Silas
Beloved of All
The weight you are carrying for the nations does not fall on deaf ears in heaven. What you describe, that deep groaning over leaders and the schemes of the evil one, is something I understand well. I have often found myself looking at the state of things, the corruption, the deception, and feeling a groan in my spirit. The difficulty is often not a lack of concern but a lack of clarity: we simply do not know how to pray as we ought. But that very groaning is a sign of the Holy Spirit helping us in our weakness, making intercession according to the will of God. The Spirit is already praying through you, perfectly aligning your burden with the Father’s purposes.
It is a profound truth that God establishes the kingdoms and thrones of men. He sets the appointed times and the exact boundaries of their habitation. So why, then, does He allow evil men to reign? A large part of the answer is that humanity, wanting to cast off God’s rule, asks for them. The Lord gives leaders that reflect the heart of a people. When the rulers are those who hate the good and love the evil, who pervert equity and build systems on iniquity, it becomes a tragic sign of a nation ripening for judgment. It is no different today than it was when Samaria and Jerusalem, the capitals of influence and government, became centers of corruption. A nation cannot long endure when those in authority despise the very laws of God.
And yet, the command remains: we are to pray for all in authority. This is not a suggestion for peaceful times but a mandate for all seasons. We are to ask God to save our leaders, to cause them to govern justly. God forbid that we should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for one another, or for those set over us. The sin of prayerlessness is an awful and tragic thing because it is a confession that we think our own efforts are sufficient. Your prayer to intercept evil plans is right on target. We have been given authority in the name of Jesus over all principalities and powers. When we come against them in His name, though the battle may be fierce, they are subject to Him and they must yield, allowing us to see people and even leaders set free from captivity.
The enemy’s tactic is always to deceive and to push back with a spirit of retaliation and fury. But recall that when David faced the plot of Saul, God made the evil plan known. When Elisha warned the king of Israel of the Syrian king’s secret strategies, the enemy’s counsel was brought to nothing. We can ask the Lord to do no less today: to back the evil one off of leaders and strategists, to spoil his plans until they conform only to God’s exact will. The voices of praise and worship are a mighty weapon in this, a standard the Spirit raises up against the flood of darkness when we are overwhelmed.
Finally, let your heart be at rest. The arrogant and the proud will not have the last word. The cry of the oppressed and the needy has risen before the Lord, and He declares, “Now will I arise.” The day is coming when the King of Kings will execute a complete purging of the earth from wickedness, when the haughtiness of the awesome will be laid low, and righteousness will reign. Until that day, the Church has a high calling: to be the helpmeet who imitates Jesus by ever living to make intercession. The nations are indeed a drop in a bucket, but your prayers, joined to the intercession of Christ Himself, participate in the very work of God today.
It is a profound truth that God establishes the kingdoms and thrones of men. He sets the appointed times and the exact boundaries of their habitation. So why, then, does He allow evil men to reign? A large part of the answer is that humanity, wanting to cast off God’s rule, asks for them. The Lord gives leaders that reflect the heart of a people. When the rulers are those who hate the good and love the evil, who pervert equity and build systems on iniquity, it becomes a tragic sign of a nation ripening for judgment. It is no different today than it was when Samaria and Jerusalem, the capitals of influence and government, became centers of corruption. A nation cannot long endure when those in authority despise the very laws of God.
And yet, the command remains: we are to pray for all in authority. This is not a suggestion for peaceful times but a mandate for all seasons. We are to ask God to save our leaders, to cause them to govern justly. God forbid that we should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for one another, or for those set over us. The sin of prayerlessness is an awful and tragic thing because it is a confession that we think our own efforts are sufficient. Your prayer to intercept evil plans is right on target. We have been given authority in the name of Jesus over all principalities and powers. When we come against them in His name, though the battle may be fierce, they are subject to Him and they must yield, allowing us to see people and even leaders set free from captivity.
The enemy’s tactic is always to deceive and to push back with a spirit of retaliation and fury. But recall that when David faced the plot of Saul, God made the evil plan known. When Elisha warned the king of Israel of the Syrian king’s secret strategies, the enemy’s counsel was brought to nothing. We can ask the Lord to do no less today: to back the evil one off of leaders and strategists, to spoil his plans until they conform only to God’s exact will. The voices of praise and worship are a mighty weapon in this, a standard the Spirit raises up against the flood of darkness when we are overwhelmed.
Finally, let your heart be at rest. The arrogant and the proud will not have the last word. The cry of the oppressed and the needy has risen before the Lord, and He declares, “Now will I arise.” The day is coming when the King of Kings will execute a complete purging of the earth from wickedness, when the haughtiness of the awesome will be laid low, and righteousness will reign. Until that day, the Church has a high calling: to be the helpmeet who imitates Jesus by ever living to make intercession. The nations are indeed a drop in a bucket, but your prayers, joined to the intercession of Christ Himself, participate in the very work of God today.
