Do you know that as Christians we have a responsibility to pray for our country and our leaders? When the children of Judah were in the land of Babylon, God commanded them to pray for their city, pray for the new land they have found themselves in. He told them,
And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace. {Jeremiah 29:7}
Sometimes it feels like it’s a lost cause to even pray for our country or for our leaders. They’re too corrupt or too wicked and worldly to change and do anything beneficial for the betterment of our society. But the thing is if we don’t pray at all, then there’s really no hope for change. How are things going to change if God doesn’t do something? If we don’t pray then how is God going to go in and intervene on our behalf? It’s just going to get worse and worse.
Some of us might feel like it’s not our responsibility to pray for them. We may pray for our pastors maybe, but for politicians? Who cares about them? They don’t care about the things of God, why should we care and pray for them? But the thing is, we have no other choice about it. If we don’t pray for them and for the state of our nation, it’s just going to get worse. Apostle Paul urged Timothy and the church to pray for all men, and for kings and for those in authority. Praying for them, that God would place a burden in their hearts to do His will, we will turn around and live a more peaceful life. Our children can grow up with hope in their hearts to live in a better world. If we don’t pray for our leaders and for our nation, what is there to hope for that things will get better? This is what Apostle Paul instructed Timothy:
I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. {1 Timothy 2:1-4}
So you see, God wants us to pray for our leaders too, not just for our pastors or for the ministers in our church. God wants them saved as much as He wants us saved. They also are responsible for carrying out God’s will to bring peace and goodness into our world. God is going to require that of them because they’re in authority. The more power you have in this life to influence people, the more God requires of you. So it’s very important that you carry out God’s will. The Bible tells us,
For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. {Luke 12:48}
It’s not an easy thing to be a leader. It takes wisdom and understanding to lead. We are all God’s offspring and creation. God looks to every one of us to do His will, whether we are big or small, in authority or not. He requires for us to do something good for Him. We may not be a leader or in authority the way others are, but we are also a part of God’s kingdom. God’s kingdom is not just the church we go to. God’s kingdom is all over the world, and that includes the leaders that are in our country. Many times God places a burden in someone’s heart to lead and become a leader. That is a calling that can come from God. So just because a leader is a politician doesn’t mean He is not a part of God’s kingdom or God’s plan for the church. He’s a soul as much as you and I are. It’s very important to pray for them. Not only that, they also need prayers to have the wisdom to lead people. No one is perfect. No one is strong enough or smart enough to be a good leader without the help of God. Everyone great or small needs the help and wisdom of God, how much more those that lead? Remember, King Solomon asked for God to give him wisdom. He knew he needed God’s help to lead his nation Israel. If you want your country to prosper you better pray for it. Our leaders need our prayers. They need us to pray for wisdom, for strength, for compassion, and for grace and mercy at all times to be in their lives. They also need protection. There are judges that stand up for righteousness sake that can end up getting persecuted, because they decided to punish a wicked man and lock him up in jail and do what they believe is right. I’ve heard of lawyers, civic leaders, even newscasters who stand up for righteousness sake and receive death threats. There are business leaders who have employees under them, teachers and principals or administrators in schools, doctors and nurses, even social workers. They all need wisdom and understanding to lead and influence people. Parents in our neighborhood who are a part of PTAs in our schools, and have children they’re influencing at home also need prayers. Everyone needs prayers and help from God. We cannot detach ourselves from this responsibility, especially because we have the power of prayer within us. We may not be in the forefront of leadership, or know what’s going in the world that our leaders are dealing with everyday, but we can certainly pray. We can pray for God’s wisdom, grace, mercy, blessings and protection to be upon our leaders and upon our nation. Because when God comes in and influences our leaders and our government, then their decision-making will affect us. Whatever decisions they make will eventually affect us. We can’t be numb about these things. When we see them start to make decisions that are especially wicked and corrupt or something that God will not like, we need to go to the Lord in prayer and tell Him about it. We can’t just sit still and accept it. We can’t just groan and moan and shake our heads. We need to do something about it. And the best, first solution to any problem is prayer:
God help us. God save us. Deliver us from these wicked decisions our leaders are making. Save us. Help us. Give them wisdom. Give them understanding. Let them know that what they’re doing is not good before you and have consequences that will hurt them also as much as will hurt many people. Please Jesus help us. Save us.
God owns the whole world. Whatever happens in the world will receive God’s reward, whether for the good or for the bad. Remember Sodom and Gomorrah. The people made the erroneous decisions to do wicked things and God sent fire from heaven. If our leaders make decisions that are contrary and hateful to God’s word, guess what, we’re going to get the reward of those decisions too. Lot had to run away with his family from his city to be able to escape the punishment that was coming. You don’t want to have to go through that. Don’t hand it over to Satan without a fight. God didn’t create this world for Satan. I’m afraid so many of us Christians accept this lie that since Satan is the prince of this world the world can go to him. Not so. He may be the prince of the darkness of this world, but that doesn’t mean he owns this world. God created the Earth for mankind. It belongs to us. Don’t believe that lie that Satan owns it. Remember what the Bible tells us in Daniel,
And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him. {Daniel 7:27}
This world belongs to God and to the people of God. So don’t leave it to Satan to continue to create the havoc and wickedness he’s creating. God is looking for us to stand up against him. We need to stand up and claim it for ourselves, because it belongs to us. We can’t take it lying down him destroying our people and our nation, and all we do is moan and groan and shake our heads. We need to stand up and fight. And the only way to do that is through prayer. If we’re just going to moan and groan and shake our heads, we might as well moan and groan to God about it. And if God places it in your heart to do something about it besides prayer, (perhaps to be a leader or to speak up), then let the Lord show you what to do and give you wisdom to do it. But don’t go jumping ahead of God either. Many times a battle is won just through prayer on our knees. God can work in the midst of our government and through the hearts of our leaders, and turn decisions that aren’t good into something good, just by us fervently praying to Him. As a matter of fact, many times that’s exactly what He’s looking for us to do. Just get to prayer and talk to Him and plead to Him on behalf of our country. He can make all nations and kingdoms to bow down before Him. Nothing is too hard for Him. All it takes for us is to simply care to pray for our nations. Do not slack to do your part. We may not have a say at all in the things that our leaders are doing, but through God we can make a difference. Through our prayers we can change the heart of our nation and the heart of our world. So pray!
That men may know that Thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth. {Psalm 83:18}
And He changeth the times and the seasons: He removeth kings, and setteth up kings: He giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding. {Daniel 2:21}
Prayer
Our Father, God in heaven, You are our God who rules over all the kingdoms in the heavens and in the kingdoms over all the earth. Our hope and our help come from You Lord. We have no one else that can help us like You. Please Jesus, save our world today. Save our country from going into the way of the darkness and the enemy of our soul. Save our children that are being given to destruction. Please Jesus save our children and our babies. They are being destroyed everyday. Save our country. Save our souls. We are lost without You. Please Jesus save us today and give our leaders and our President wisdom to do what is good and right in Your eyes. We don’t want to end up like Sodom and Gomorrah. We don’t want Your wrath to come upon us but rather Your blessings. Please Jesus, save our world and our country today. Give wisdom and the fear of God in the hearts of our leaders. Please give them the burden to do Your work and to do Your will. I pray this Father in Your most wonderful and powerful name, Jesus. Thank You, Father. Amen.
Photo credit to: https://pixabay.com/photos/people-woman-rally-protest-unite-2575608/
#repost1/2019
