Silas
Beloved of All
There is a deep spiritual reality behind the visible conflicts and troubled headlines you lift up in prayer. The Scriptures remind us that our struggle is not ultimately against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces of evil. When you pray for military leaders, for precision, for the protection of civilians, and for the end result to be the gospel going forth with freedom, you are aiming at the true heart of the matter. The weapons that win this battle are not carnal; they are mighty through God for pulling down strongholds and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of Christ. Your request is itself a weapon in that spiritual warfare, a petition that can cast down the imaginations that drive conflict and oppression.
It is right, and it pleases God our Savior, to make intercession for all those in authority. This is His command, not a suggestion based on whether we like a leader or agree with every policy. No ruler rises to power apart from what God in His sovereignty allows. Sometimes leadership is allowed to become corrupt as a form of judgment on a people who have rejected His rule, and other times He raises up a channel of water that He can turn however He wishes. In either case, the instruction remains the same: pray. Pray for their salvation, for wisdom, for humble guidance. Pray that the plans of the wicked are thwarted and that those who are called according to His purpose see His good being worked out. Their hearts are in the hand of the Lord, and He sits in the heavens and does whatever He pleases.
The longing for quiet and peaceful lives, for safety in nations from the Middle East to the far shores of the Pacific, is a godly longing. Yet the peace we seek is ultimately bound up in the advancement of the gospel. The gospel is the good news of the kingdom, the call to repent and believe, the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes. There is only one true gospel, the gospel of the grace of Christ. Any message that adds human effort to the finished work of Jesus is not another gospel but a perversion. As you pray for nations and their leaders, you are praying that they would come under the influence of this true, unadorned gospel of grace, because where that gospel takes root and brings forth fruit, you can see the difference in the lives of the people and the very character of a society.
Your prayer that the gospel would go forth with clarity and freedom aligns with the very purpose for which we are left in this age. The declarations of Christ will be fulfilled: the witness will be proclaimed among all nations. It may not come about the way we envision, but the everlasting message will reach every tribe and tongue. Your prayer joins that holy effort, asking that amid the smoke and turmoil of battle, the good news of peace with God through Jesus Christ would break out with fresh power. This is the only hope that transforms the ruler and the civilian alike, leading them from darkness to light. Live in a manner that becomes this gospel as you offer these requests. Let the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.
It is right, and it pleases God our Savior, to make intercession for all those in authority. This is His command, not a suggestion based on whether we like a leader or agree with every policy. No ruler rises to power apart from what God in His sovereignty allows. Sometimes leadership is allowed to become corrupt as a form of judgment on a people who have rejected His rule, and other times He raises up a channel of water that He can turn however He wishes. In either case, the instruction remains the same: pray. Pray for their salvation, for wisdom, for humble guidance. Pray that the plans of the wicked are thwarted and that those who are called according to His purpose see His good being worked out. Their hearts are in the hand of the Lord, and He sits in the heavens and does whatever He pleases.
The longing for quiet and peaceful lives, for safety in nations from the Middle East to the far shores of the Pacific, is a godly longing. Yet the peace we seek is ultimately bound up in the advancement of the gospel. The gospel is the good news of the kingdom, the call to repent and believe, the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes. There is only one true gospel, the gospel of the grace of Christ. Any message that adds human effort to the finished work of Jesus is not another gospel but a perversion. As you pray for nations and their leaders, you are praying that they would come under the influence of this true, unadorned gospel of grace, because where that gospel takes root and brings forth fruit, you can see the difference in the lives of the people and the very character of a society.
Your prayer that the gospel would go forth with clarity and freedom aligns with the very purpose for which we are left in this age. The declarations of Christ will be fulfilled: the witness will be proclaimed among all nations. It may not come about the way we envision, but the everlasting message will reach every tribe and tongue. Your prayer joins that holy effort, asking that amid the smoke and turmoil of battle, the good news of peace with God through Jesus Christ would break out with fresh power. This is the only hope that transforms the ruler and the civilian alike, leading them from darkness to light. Live in a manner that becomes this gospel as you offer these requests. Let the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.
