What will shape America’s future more than politics, lawmakers, and ideologies? Pastor Allen Jackson says the power of prayer and participation. 

With the midterms fast approaching, concerns are growing over the GOP losing its majority in the House of Representatives and Senate. Christian voters worry that religious representation in government will diminish, devolving the political arena to become increasingly hostile towards believers. 

“I hear people say, ‘What can we do?’” Jackson said during a Tuesday appearance on “Washington Watch.” “And the reality is, there’s a lot we can do. And I think it starts with prayer. “I think the problems we face fundamentally are not political problems,” Jackson continued. “They’re spiritual problems, which come back to the health and vitality of the church. And our engagement in our culture is salt and light.”

Jackson said he believes Christians have a “biblical assignment” to influence society around them. He hopes his new book, “Lead with Faith: Using Your Influence for God’s Purposes,” encourages those in Christ to do just that. 

“I think so often we think of prayer as something we do in a formal religious setting. … We pray at the beginning of a worship service, or we pray at a conclusion, but prayer is really a conversation we have with God,” Jackson explained. 

The new book provides readers with scriptures to meditate on and prayers to lift to God. “Almost all of us have concerns in our family or concerns for the state where we live, or concerns for our nation. And these prayers are really intended to be a spark to ignite, perhaps to give you the confidence to pray with a little greater clarity,” Jackson stated. “In the same way that a parent listens to their child as they’re learning to speak, they’re not discouraged because the grammar is not perfect. They’re encouraged with the effort towards communication. And we wanted to give people a tool to help them begin to talk to the Lord. And I don’t think God’s going to be frustrated with us because we don’t get the commas in the right place. I think you’ll be very encouraged that we’re willing to share what’s in our heart.”

Jackson reminded listeners that every political candidate on the ballot this November will be flawed, since human nature is imperfect. He explained the key to casting votes is to decide what candidate best embraces a biblical worldview and values reflected in Scripture. 

“We as Christians, we don’t have permission to go against God’s boundaries and say, ‘Because I have an alignment with some political party, I’m going to set aside God’s definition of marriage or God’s definitions of human sexuality.’ And so, I think when we see that our nation is walking away from those values, our response is one of repentance. And we grieve that, and we seek the Lord. And then we do everything in our power to be salt and light where God has given us influence.”

The pastor acknowledges that picking a candidate to vote for is difficult for some Christians when they feel the choice comes down to the “lesser of two evils.” 

“In our current election systems, I’m sure the candidates are flawed. But we can’t sit in the bleachers and opt out. We have, I believe, a divine responsibility to engage in the process. … We can’t just pray. We have to participate in the process,” Jackson asserted. “God can use imperfect vessels for his purposes, but we have to participate in the process. And if we use party affiliation above the biblical worldview issues, it’s idolatry. We’ve got to have the courage to seek God and do the best we can to prepare and then participate.”

Despite living in an era where politics is the be-all and end-all to many, elections and lawmakers cannot make a nation spiritually healthy, Jackson contended. “An election simply reveals the health and vitality of the church in our culture. If we have a chance to choose our leaders and we choose godly leaders, people who fear God and respect God, then the spiritual health of the nation is pretty good.” 

“Let’s look at the election in front of us, not as a referendum on individuals. Let’s look at it as a referendum on the spiritual health of America,” the pastor encouraged. “And if we don’t get the report we want, let’s humble ourselves and seek the Lord. … Let’s go get on our knees and look in the mirror and say, ‘God, I’m sorry. I’ve got to find my voice in the midst of this culture so that Your purposes can emerge in this generation.’”