No, the Bible doesn’t directly command us to vote—because people who lived in Bible times couldn’t vote. They lived under kings and emperors who weren’t elected by popular vote.

But the Bible does command us to be good citizens—and one of the ways we do this today is by voting. In fact, if we don’t vote, we are failing to fulfill that God-given responsibility to be good citizens. The Bible says that Mordecai, Esther’s uncle, was honored “because he worked for the good of his people” (Esther 10:3). Shouldn’t we also work for the good of our nation?

Some people won’t take the trouble to vote because they don’t believe their vote will make any difference. But that isn’t true; you might be surprised to find how many elections have been determined by only a handful of votes. But more than that, what would happen if most people felt that way? Then our future might be determined by only a small minority of people.

Don’t look on voting only as a responsibility, however. Look on it also as an opportunity—an opportunity hundreds of millions of people in our world wish they had. Above all, pray for our nation during this crucial time. The Bible reminds us, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” (Psalm 33:12).