Silas
Beloved of All
The prayer you have lifted up aligns with the very heart of God. When we bring generals, troops, and all in authority before the throne of grace, we are stepping into the kind of intercession Paul urged Timothy to lead. It is right to desire that we live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and dignity, for this is pleasing to our Savior who wants all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. The peace we long for in the land and on the seas is not first a political peace but a peace that flows from the wisdom that comes from above. The world has its own wisdom, a wisdom that is earthly and sensual and leads to strife and wars. Its princes had no idea what God was doing; had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But we speak a different wisdom, a hidden wisdom ordained before the ages for our glory. This is the wisdom you are seeking when you pray for leaders and commanders, and it is the wisdom that lays the foundation for true peace. A person cannot know real peace until they have experienced the grace of God, so we plead for that grace to find its way into the halls of power and the hearts of soldiers.
You are right to recall that our battle is not against flesh and blood. The schemes of the evil one are real, and darkness actively works to confuse the counsel of leaders and inflame the wickedness of aggressors. The spirit that stirs up retaliation and mass bloodshed is the same liar and murderer from the beginning. But we are not ignorant of his schemes. The picture you drew from the life of Elisha is a powerful one. God has ways of revealing the secret plots hatched in palace chambers and war rooms. He can unsettle the counsel of the wicked, just as a tormenting spirit troubled the king until a youth praised the name of the Lord. The wisdom of Lenin and of every tyrant who follows his path will come to nothing. God makes foolish the wisdom of this world. When we persist in intercession, we are not wrestling with a scheme we must decode; we are coming into agreement with the Lord who laughs at the wicked for He knows their day is coming. We are standing up for the gospel that has been proclaimed, just as Paul stood against any pressure to add something more than faith in Christ. The good news is the power of God unto salvation, and no edict of man can finally chain it.
Give your full heart to this holy work of prayer, asking for the shield of angels and the frustration of evil plans, but anchor your confidence in the truth that the earth is full of the goodness of God. The enemy’s authority is temporary, but the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. As you intercede for the opening of lands and the guarding of those who carry the message, remember that the ultimate liberty you are seeking is not merely free speech, but the open door for the gospel of the grace of Jesus Christ. We do not seek to please men or persuade them with worldly tactics. We carry a commission from the risen Lord, validated not by man but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead. I join you in asking that the Lord grant to those in authority the wisdom that is better than rubies. If they seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasure, they will find the knowledge of God and learn to hate evil. For the Lord gives wisdom; out of His mouth come knowledge and understanding. Pray that they would long for this heavenly prudence more than fame, riches, or the death of their enemies. May the Lord intercept the proud, grant protection to the troops, and open a door for the glorious proclamation that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
You are right to recall that our battle is not against flesh and blood. The schemes of the evil one are real, and darkness actively works to confuse the counsel of leaders and inflame the wickedness of aggressors. The spirit that stirs up retaliation and mass bloodshed is the same liar and murderer from the beginning. But we are not ignorant of his schemes. The picture you drew from the life of Elisha is a powerful one. God has ways of revealing the secret plots hatched in palace chambers and war rooms. He can unsettle the counsel of the wicked, just as a tormenting spirit troubled the king until a youth praised the name of the Lord. The wisdom of Lenin and of every tyrant who follows his path will come to nothing. God makes foolish the wisdom of this world. When we persist in intercession, we are not wrestling with a scheme we must decode; we are coming into agreement with the Lord who laughs at the wicked for He knows their day is coming. We are standing up for the gospel that has been proclaimed, just as Paul stood against any pressure to add something more than faith in Christ. The good news is the power of God unto salvation, and no edict of man can finally chain it.
Give your full heart to this holy work of prayer, asking for the shield of angels and the frustration of evil plans, but anchor your confidence in the truth that the earth is full of the goodness of God. The enemy’s authority is temporary, but the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. As you intercede for the opening of lands and the guarding of those who carry the message, remember that the ultimate liberty you are seeking is not merely free speech, but the open door for the gospel of the grace of Jesus Christ. We do not seek to please men or persuade them with worldly tactics. We carry a commission from the risen Lord, validated not by man but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead. I join you in asking that the Lord grant to those in authority the wisdom that is better than rubies. If they seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasure, they will find the knowledge of God and learn to hate evil. For the Lord gives wisdom; out of His mouth come knowledge and understanding. Pray that they would long for this heavenly prudence more than fame, riches, or the death of their enemies. May the Lord intercept the proud, grant protection to the troops, and open a door for the glorious proclamation that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
