Silas
Beloved of All
Your commitment to pray according to Scripture for so many needs is encouraging and we join you in bringing these requests before the Father in the name of Jesus.
We agree with you that God calls us to pray for all who are in authority. The instruction in 1 Timothy 2 to offer petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving for kings and all in authority is given so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence, and Romans 13 reminds us that governing authorities are instruments of God for order and the protection of society. Scripture does not call the church to take up arms to overthrow government but to respect authority, obey the law, and seek God for those who lead. We pray with you that God would grant to national and world leaders intelligence and character, that He would set a guard over their mouths as Psalm 141 asks and give them the tongue of the wise spoken of in Proverbs 15, that they would be surrounded by godly counsel, do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God as Micah 6 says, and that their leadership would promote righteousness and unity rather than bitterness and rivalry.
We also pray for wisdom, because true wisdom is not the wisdom of this world. The world by its wisdom did not know God, and God has shown the foolishness of that wisdom. In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. That wisdom is better than rubies and better than wealth, and nothing we desire can compare to it. The wisdom that comes from above does not lead to envy and strife. It is earthly wisdom that produces jealousy and division. The wisdom from God leads to purity, peace, and the fruit of the Spirit. We pray that leaders and all of us would seek that wisdom, love it and keep it, for it preserves and keeps those who embrace it, and that we would turn from the sensual and earthly wisdom that brings confusion.
We join you in praying for unity and for the nations. Psalm 133 speaks of how good it is when there is unity, and Psalm 2 reminds us to ask the Lord for the nations as His inheritance. We pray that God would frustrate the plans of the enemy to divide and destroy, and we remember that our struggle is not only against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces as Ephesians 6 teaches. As Daniel learned, from the first day we humble ourselves and set our hearts to understand before God, our words are heard, even when there is unseen spiritual conflict behind the scenes. We pray with you in the spirit of 2 Chronicles 7, that as the people called by His name humble themselves and pray and seek His face, God would grant heavenly help, protection as promised in Psalm 91, and the silencing of what is false.
For our own regions we pray as Jeremiah 29 directs, to seek the welfare of the city where God has placed us and to pray to the Lord on its behalf. We ask the Holy Spirit to convict neighbors, students, teachers, workers, parents, pastors, law enforcement and local leaders of sin, righteousness and judgment as Jesus said in John 16, and that the Father would draw people to His Son as in John 6, granting saving faith as a gift through hearing the Word as Romans 10 and Ephesians 2 teach. We ask the Lord to be a wall of fire around our communities as promised in Zechariah 2 and to keep us from evil as Jesus prayed in John 17, that no harm would draw near to those who dwell under His shelter.
We remember that we are part of one universal church of God. There is only one who can say my church and that is Jesus Christ Himself. We are all members of His body, and though we may be in different places, we are the church of God in that place, not divided churches but one people. When love grows cold the presence of the Spirit is grieved, and we pray that God would keep us awake and not sleeping while the culture drifts from Him, but faithful to live and speak the truth in love.
For provision we thank God for daily bread as Jesus taught us to pray in Matthew 6, and we ask for contentment with godliness as 1 Timothy 6 teaches. We pray that He would restore what has been lost as Joel 2 promises, and produce in us the fruit of the Spirit, love, joy and peace, and give us cheerful hearts. Instead of shame, we ask for His grace to give double honor and everlasting joy as Isaiah 61 declares, for He tears and He heals, He wounds and He binds up as Hosea 6 says.
We also remember those in chains as Hebrews 13 instructs, praying for the persecuted church, for the release and relief of those suffering for their faith as in Acts, and for the peace of Jerusalem as Psalm 122 directs, and for all the descendants of Abraham according to the promise in Genesis 12.
We thank the Father in advance that He hears prayer offered in the name of Jesus, for it is in His name that we have access to the Father and it is through His name alone that we are saved as John 14 teaches. We ask that our prayers be aligned with His will and that His kingdom come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. May the Lord grant guidance, health, support, protection and His manifest presence to you and to all who pray, and keep you in His peace.
We agree with you that God calls us to pray for all who are in authority. The instruction in 1 Timothy 2 to offer petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving for kings and all in authority is given so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence, and Romans 13 reminds us that governing authorities are instruments of God for order and the protection of society. Scripture does not call the church to take up arms to overthrow government but to respect authority, obey the law, and seek God for those who lead. We pray with you that God would grant to national and world leaders intelligence and character, that He would set a guard over their mouths as Psalm 141 asks and give them the tongue of the wise spoken of in Proverbs 15, that they would be surrounded by godly counsel, do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God as Micah 6 says, and that their leadership would promote righteousness and unity rather than bitterness and rivalry.
We also pray for wisdom, because true wisdom is not the wisdom of this world. The world by its wisdom did not know God, and God has shown the foolishness of that wisdom. In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. That wisdom is better than rubies and better than wealth, and nothing we desire can compare to it. The wisdom that comes from above does not lead to envy and strife. It is earthly wisdom that produces jealousy and division. The wisdom from God leads to purity, peace, and the fruit of the Spirit. We pray that leaders and all of us would seek that wisdom, love it and keep it, for it preserves and keeps those who embrace it, and that we would turn from the sensual and earthly wisdom that brings confusion.
We join you in praying for unity and for the nations. Psalm 133 speaks of how good it is when there is unity, and Psalm 2 reminds us to ask the Lord for the nations as His inheritance. We pray that God would frustrate the plans of the enemy to divide and destroy, and we remember that our struggle is not only against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces as Ephesians 6 teaches. As Daniel learned, from the first day we humble ourselves and set our hearts to understand before God, our words are heard, even when there is unseen spiritual conflict behind the scenes. We pray with you in the spirit of 2 Chronicles 7, that as the people called by His name humble themselves and pray and seek His face, God would grant heavenly help, protection as promised in Psalm 91, and the silencing of what is false.
For our own regions we pray as Jeremiah 29 directs, to seek the welfare of the city where God has placed us and to pray to the Lord on its behalf. We ask the Holy Spirit to convict neighbors, students, teachers, workers, parents, pastors, law enforcement and local leaders of sin, righteousness and judgment as Jesus said in John 16, and that the Father would draw people to His Son as in John 6, granting saving faith as a gift through hearing the Word as Romans 10 and Ephesians 2 teach. We ask the Lord to be a wall of fire around our communities as promised in Zechariah 2 and to keep us from evil as Jesus prayed in John 17, that no harm would draw near to those who dwell under His shelter.
We remember that we are part of one universal church of God. There is only one who can say my church and that is Jesus Christ Himself. We are all members of His body, and though we may be in different places, we are the church of God in that place, not divided churches but one people. When love grows cold the presence of the Spirit is grieved, and we pray that God would keep us awake and not sleeping while the culture drifts from Him, but faithful to live and speak the truth in love.
For provision we thank God for daily bread as Jesus taught us to pray in Matthew 6, and we ask for contentment with godliness as 1 Timothy 6 teaches. We pray that He would restore what has been lost as Joel 2 promises, and produce in us the fruit of the Spirit, love, joy and peace, and give us cheerful hearts. Instead of shame, we ask for His grace to give double honor and everlasting joy as Isaiah 61 declares, for He tears and He heals, He wounds and He binds up as Hosea 6 says.
We also remember those in chains as Hebrews 13 instructs, praying for the persecuted church, for the release and relief of those suffering for their faith as in Acts, and for the peace of Jerusalem as Psalm 122 directs, and for all the descendants of Abraham according to the promise in Genesis 12.
We thank the Father in advance that He hears prayer offered in the name of Jesus, for it is in His name that we have access to the Father and it is through His name alone that we are saved as John 14 teaches. We ask that our prayers be aligned with His will and that His kingdom come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. May the Lord grant guidance, health, support, protection and His manifest presence to you and to all who pray, and keep you in His peace.
