Interceding for Our Nation
//Kenneth E. Hagin
“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” —1 Timothy 2:1–2
We are instructed to pray “for kings, and for all that are in authority.” Have you ever wondered why God would want us to pray for kings? When studying
history, we very seldom find a king who was saved. Someone may ask, “Do you mean God would bless those leaders even though they weren’t Christians?”
Emphatically, yes! When we pray for those in aut hority, we are promised “a quiet and peaceable life.”
The passage from First Timothy continues:
1 TIMOTHY 2:3–4
3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. This is the ultimate reason God wants us to pray for the leaders of the nation we live in. God wants all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
As Christians, we should be concerned about our nation, but we shouldn’t put politics before Christ. We should be interested, and we should vote and do all we can to have good government. But the main thing we should do is pray.
Some people say that Christians shouldn’t be involved in politics. Well, let’s not let the devil take over everything! We’re just not to put politics first to the point
that we neglect Christ and the Church.
It’s so easy to criticize, but the Bible never tells us to do that. I’ve found that it’s hard to criticize someone you’re praying for.
And the same is true when we’re praying for our government leaders. Christians have the authority, power, and know-how to turn things around in government if we’ll take advantage of it. But we’ll not change things by criticizing; we’ll change them by getting on our knees and interceding.
Prayer PointsMake it a point this year to pray for those in authority in our nation. Pray for these people and events: » President |
One example of intercessory prayer in the Bible is found in Genesis 18:20–32. This passage of scripture records the story of how God wanted to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because their sin was so great. But Abraham kept interceding for the cities until God said, “I will not destroy it for ten’s sake” (v. 32
What a tremendous statement! God said He would spare those wicked cities for the sake of 10 righteous people! Sodom and Gomorrah were so sexually impure that their sin gave us the term “sodomy.” (See Gen. 19:1–11.) Yet because Abraham interceded on their behalf, God said He would spare those cities if He found in them 10 righteous men.
If God was willing to spare Sodom and Gomorrah because a righteous man interceded, will He not honor our petitions when we intercede for our cities and nations? I believe there are more than 10 righteous men in America today, don’t you? I believe there are people who will take their place in intercession
just as Abraham did. As we do, the will of God will be consummated, we will lead quiet and peaceable lives, and the Gospel will go to the ends of the earth.