God chooses unlikely candidates who are of no importance in the world’s eyes. Have you noticed that the most prominent people in the Bible rarely start out that way? Moses fled from Egypt and lived as a lowly shepherd before God used him to be Israel’s deliverer. Deborah was a judge and prophetess of Israel, but she was first a simple wife and mother. Amos was a herder and farmer whom God happened to call to be a prophet. And there are many such individuals in the Bible account.

Pray for your fellow intercessor.

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This is because He is not seeking qualifications, but obedience. People may spend years preparing for some field of endeavor, but God may then call them out of their chosen field so that He can train them for some higher purpose. Sen. Darren Bailey is an example. Before he became involved in government, he was a third-generation farmer. He and his wife of 37 years, Cindy, come from humble beginnings, and to this day their motto is: “Faith, family, and farming.” 

A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men (Proverbs 18:16).

Darren explains what happened.

“In 1994, our church youth leader was on the school board. She got a job somewhere else and had to move, which created a vacancy in the school board seat. Cindy and I had been passionately working in the church and community. I had been asked to fill that position. I have to be honest with you: I loved working on the farm; I liked being left alone. I said, no, I’m not interested. I’ve got too much to do working on the farm and with my family. I asked Cindy, who said, “I think this is what God wants us to do. This is an open door. This is our mission for the moment. So, I got on the school board, and it was pretty amazing.

“Cindy and I taught Sunday school. We loved working with young people. I served on the North Clay School Board for 17 years, from 1995 to 2012. I was the board president for 12 of those, in the North Clay Unit, in Louisville. If you had stuck your head in, you would have thought it was a full-fledged Christian school. The teachers played worship music in class, even by the T-shirts they wore. It was such an amazing place, and for the most part, it still is. Unfortunately, conservatives like us got so busy with life that we failed to get engaged with the government and allowed moral rot to enter our schools. That’s where it started, and that’s where I was first introduced to David Barton’s Wall Builders. Cindy had bought me David Barton’s videos on the history of education in America. It really began to amp me up and push my drive. I’d set up executive sessions to interview teachers and administrators. I ask serious questions, even about their personal lives. The administration would say, you can’t ask those questions, but I want to know, because these people will spend much time with our children, even more than some parents. I was the one who would push the buttons and cross the lines. … I knew we would hire the best and most moral and qualified person to teach our children. Over the years, for a small school in our district, we became a powerhouse. 

“In 2012, I got off the school board. Our youngest son was in the 8th grade and wanted to be home-schooled. Cindy and I asked what was wrong. He said he wanted to help out and work on the farm with me. So, we worked around with the time for school and time for work on the farm. We prayed and fasted and decided to give it a shot. Cindy had a flower and gift shop in Louisville. She partitioned some off. We asked the minister’s wife to fast and pray with us. We knew we would be met with resistance because we were involved in education, and now we’re home-schooling. The minister’s wife tutored our son; she was a teacher. The next year, two of his home-schooled friends joined. We had nine high schoolers and nine junior high schoolers in the third year. We hired an additional person to help. God began to open a door, and we began to get more. People began to come into our store and to wonder what was happening in the backroom, and it grew. Today, we have Full Armor Christian Academy, with two locations. We might be opening up two more next year. Currently, we have over 360 students from pre-K through high school. So again, a door opened, answering the call with my wife, who had her spiritual eyes on before I did.”  

The next door that would open to Darren was to serve as a state representative. 

“I served one term of two years as a state representative,” Darren said. “That’s the message. Right now, I’m sitting in my office, and I’ve got a lot of books, such as, Should Christians Be Involved in Politics? I felt a tug for a long time, but said no. I need to be in my church and my community. When God calls you to something more, your spiritual eyes must be ready to see it. In 2017, I got a little too noisy, so much that when my state representative — who was a conservative Republican — voted for a significant tax increase, I went on Facebook to share what was going on. People woke up and said, ‘Why don’t you represent us?’ Again, I said, ‘Absolutely not!’ Cindy said, ‘Darren, I think this is where we belong.’ So, we prayed and fasted together about it, and in 2018, I won — literally against all odds. 

“From 2019 to 2022, I was a state representative. Our state senator stepped down. People loved our work ethic and how we represented our community. So, I ran in his absence. But the establishment put someone against me. They thought I was too conservative. They didn’t like it when I quoted the Bible.” 

When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily. But wise and knowledgeable leaders bring stability (Proverbs 28:2 NLT).

“State leaders are coming from regular jobs, just like I did. These are not federal leaders elected from the states. They’re balancing regular jobs with service to their states. They show how regular people like you and I are called to serve God in government. The cool thing is God is raising up more leaders in Illinois, men and women — people who are hardworking and successful. People like myself who don’t participate in the legislative tension and gimmicks. We just want to serve and bring moral and physical integrity back into the government. That’s our journey.”  

Now this humble-farmer-turned-school-board-member-turned-state-legislator is campaigning to run for governor! Meanwhile, his faithful service in the Illinois State Senate has given people the surety that there really are godly people in government.

Here are some lessons we can learn from the lives of the Baileys.

Glorifying Christ

Darren and Cindy loved the simplicity of farming. They were faithful to serve in their church and community, and they served with  excellence. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men (Colossians 3:23). Surely this is the key to the Baileys’  success: Whether ministering to young people, or working on the farm, or serving in government, they seek to glorify Christ in everything they do. 

Hearing God Through Prayer and Fasting

“My wife and I caught on in the early 2000s to the importance of fasting and prayer. We had issues in our family with two of our four children. We prayed and turned it over to God with prayer and fasting, and God brought our children back. It’s an amazing testimony. When I was thinking of running for state senate, we met with our family and church leaders and asked them to fast and pray for us.” 

Clearly, the Baileys take fasting and prayer seriously, relying on these disciplines as a means to hear from God concerning major decisions in their personal lives and the place where the Lord has positioned them. Prayer combined with fasting will always yield powerful results. Is your family facing a crisis? Do you need to know God’s next plan for you? Do you sense that God is calling you into politics, but you feel, like Darren, a bit hesitant? Perhaps you can take time to fast and prayerfully seek the Lord about it. 

First Pray, Then Obey

Darren kept feeling the nudges toward public service even as he kept putting them off. He loved his life on the farm, so he said no to politics, but the calls and suggestions from others kept coming. After fasting and praying with his wife, he realized that this was where the Lord was leading him. Of course, leaving one’s comfort zone can be difficult. After Darren stepped out in faith, the doors continued to open, and new opportunities to bring change presented themselves. This is what the Lord does: First, He calls, then He confirms, and then He provides. All He requires of us is to step out in obedience and trust Him. Ask the Lord where you might make an impact.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths (Proverbs 3:5–6).

Apparently, God is hardly finished with the Baileys! So, here’s how you can pray for them as Darren tries to become a voice for southern Illinois in Congress. 

Ask the Lord to grant them wisdom and continued favor. 

For you bless the righteous, O LORD; you cover him with favor as with a shield (Psalm 5:12 ESV).

Pray that they will have victory over the Enemy.

Confuse them, Lord, and frustrate their plans, for I see violence and conflict in the city. Its walls are patrolled day and night against invaders, but the real danger is wickedness within the city (Psalm 55:9–10 NLT).

Pray for His blessings over the entire Bailey family. 

Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments! His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. Light dawns in the darkness for the upright; he is gracious, merciful, and righteous. It is well with the man who deals generously and lends, who conducts his affairs with justice. For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered forever (Psalm 112:1–6 ESV).

For their part, the Baileys are praying that the Church will recognize its role in civil government. “If we step back and remain silent, we will lose it all,” said Darren. “God’s people are the pillar of government.”

Let’s pray that we as the Lord’s people will step out of our comfort zones and seek Him wherever He chooses to place us. 

So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus (Matthew 14:29).

Let’s pray together now:

Father, thank You for people like Darren Bailey, those who hold government office and use it to glorify you. Set Your hand of protection upon him during this coming election season. Deliver him and his family from any attacks. Bless his marriage, his family, his farm, and the Full Armor Christian Academy. We pray for continued favor and provision for him in whatever you lead him to do. Make his way prosperous.

We also pray for those who feel similarly called to serve but are fearful to leave what they’ve known. Send them a powerful confirmation. We know that when You call, You provide everything that is needed. Raise up men and women of strong faith, and help them take their places on the school boards, as lawmakers, or wherever You lead them. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Share your prayer below for God-fearing people called to hold office. And might you be one of them?

IFA contributing writer Gloria Robles is a passionate intercessor with a prophetic voice for today. For more from Gloria, go to Spotify or Anchor and listen to her podcast. Photo Credit: fotoguy22/Getty Images Pro via Canva Pro.