Pray Network Forum

He’s Not Thwarted By Our Politics

He merely changes his tactic.

Stop, and consider this for a moment.

Where are you on the photo above?

When you consider politics, are you:

• SAD
• MAD
• HAPPY

Where are you?

Maybe a better question is, “Why Are You?”

You see, this is my concern in the church. I expect the world to act like the world, and so should you. But the church is what concerns me?

What Is Going On In The Church

It’s diabolitical (Sorry, Freudian slip) It’s diabolical.

But, do you see it?

Regardless of the side of the aisle we prefer, we are all plagued with THE SAME DECEPTION, namely, the priority our political goals play in our life.

NOTE: We think that if we get more people who think like us in positions of power then we will live peaceful and quiet lives (1 Timothy 2:2m).

Have you ever considered that the promise of that verse is NOT THAT GOD gives us peace and tranquility by giving us the right leaders, but He gives you the peace and tranquility BECAUSE YOU’VE PRAYED, regardless of whether or not your circumstances change!

But, that’s a message for later.

Getting Back To Our Deception

The deception in our politics is our focus.

I have a few friends that work in various positions in Washington D.C. One of them recently shared with me, “The only thing that will fix Washington D.C., is Jesus.”

Before you say, “Yah, yah, Mark, of course.” I want you to consider what winds you up more:

• The political news you see on T.V., or
• Your heart hurting for the unsaved in D.C.?

Depending on your answer, you  might want to stop for just a moment and ask the Lord for forgiveness. Or, you may not want to, but you should.

You see, that’s the problem isn’t it? We’re more wrapped up in what we want, than what God wants.

The Fallout From This Deception

Getting what we want does not thwart sataN.

Do you really believe that sataN packs his bags and runs away when more and more of your political party enters the city limits of Washington D.C.?

NOTE: I’m not speaking out of the other side of my mouth when I say that, if you are in politics, you are to work as if you are working unto the Lord and not man. Meaning, do what you do with excellence.

The evil one will not cease until Jesus throws him into the pit.

So what does sataN do now, if he doesn’t pack his bags and leave, when your guy/gal wins?

Simple

He changes tactics.

And we in the church are missing this. When we “win” at the ballot box, we think we’ve won in the spiritual realm.

Friends, to use a line from a completely different context, when we think this way, “We above all men are to be most pitied.” (1 Corinthians 15:19)

So, be on guard, for the evil one roams around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. (1 Peter 5:8)

And be aware that he may fool you, when he comes to you as an angel of light. (2 Corinthians 11:14)

Whatever else he does, expect him to return to you at an opportune time. (Luke 4:13)

Then What Should We Do

Simple: Follow Scripture.

Instead of telling God what you want, let His Word tell you what He wants.

We like to abide in His Son and in His Word so that we can ask whatever we want and get it, right?

STOP! That’s not what John 15:7 says!

NOTE: It really says, “If you abide in Me (Jesus) and [YOU LET] MY WORDS ABIDE IN YOU,  then you will ask whatever you will and it will be given unto you.”

Do you see the focus? The focus is His Word/s abiding in you. The reason you will get what you pray for is because you will be asking for Christ’s will, Christ’s words, because YOUR words will change to match His words.

Do You Believe The Bible

THEN DON’T READ Romans 13:1.

Why do I say, “Don’t read it?” Because you will be faced with an indisputable fact that the guy leading us in Washington D.C. is who God put there, and who God wants there.

And there’s another indisputable fact that you’ll be stuck with:

THE PASSAGE WAS TRUE THE PREVIOUS 8 YEARS ALSO.

So What

You may ask.

Here’s the “So-what.” Are you blaspheming God, by the way you are praying for the current leadership?

Or, did you blaspheme God by the way you prayed for the previous leadership?

How you answer that, will tell you why you are, whichever face you are, from above.

But more than that, I hope that you will hit your knees and ask for forgiveness, either for the way you pray, or the way you prayed.

Further, I hope you will pray for all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity, regardless of political results.

Blessings,

We so often see with earthly eyes and not spiritual, and need reminding that the recent Middle East turmoil surrounding Qatar is both geo-political and in the heavens. 

Due to the wealth of the nation, daily lives of residents and locals seem unchanged. The supermarket shelves have been refilled after an initial panic, water and electricity continue, and the minor inconveniences include finding flights that don't go through certain airports.  Locals are hanging Qatari flags on their homes; massive flags are everywhere.  Bumper stickers and t-shirts with the ruler's image and praise appeared overnight. Public rhetoric says, "We're so rich and nice we can outlast your siege and bickering".  The stickers say, with a handsome image, "God, our nation, our leader" and "You have the world, we have our leader".

However, in private, the ripples of uncertainty have begun to fan out.  Companies are finding that components are stuck at the border or in nearby ports, delaying or deferring activity.  In some sectors, there's talk of downsizing the workforce. Milk from Saudi Arabia has been replaced by Turkish. Vegetables have come in from Iran, subtly agitating the sea of political and religious alliances.  Egyptians who form the middle management are reluctant to leave for summer holidays in fear they won't be able to return.  Others are looking for jobs in "more stable" countries, talking of trying to emigrate, and even trying to claim asylum from here.  There is even mention, with tones of unlikeliness, of what happens if someone inadvertently throws the first stone.

Believers have not seen a new openness to talking about eternal realities with local friends. However, the increased conversation gives opportunity for the bold to state convictions that God rules in the heavens and on earth.  And there is always an open door to ask questions regarding the political situation - What's really behind this?  What do you think?  Where is your hope and trust?  From there, it is only a step to sharing where our own faith is grounded. Pray for the believers to have boldness and opportunity to bring in the harvest. 

For several years, M has continued a friendship with his former professor.  Recently at M's house, they talked about how Old Testament themes reappear in the New Testament, such as salvation through Moses and Joshua, being fulfilled in a spiritual sense through Jesus, etc. Pray that M will seek to verify the truth that is found in Jesus.

PTAP on the PrayerMate App

PTAP is now on the PrayerMate app which you can download for free on iOS or Android.  Check it out under the "World Mission" category.  Just another way to help us pray for the AP and many other regions of the world!   See here for more info:  http://praynow4.org/arabianpeninsula

Last week I started a new blog, Thinking in The Spirit, http://thinkinginthespirit.blogspot.com/. I began writing about the relief and refuge of repentance. Next week I will continue that theme. But this week, and every other week in the future, I want to return to Watching in Prayer.

This being an election year in America, I want to talk to you about praying your politics. What does this mean? How do you apply this dictum?

If you get serious about doing this, you will of course pray your thinking. Nearly all of us feel like what we believe our country needs is being threatened. And I believe you need to do that even if I do not agree with your politics.

But let me ask you if you are praying for your morals. How important are your morals to you? Are you tempted to focus more on the economy or your comfort, your own benefit above what God declares to be right or wrong?

Do your morals include compassion? Compassion is the most critical thing Jesus spoke of concerning judgment of the nations.

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

⁴⁴ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

⁴⁵ “He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

⁴⁶ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” 

Matthew 25:31-46

http://thinkinginthespirit.blogspot.com/

http://daveswatch.com/

http://watchinginprayer.blogspot.com/

1 Timothy 2:1,2 reads,

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.”

Are you submitted to this injunction? Have you been praying for your president?  Are you praying daily for your governor, your senator and congressmen?

This command includes those you do not agree with. It even includes those you believe are destroying our country. Paul was not only calling for prayer for pagan local potentates. He wanted the churches to pray for Tiberius Caesar!

Praying my politics also includes praying my ignorance. When we come to politics, we often assume knowledge that is beyond our purview. I am not saying we should vote anything but our convictions. But when we come to prayer we need to recognize that we do not understand all that God may be doing. He is capable of using the foolish to bring about His wisdom and the wicked to accomplish His purposes.

This may mean no more than admitting to God that I trust His sovereignty to allow, or even bring about, things I do not understand. It surely means asking God to show me what to pray for, and being open for Him to change my mind. 

I wrote last week that I am alarmed over the seriousness of our national disunity in America. But in that blog I pointed out that Jesus did not come to bring unity but a sword. Believers are called to certain convictions that we can never compromise and that the world may never accept. 

But I believe it is more important that I write to you about how to interface with a society that differs from us at such crucial points.

Some years ago I read about some of western people involved in the Chinese church's Back to Jerusalem Movement being amazed that they were not praying for the fall of the communist government. They were instead praying for God to work in it.

1 Peter 2:13-15 reads

"Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every Authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men."

Paul wrote something nearly identical in Romans 13. These men lived in a world where Christians were already being persecuted. Paul appealed to Caesar when he was arrested in Jerusalem. But he stood up to the authorities who wanted to quietly release him and Silas in Ephesus.

How does that speak to us today? Could King George have been as wicked as Nero who burned Christians alive on poles to light his garden parties? How do we know which to do in the circumstances that we face today?

We need to begin by saying we will have to struggle with the issues that we face. There are no simple answers to modern questions.

We will have to struggle with right and wrong. It will not always be simple or obvious.

And we will need to struggle over our witness and the glory of God. This will include decency, integrity, humility, and honesty.

And most importantly, we must struggle to discern the will of God.

I basically agree with Francis Schaefer's statement in The Christian Manifesto that a government that breeches its calling by God should be overthrown. But I believe he missed a point in his argument. That is the issue of God's timing. When God told Abraham he was going to give his descendants the land of Canaan, He said they had not filled up their sins. Four hundred years would pass before God said it was time.

I don't know where we are in America. But I know it is the will of God to pray for our country and for our leaders by name and by need. And I will struggle in prayer and God's word over the issues of politics and voting and our country.

http://daveswatch.com/

http://thinkinginthespirit.blogspot.com/

http://watchinginprayer.blogspot.com/

There are many organizations and sites devoted to praying for the United States.  One of the largest is the Presidential Prayer Team.  Founded in 2001, PPT is a source of prayer information and requests for all three branches of our government, plus a source of prayer for international events.  The PPT is chaired by Franklin Graham, CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

Father, please be in control of the elections across our country tomorrow.  Stand with those who are going to vote, and protect them from any danger, discrimination, or harassment.  Keep our polling places and vote counts honest and accurate.  Protect this wonderful process from all evil and from any attempts to thwart your will.

Where we have men and women leading us in righteousness, integrity, and servanthood, please grant them continuation in office.  Where this is a need, please raise up new leaders who will lead from servant's hearts, who will seek your wisdom, and who will stand up with courage for what is right.

Purge our system of any pockets of greed, immorality, and corruption.  Replace these with compassion for those in need, wisdom to make good decisions, and discernment regarding direction and the future of our country, from the national level to the local level.  Raise up leaders who will cooperate together across party lines for the good of those whom they serve.

May your Church find favor in your sight and may your people find favor in all the ways in which they participate in our electoral process.  Make of your church a prophetic yet compassionate voice, a light that points the way to you.  

In all of this, Lord God, we acknowledge that politics does not hold the ultimate answer.  We rejoice that you are in charge and that you are powerful and sovereign to bring your will about - either through or in spite of the efforts of people.  We look not to our leaders but to you for our hope and our future.  At the same time, we rejoice when men and women of integrity and righteousness are raised up to leadership, so we ask you to do that - for the sake of your people, for the sake of our country, and ultimately for the sake of your own great Name.

In Jesus' Name,

Amen.

We live in dangerous, deceptive times, when it has never been more important to be like the sons of Issachar, “who understood the times” and knew what God’s people should do (1 Chronicles 12:32). In recent decades, many Christians have been hoodwinked by smooth-talking, emotion-stirring politicians and philosophies. Too often, we’ve allowed feel-good rhetoric, Santa Claus handouts, or demonization of opponents to twist reality and sway us from biblical values.

I’m old enough to remember the old “To Tell the Truth” TV program, where three mystery guests claimed to be a certain person, and the four celebrity panelists had to guess which one of them was telling the truth about their identity. Each segment of the program culminated with the host saying, “Only one of these is the real ______, and the others are imposters. Will the real _____ please stand up!”

Matthew 27 tells a story remarkably similar to an episode of “To Tell the Truth.” Two men stood before the Roman governor (Pontius Pilate) and a large crowd of people. Both of these men were revolutionaries, but they advocated two very different kinds of revolution. Both were radical in their approach, but in completely different ways.

Pilate made it clear that only one of these men could be chosen: “Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” (v. 17) The people had to carefully evaluate the claims of these two revolutionaries before making their all-important decision.

According to many early manuscripts, the full name of the first man was Jesus Barabbas. Jesus meant “savior,” and Barabbas meant “son of the father” (Bar = Son, Abbas = Father). This man was widely known as an insurrectionist who had participated in a recent uprising against the Roman authorities (Mark 15:7).

The message of Barabbas was clear: “You all could have a great life if it weren’t for the Romans. They’ve victimized and oppressed you, making it impossible to be happy and productive. Let me come to your aid and get rid of the ‘bad guys’ who’ve ripped you off and done you wrong.”

And, no doubt, there was a grain of truth in Barabbas’ case, just as there have always been elements of truth in the manipulative arguments of political demagogues throughout the centuries. However, the cure he promised didn’t address the more fundamental cause of people’s misery.

Standing next to Barabbas that day was a very different kind of revolutionary, though there were some intriguing parallels between the men. This radical young leader from Nazareth was also named Jesus, and his followers considered him the Savior. And just as the name Barabbas meant “son of the father,” this other Jesus was known by many as the son of Father God. Ultimately he was referred to as Jesus the Christ, or Messiah.

Jesus had some fair-weather followers who probably weren’t much different from the followers of Barabbas. They saw his miracles and hoped he would liberate them from Roman oppression and restore the independent Jewish nation. Mostly likely, this was their misguided motivation in shouting “Hosanna” (save now!) when he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey a few days earlier.  

However, the message of this Jesus was much different than Jesus Barabbas. Instead of promising political solutions—salvation from the outside—he told his followers they must repent and receive God’s kingdom on the inside. Rather than allowing his disciples to pity themselves and feel like victims, he challenged them to take the “logs” out of their own eyes and deal with any sin or selfishness that was preventing them from receiving true freedom and abundance.

The unfolding scene in Matthew 27 was almost unbelievable. Which “Jesus”—which savior—would the people choose: Jesus Barabbas or Jesus Christ? Would they opt for a political solution that let them off the hook in dealing with their own sinfulness and disobedience? Or would they embrace Jesus’ promise of a new heart and a transformed life?

You see, two different gospels were presented by these two men. Both claimed to offer “good news” to those who would follow their pathway. Barabbas promised a better life once the Romans were defeated, while Jesus promised new life in a spiritual kingdom that transcended politics and earthly kingdoms.

To Pilate’s shock, the people overwhelmingly voted for Barabbas and were content to send Jesus to crucifixion. How could this be? Were they simply deceived, lured by Barabbas’ promise of sweet revenge against their oppressors? Were they paid off by the jealous religious leaders, who saw Jesus as a threat to their grip on people’s lives? Or was the problem that most of Jesus’ fans and followers simply failed to show up—or speak up—on that fateful day?

Today America faces an eerily similar moment of decision. As in the days of Barabbas and Jesus, we face enormous economic and social challenges, causing many people to feel desperate for relief. If we are seduced by the promises of Barabbas, we will seek political saviors and opt for government solutions to our woes. We will listen to the alluring siren call of those who stoke the flames of victimhood and demonize opponents with a “divide and conquer” strategy.

In contrast, the pathway prescribed by Jesus seems much more costly and difficult. It beckons us to lay down our lives and trust God to meet our needs. Instead of permitting us to play the blame game, it points us to the ancient remedy prescribed in 2 Chronicles 7:14: We must humble ourselves, pray, seek God’s face, and turn from our own wicked ways. Then, and only then, does the Lord promise to forgive our national sins and heal our land.

It’s time to repent of any tendency to cast our nation’s leaders in the role of our savior or source. There’s only ONE true Savior and Source, and those who put their hope in Him will not be disappointed (Romans 10:11). Every human substitute is just an imposter and counterfeit, shifting sand that will ultimately replace our soaring hopes with deep disappointment.

I have a confession to make. I've voted in maybe about 15 national elections over the years, and I can't remember a time when I asked God which candidate should get my vote. To be honest, my prayers for elections tend to be more about me informing God who I've decided the right candidate is and asking him to get that person elected. Seems a bit backward, doesn't it?

I've participated in prayer groups in the past that focus on praying for our country and have come to realize that my reliance on my own human "wisdom" is not unique. It's difficult for a church to pray in a unified spirit when we're all bringing our own wisdom to prayer rather than seeking God for his wisdom. If I'm praying for candidate A and the next person is praying for candidate B, there's no unity there.

What would happen if we instead focused our prayers on asking God to raise up leaders after his own heart - leaders with servant hearts, leaders who will be concerned more about the well-being of the people they lead than about their own gain, leaders of compassion, wisdom, and courage. What if the church united to pray for God to raise up righteous men and women to lead our country? What if we were able to put aside our own agendas in favor of seeking God's wisdom?

I'm going to try something different this year - asking God to guide me regarding how to vote, and asking him to appoint people of his choosing to office. Will you join me?

Alright, here’s my thought. My thoughts are limited to us as Christians, not the political issues.

See where I have highlighted below (the portion that says “should strike fear”).

WE ARE CHRISTIANS!!! We should not have fear over anything!

And the verse quoted, 2 Chronicles 7:14 has nothing to do

with the non-Christian world. What the verse is saying is that us,

the ones that are praying, we have the sin in our life!

We, the ones who are praying need to come to
the Lord and ask for forgiveness.

God is in control and I for one am excited about seeing what He plans to do. Quit this idea of fear!

Also, below is a small portion of the entire email that was sent to me.

The direction
this
country is headed
should strike fear in the
heart of every Christian.
Especially
knowing that the
Muslim
religion believes that if Christians cannot be
converted
they should be
annihilated

Remember, I am NOT stating a position for or against any political party, politician, religion, etc. I do NOT believe that this is the forum for that and would ask any of you that respond to keep your comments relative to how we are to pray. I realize that we may get a bit close to a line every now and then as we dialogue on this subject, and that's okay. But I ask you, please do not express your political opinions, rather, keep your opinions to how we as pray-ers should pray based on what scripture says.

As men and women who pray, this should give us a great opportunity to encourage believers that get wrapped up in praying "their own ideas" rather than what scripture says...but that is another blog and for another day.

Here's the bottom line friends. We do not have to fear.