’s last born child. I am sure he wasn’t a sight to behold for some eyes; smelling of sheep poop and everything! Yet, you anointed and made him the greatest King Israel ever had.

I pray that the day before yesterday you removed the veils in our eyes and helped us elect leaders you had anointed, even if they may not be sights to behold.

Dear God, recently the American people chose their leader. One of their practices I would love our politicians to buy is loyalty, not party-hoping. Here, we do it, even if it is obvious that one will never make it. Some, including one of my uncles, went to the grave a pauper after vying so many times and refusing to admit he had been rejected as a leader.

I think it is because there are tons of priviledges when someone is in an elective position. God, sometimes I doubt if it is the interest of the people that drives these intense campaigns.

During rallies, I could read real craving for raw power. I couldn’t stop wondering what would happen if their bids flopped. In the past, we have seen healthy people die not long after elections because they couldn’t live with the truth that they lost. God, help losers know that they still have plenty of opportunities to serve your people.

Prayers for peace

Christ, I pray for peace after the outcome. Peace like the one you said you gave the apostles. Peace that surpasses all human understanding. In the past, we have demonised ethnic communities yet it is you who created them. And you had a purpose. It is us and our selfish interests who flipped the script.

Lord, help us remove this veil to make us see the strength in each community and the diversity and wealth they come with to complement one another.

I pray that what will sprout out after the polls will be forums to thank you and not more IDP camps. You have given me three dear sons. I take every life to be precious, despite differences in opinion. May the one elected as our national leader know that he will be serving you and your people. Sometimes such a leader causes unnecessary gridlocks and road users are stopped by the roadside to wait for him to pass. This is very inconsiderate.

For most of us, time is of essence. It, therefore, makes no sense for thousands of citizens to idle by the road for someone to pass hours later at neck-break speed. What pains me, Lord, is that he is the same person millions of us stood in queues for hours on end to elect.

Lord, I hope the leader will take your counsel and deliver your people from many burdens; economic, social and emotional. We pray whoever is elected will be someone who knows and acknowledges you in all facets of life.

Amen.