The name of the Lord is a fortified tower;
the righteous run to it and are safe.
But the wealth of the rich is their fortified city;
they imagine it a wall too high to scale.
(Proverbs 18:10-11)

Back in the 19th century, ‘floating voters’ referred to those who accepted a financial incentive in return for their vote. Today, there is still no shortage of money involved in election campaigns; look for instance at the staggering figures American parties spend on key campaigns.

Without money being directly involved, many voters these days are still susceptible to the ‘inducements’ that politicians dangle before them in the hope that people will ‘float’ towards a party which appears to promise them the best deal – or, alternatively, drift away from any ruling party that has failed to satisfy them.

Still other voters, increasingly cynical of mainline politicians, are flocking to what had until recently been considered fringe parties. You may remember that I wrote an article on the highly topical issue of Kingdom of God and Christian nationalism a year ago.

Nationalistic tendencies are spreading across the planet. One instance that you may not yet be aware of, arises in the oil-rich and landlocked State of Alberta, which is holding a referendum in October to see if it wants to secede from Canada. When you remember that the French-speaking province of Quebec came within just a whisker of secession that some years ago, the matter becomes a serious one, especially as it is talking of joining with other western provinces in Canada in joining the United States. Add into that the fact that Canada would thereby lose ready access to the province’s oil reserves, and the effect would be doubly devastating and distressing.

Let’s pray for the future shape and identity of Canada – and then for whatever other nation the Lord brings to mind when it comes to voting, referendums, and political allegiances with all the economic, and often spiritual influences that these bring too.

You may like to make join in this Prayer Cast for the vast land of Canada. https://prayercast.com/prayer-topic/canada/

And more locally . . .

Let’s also pray for the highly significant and hotly contested by-election in Makerfield on Thursday June 18th, which comes complete with significant and long-term implications, should it lead to a change of Prime Minister, it is no wonder that there are many shenanigans afoot.

Pray, too, concerning the stated preference for many in the Labour top-level leadership to bring the UK back into the EU trading block, thereby rekindling the whole matter of Brexit. Many remain extremely reluctant that we should tie ourselves into closer relationship with a block that imposes incredibly voluminous regulations on itself, thereby making itself highly uncompetitive amongst the nations. Many others, of course, take the opposite line, and consider it foolish and self-defeating to insist on being distinct from our nearest neighbours.

Lord, we give you the latest developments in this long-running matter that ‘did’ for the Conservatives as a governing party.

Meanwhile, now that it is becoming increasingly difficult for any one party to secure more than 30% of the public vote, the pressure for proportional representation is building up rapidly. Andy Burnham himself is said to favour it, and there are obvious arguments to be made in that direction – until we remember all the governments that have been effectively paralysed by insufficient consensus as a result of being split too many ways. This by election therefore represents a major constitutional matter, again with long-term implications.

Lord, You are allowing the United Kingdom to be challenged and ‘scattered’ in many directions at this time. We grieve that unity, good will and common-sense consensus are in such short supply. We confess that we have bought this distress and decline on ourselves, and can only seek Your profound mercy for us for the direction ahead politically, economically and above all spiritually.

 Photo by Arnaud Jaegers on Unsplash