“It is repulsive [to God and man] for [governmental leaders] to behave wickedly,
For a throne is established on righteousness (right standing with God).”
(Proverbs 16:12 AMP, alt.)
A somewhat prayerful rant…..
God,
As I type, the weather outside is rainy and gloomy, a good reflection of what praying for our state and nation feels like to me. Today it seems like my faith (and maybe the faith of others around me) is about as big as that proverbial mustard seed. The battles we have weathered and are weathering feel heavy and defeating. I have been praying – at least off and on, sometimes more fervently – for our nation for over a decade. Does it make any difference? You’ve told us that we should be prepared because we are up against far more than we can handle on our own. Your Word tells us, “The true children of God are those who let God’s Spirit lead them.” (Romans 8:14 ICB). God, we need your leadership! We cannot stand on our own help, strength or power. We need you to put into place the people and structures for good governance. How long, O Lord, do we have to war in the spirit until you turn aside the waves of pure evil that are lapping at the shores of this nation? How long, O Lord, until you break the power of the wickedness that seems to have overpowered the good? How long, O Lord, until your Light will shine brightly in every corner of our society?
You said that, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin condemns any people,” (Proverbs 14:34 NIV) and our state and nation certainly seem to be under condemnation and judgement. But we pray you will fill this state and nation with your justice and righteousness and be the sure foundation of our times. You are a rich store of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. You are our judge, lawgiver, king, and – most importantly – the One who can save us. No politician, no matter how godly, can save us. You hate those who do wrong and want truthful, honest leaders who make fair decisions. You have nothing to do with corrupt rulers who pass laws that empower evil and defeat what is right. We pray that wicked plans for this state and nation would boomerang back on the evildoers as Haman’s plans boomeranged back on him. You are our true tower of strength, safety, and shelter from evil.
You are not a god of disorder but of peace, so we pray that your peace would reign in this nation. You are exalted and reign on high. You are the God who created the Universe and you are SOOOOO much bigger than the struggles we face. We know that the forces of evil arrayed against your world and your children are no match for the armies of heaven. We know your thoughts and ways are so much higher, deeper, bigger, bolder, and complete than ours and that your plans for your children are GOOD – plans for a future with hope. So, we have to trust that, even when we cannot see it, you are working things out for the good of those who love you. Help us to learn to use the spiritual weapons at hand: truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation, God’s Word, and prayer. Help us to encourage each other so that no one falls behind or drops out. When you said that if we have faith as small as a mountain we can move mountains, you wanted us to believe that nothing is impossible for us when we are rooted in Christ Jesus, led by Holy Spirit, and trusting your calling to go move the “mountains” in this world. So, give us fortitude, perseverance, and patience as we pray. Grow our mustard-seed-faith into mountain-moving-faith.
Your Word tells us, “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer.” (1 Peter 3:12) We come boldly to the throne of grace, confident our prayers will be heard and trusting that your ears are open to our prayer. We come again, pleading for you to intercede, pleading for you to send your angel armies, pleading for you to cause the citizen voters of this nation to rise up and vote for righteousness to be installed into political office and ungodly – especially demon-desired – ballot initiatives to be defeated.
We know it is not by might or power but by your Spirit that the mountains of iniquity and wickedness will be moved, so we pray you pour out Holy Spirit on your Church and your people so that a fresh wave of Jesus-followers is born. Grow that wave of godly, Spirit-led people so that the population of those who are in Christ Jesus vastly outnumber those who don’t care or who are living in conjunction with the enemy of our souls. Pour out your Spirit upon us, we pray, and cause a Third Great Awakening to be ushered in. We pray in the name of Jesus that you would thwart every attack of the enemy that seeks to corrupt the election process and that your Great Awakening would raise up your Church to vote for righteousness and against evil. AMEN and AMEN.
“It’s obvious to all; you will have nothing to do with corrupt rulers who pass laws that empower evil and defeat what is right.For they gang up against the lovers of righteousness and condemn the innocent to death. But I know that all their evil plans will boomerang back onto them. Every plot they hatch will simply seal their own doom. For you, my God, you will destroy them, giving them what they deserve. For you are my true tower of strength, my safe place, my hideout, and my true shelter.” (Psalm 94:20-23 TPT)
“It is repulsive [to God and man] for [governmental leaders] to behave wickedly, for a throne is established on righteousness (right standing with God).” (Proverbs 16:12 AMP, alt.)
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.” (Jeremiah 29:11-12 NIV)
““For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV)
“[All] are justified and made upright and in right standing with God, freely and gratuitously by His grace (His unmerited favor and mercy), through the redemption which is [provided] in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:24 AMPC)
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28 NIV)
“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” (Hebrews 4:16 NLT)
“For the power of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous.” (Psalm 37:17 NIV)
“He replied, ‘Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.’” (Matthew 17:20 NIV)
“Righteousness [moral and spiritual integrity and virtuous character] exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” (Proverbs 14:34 AMP)
“Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.” (Ephesians 6:13-18 MSG)
“The true children of God are those who let God’s Spirit lead them.” (Romans 8:14 ICB)
“So will My word be which goes out of My mouth; It will not return to Me void (useless, without result), Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11 AMP)
“This is the message from the Lord to [you]: ‘Your help will not come from your own strength and power. No, your help will come from my Spirit.’ This is what the Lord All-Powerful says. That tall mountain will be like a flat place for [you]. He will build the Temple, and when the most important stone is put in place, the people will shout, ‘Beautiful! Beautiful!’” (Zechariah 4:6-7 ERV)
“‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’says the Lord Almighty.” (Zechariah 4:6 NIV)
“The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high;
he will fill Zion with his justice and righteousness.
He will be the sure foundation for your times,
a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge;
the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.
For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver,
the Lord is our king; it is he who will save us.” (Isaiah 33:5, 6, 22 NIV)
“For God is not a God of disorder but of peace…” (1 Corinthians 14:33 NLT)
“The words of a king are like a message from God,
so his decisions should be fair.
The Lord wants honest balances and scales;
all the weights are his work.
Kings hate those who do wrong,
because governments only continue if they are fair.
Kings like honest people;
they value someone who speaks the truth.” (Proverbs 16:10-13 NCV)
“It’s obvious to all; you will have nothing to do with corrupt rulers who pass laws that empower evil and defeat what is right. For they gang up against the lovers of righteousness and condemn the innocent to death. But I know that all their evil plans will boomerang back onto them. Every plot they hatch will simply seal their own doom. For you, my God, you will destroy them, giving them what they deserve. For you are my true tower of strength, my safe place, my hideout, and my true shelter.” (Psalm 94:20-23 TPT)