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North Carolina’s 2024 Legislative Session begins this Wednesday, and as we prepare, I wanted to take the opportunity to encourage you to pray for your legislators. Serving in this role requires these individuals to make so many important decisions, often about topics they have little or no experience in. Frequently these decisions must be made quickly, and many of them have lobbyists and citizens actively advocating for one side or the other. This type of leadership is not for the faint of heart, and our leaders need our prayers. So here are a few tips to help you pray for your legislators during this session.

Pray That They Would See People Like God Sees People

In politics, it is very easy to see opponents as enemies, creating an “us versus them” mentality. Once we start seeing the other side as an enemy, we stop seeing them as a human being created in the Image of God and deserving respect purely on that basis. As I wrote in an article on a Christian response to the 2024 elections, every human being deserves to be treated with kindness and respect regardless of what they believe or do. In an environment rife with opposition, pray that our legislators would continue to see each other and their constituents as human beings and not enemies, showing compassion before judgment.

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” ~ Ephesians 4:32

Pray That They Would Be Filled with Grace and Understanding

As I mentioned, politics are rife with opposition. In this environment, pray that each legislator would be filled with God’s grace, striving to work collaboratively with one another for the good of North Carolina. They have this shared goal, so while their methods might differ, they all ultimately want North Carolina to thrive.

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” ~ Colossians 3:12-14

Pray That They Would Have Wisdom

As I mentioned earlier, legislators have to make important decisions on topics that are often complex and sometimes even messy. Few of the issues they discuss are clear-cut, especially when you factor in the layers of implications they could have. Can you imagine having to make informed decisions on healthcare, education, agriculture, and criminal justice, just to name a few? Pray that our legislators would have wisdom as they craft and vote on bills regarding such a wide variety of important topics.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” ~ James 1:5

Pray for Them by Name

There is something special about praying for someone by name. It would take a bit of effort to go through all 170 House and Senate members, so here are a few ways to make it more manageable:

• Pray for the legislators in your district. Find out who represents you
• Pray for the leaders, N.C. Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger and Speaker of the N.C. House Tim Moore
• Pray for elected officials by name each day and work your way through the list. The Capitol Commissionprovides a very helpful daily email called Pray1Tim2 that lists one member of N.C.’s congressional delegation, two members of the N.C. Senate, and three members of the N.C. House each day for prayer. The regular rotation also includes the President, Governor, U.S. Supreme Court, and other key officials. You can sign up to receive this email at: https://www.pray1tim2.org/.

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” ~ Ephesians 6:18

How You Can Prepare for Session

Prayer is obviously the most important thing you can do, but here are two suggestions if you would like to do something in addition.

• Stay informed on current legislation: As this session progresses, NC Family will be sharing regular updates on the most important legislation, so make sure you are signed up for our email list and follow us on social media!
• Contact your legislators: One easy way to do this is through NC Family’s Action Center. Our Action Alerts give you the opportunity to easily contact your legislators about current legislation.

Thank you!