Donald John Trump, the 45th President of the United States. Picture courtesy of AP News
Does God Want Donald Trump to be President?
No, God does not care if Trump or anyone else wins. Voters in the United States will, on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, hold presidential elections. The exercise will pit a Democrat candidate, Kamala Harris, against Donald Trump, the man Joe Biden defeated in the 2020 US presidential elections. As was the case in 2016, when Trump ran for the position for the first, Christians, particularly those drawn from evangelical churches are at it again. They are adamant that God wants Trump to win. Is this really the case? Before we proceed, let me point out that God does not necessarily answer all our prayers.
God has no favorite political candidates.
Romans 2:11-29 and Acts 10:34 confirm that God does not show favoritism. We should never interpret our political preferences to mean that God adopts a similar position. Those who believe God wants Trump to be president of the United States often cite the politician’s perceived piety and confession of Jesus. For example, Trump reportedly praised Jesus, describing him as more famous. In February 2024, Trump further pledged to use his power, if elected, to defend Christianity. In contrast, Joe Biden hardly speaks much about Christianity or any other faith. As a result, it is logical to see why some people believe that Trump is God’s preferred candidate.
God is neither Republican nor Democrat.
Our God has explicitly confirmed that humans have dominion over the Earth. In Genesis 1, God deposited all power to humans. Psalm 115: 16 shows God saying that the Earth belongs to humans. In essence, the Lord allows human societies to exercise autonomy in their affairs. As a result, God respects the choices humans make, whether they are good or bad. To avoid unpleasant leadership issues, people should make the right decisions and have working systems to hold their leaders accountable.
God works with whomever people choose.
Once people choose their leaders, God will work with the elected individuals, and their performance depends on personal integrity, the fear of God, and qualifications. No wonder Proverbs 29:2 states that people groan when under wicked leadership. So, the question pro-Trump voters should answer is: Is Trump a wicked or righteous leader? The same question can be posed to Democrats.
Possible contrary views
But God chose David
People who promote the idea that God has chosen a particular candidate use 1 Samuel 16, where God appointed David to rule over Israel to justify their position. However, arguing that God wants a specific individual to become a leader based on this scripture is erroneous for two reasons. First, there was no democratic space during that time. Second, God has not entered into a “theocratic contract” with any nation, including the US, to choose leaders for them. Believers should always remember that Bible interpretation requires some principles, particularly the context of a particular section.
Conclusion
The Lord is not interested in who becomes the US President in 2024 or at any time in the future. Instead, God will actively work with whoever wins, depending on that candidate’s submission. Therefore, no American should be embarrassed for electing a candidate who is not perceived as having been anointed by God.
References
Sisak, M. R., & Offenhartz, J. (2024, July 3). Trump seeks to set aside his New York hush money guilty verdict after Supreme Court immunity ruling. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/trump-hush-money-supreme-court-immunity-3d97d2e9497a5a208c1309aec7a0cd6a
Weissert, W. (2024, February 23). Trump says he’ll defend Christianity from ‘radical left’ that seek to ‘tear down crosses’. PBS News. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-says-hell-defend-christianity-from-radical-left-that-seek-to-tear-down-crosses
