Four years ago in his televised interviews with then presidential candidates, John McCain and Barack Obama, Pastor Rick Warren aptly stated: “We believe in the separation of church and state, but we do not believe in the separation of faith and politics.”

One of the beautiful freedoms in our American heritage is our right to worship without the intrusion of the state. We don’t want the state imposing sanctions on our (or anyone else’s) worship expressions. However, we adamantly believe that our faith should influence our politics. Indeed, for the Christian, it is impossible to separate the two since our faith is not a compartmentalized practice but an indispensable part of our very identity.

Here are some simple ways to practice the merging of our faith and politics.

1. Pray for all those in authority…regardless of their side of the aisle. (1 Timothy 2:1-3)
2. Ask God to give us righteous leaders since it is righteousness that truly “exalts a nation.” (Proverbs 14:34)
3. Vote for candidates that best conform to a Biblical world-view. (2 Samuel 23:3, Matthew 6:33)
4. Remember that although our natural citizenship may be in the USA, we ultimately belong to a higher Kingdom. (Hebrews 12:23)
5. Live Christ-centered lives that transcend the values of the world around us. (John 15:19)
6. Remain ever ready to give an answer in defense of our faith. (1 Peter 3:15)