A recent survey by the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University shows that as many as 41 million people who identify as born-again Christians are planning to skip voting in the upcoming November election. Significantly, these non-voters represent almost half of all who claim to be born-again Christians. With so many professing Christians planning to sit out this election, we need to ask: Should a Christian skip voting on November 5?

While the Bible does not speak directly to the issue of voting because elections didn’t exist in Bible times, a relevant passage that presents a principle to guide our contemporary context is 1 Timothy 2:1-2. When Paul gave Timothy instructions concerning how to lead the church, his first instruction was to urge church members to pray for all kinds of people, explicitly mentioning government officials. The goal of these prayers was that God might move in the hearts of public officials to create and maintain an environment where Christians could lead godly lives unhindered by interference or persecution. The church should pray that its leaders would enact and maintain laws that allow Christians freedom to worship. Christians should follow Paul’s instructions and pray regularly and fervently for their governing authorities.

Whatever God urges us to ask for in prayer, He also commands us to do if we have the opportunity. Suppose God desires for Christians to pray for governing authorities that would provide an environment for the church to practice godliness peacefully. In that case, it necessarily follows that Christians should do whatever God providentially allows to that end. God has given American citizens the privilege of influencing who leads our governmental institutions when we go to the ballot box. Christians should pray that God will raise leaders who will........

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