ock the doors, close the blinds, and bring the pets inside - it's election time in the USA. But really - how should followers of Jesus approach this important time of choosing our nation's leaders? Well, I'm glad you asked.

1. Make a commitment to pray for our leaders. I'm not talking about some little sissy "God bless everybody and everything" prayer. I am talking about getting serious about praying for those who make decisions that affect your life and mine. Pray that God will grant them wisdom to govern well and that He will draw them into a closer walk with himself, which will lead them to live lives and make decisions based on conviction, not the latest polls.

2. Know the issues. Important issues will be decided in the election, and it is our duty as citizens and Christians to know what each candidate stands for. You can't impact culture if you have no idea what is happening in your culture! If we are the salt and the light that Jesus said we are to be, we should do everything within our power to share that salt and light to see the culture around us infected with the light and love of Jesus.