1 Timothy 2:1-4 (NIV) “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth”
Psalm 33:10-12 (NIV) “The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance.”
Daniel 7:14 (NIV) “He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”
All authority comes from the Lord, and the blessing of the Lord rests on those in authority who recognize that. For those in positions of authority who are not part of God’s kingdom but who nevertheless honor God, there is a blessing for the people under their authority. In 1 Timothy Paul’s instruction to pray for leaders is for the purpose of creating an atmosphere of peace. However, when a nation goes against the purposes of God, sooner or later the Lord will bring judgment on that nation. This judgment is both a correction as well as God’s mercy. The goal is for the people of a nation to turn to the living God and place their trust in Him, and God’s judgments can be the means for bringing that about. Ultimately, the Lord Jesus will regain all of his glory and every person from every nation will worship Him.
As we pray for our nation, the United States of America, we must pray for a return to the truth for our leaders. At the founding of our country there were those who, although they were not born again believers in Christ, honored the word of God and reverenced Him. Men like John Adams and Thomas Jefferson did not trust Jesus Christ for salvation, yet they did hold on to the truth that God was their Creator. We are far removed from this reality today. We must pray for a revelation of this truth in addition to the truth that Jesus Christ is the only way for salvation for our local, state and national leaders. We must begin to pray for a Nebuchanezzer-style revelation of the dominion and authority and power of Jesus Christ. We need to call on the Lord for our nation to return in repentance and humility and recognition that the blessings of our nation come from God alone.
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