THE LORD IS CALLING HIS PEOPLE TO PRAY FERVENTLY FOR THE NATION
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OUTLINE
1. PRAY FOR OUR NATION AND FOR THOSE IN AUTHORITY SO THAT WE CAN LIVE IN PEACE
2. PRAY FOR THE PLANS AND THE PURPOSES OF GOD TO BE FULFILLED IN OUR NATION
3. PRAY FOR LEADERS WITH WISDOM AND INTEGRITY TO LEAD OUR NATION
4. PRAY UNTIL THE BLESSINGS OF GOD ARE POURED OUT ON OUR NATION
5. PRAY AS AN INTERCESSOR STANDING IN THE GAP TO PREVENT THE JUDGEMENT OF GOD ON OUR NATION
6. PRAY FOR DIVINE STRENGTH AND DISCERNMENT TO LIVE IN THESE EVIL DAYS
7. PRAY WITH DIVINE AUTHORITY TO BIND THE PLANS OF THE ENEMY AND RELEASE THE PURPOSES OF GOD
THE MESSAGE
THE LORD IS CALLING HIS PEOPLE TO PRAY FERVENTLY FOR THE NATION
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1. PRAY FOR OUR NATION AND FOR THOSE IN AUTHORITY SO THAT WE CAN LIVE IN PEACE
The Lord wants us to pray fervently for the nation and for those in authority. We are living in challenging times when the nations are in perplexity. We must pray for the rulers that they would lead the nations with wisdom and justice so that we can live in peace and godliness. The Lord is calling for His people to humble themselves and seek His face and turn from their wicked ways so that He could bless their nation. Our humility and repentance will bring great blessings to our nation. The prayers of the righteous are very powerful and can accomplish marvelous things. Like Elijah we must pray fervently for our nation in this hour of need.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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I Timothy 2:1-5
"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.
For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, "
II Chronicles 7:13-14
"When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people,
if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
James 5:16-18
"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.
Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. "
2. PRAY FOR THE PLANS AND THE PURPOSES OF GOD TO BE FULFILLED IN OUR NATION
The Lord will respond to the cry of His people and intervene in the affairs of our nation. He will turn the hearts of the rulers according to His will. We must pray for the plans and the purposes of God to be fulfilled on the earth. We are facing a spiritual warfare with evil spirits and we must put on the whole armour of God and pray fervently for all the evil plans of the devil against our nation to be defeated. We serve a mighty God who can dethrone even the most powerful ruler on earth and raise up leaders according to His will. Therefore we must cry unto the Most High God with complete faith and confidence in His power to enforce His will in our nation and fulfill His will and His purpose.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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Matthew 6:9-10
"This, then, is how you should pray: " ’Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Luke 2:14
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
Proverbs 21:1
The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.
Ephesians 6:10-18
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Daniel 4:17, 34-37
" ’The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of men.’
At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation.
All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: "What have you done?"
At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before.
Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.
3. PRAY FOR LEADERS WITH WISDOM AND INTEGRITY TO LEAD OUR NATION
The Lord wants to grant us rulers who would lead us with integrity and skillfulness. We must cry out to Him to remove corrupt and unrighteous and inefficient rulers and install leaders who would lead our nation according to the plan and the purpose of God. We need rulers like Daniel and Joseph and David and Solomon who are filled with divine wisdom and understanding to take decisions that are in the best interest of our nation. We must pray that God should grant us rulers who truly care for the welfare of the people and wholeheartedly serve the people .
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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Acts 13:22
After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: ’I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’
Psalm 78:70-72
He chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens;
from tending the sheep he brought him to be the shepherd of his people Jacob, of Israel his inheritance.
And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.
Daniel 6:3-4
Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.
At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent.
Genesis 41:38-40
So Pharaoh asked them, "Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God ?"
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you.
You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you."
Esther 10:3
Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Xerxes, preeminent among the Jews, and held in high esteem by his many fellow Jews, because he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews.
1 Kings 10:1-9
When the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and his relation to the name of the LORD, she came to test him with hard questions.
Arriving at Jerusalem with a very great caravan—with camels carrying spices, large quantities of gold, and precious stones—she came to Solomon and talked with him about all that she had on her mind.
Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too hard for the king to explain to her.
When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built,
the food on his table, the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he made at the temple of the LORD, she was overwhelmed.
She said to the king, "The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true.
But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I heard.
How happy your men must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom!
Praise be to the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the LORD’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king, to maintain justice and righteousness."
Proverbs 20:8,26
" When a king sits on his throne to judge,he winnows out all evil with his eyes.
A wise king winnows out the wicked;he drives the threshing wheel over them. "
Proverbs 29:2,4,14
" When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.
By justice a king gives a country stability, but one who is greedy for bribes tears it down.
If a king judges the poor with fairness, his throne will always be secure. "
4. PRAY UNTIL THE BLESSINGS OF GOD ARE POURED OUT ON OUR NATION
The Lord is calling upon His people to cry out to Him to fulfill His promises . We must be people who are determined and persistent in prayer until the plans and purposes of God are fulfilled in our nation. The Lord has promised to bless and prosper His people . But we must persist in prayer until His promises are fulfilled in our nation. Our fervent prayers will cause all the desperate plans of the enemy to crumble and fall apart. If we remain silent and indifferent in this time of crisis then we will open the door for the enemies of the Gospel to take control of our nation and unleash intense suffering on the people of God and enact laws that can seriously affect our freedom to serve the Lord and to proclaim the Gospel. Like Queen Esther we must rise to the occasion and fulfill our part in the deliverance of the people of God.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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Isaiah 62:6-7
I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest,
and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.
LUKE 18:1-8
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.
He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men.
And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ’Grant me justice against my adversary.’
"For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ’Even though I don’t fear God or care about men,
yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!’ "
And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says.
And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?
I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"
Ezekiel 36:22-38
"Therefore say to the house of Israel, ’This is what the Sovereign LORD says: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone.
I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Sovereign LORD, when I show myself holy through you before their eyes.
" ’For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land.
I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols.
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
You will live in the land I gave your forefathers; you will be my people, and I will be your God.
I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain and make it plentiful and will not bring famine upon you.
I will increase the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field, so that you will no longer suffer disgrace among the nations because of famine.
Then you will remember your evil ways and wicked deeds, and you will loathe yourselves for your sins and detestable practices.
I want you to know that I am not doing this for your sake, declares the Sovereign LORD. Be ashamed and disgraced for your conduct, O house of Israel!
" ’This is what the Sovereign LORD says: On the day I cleanse you from all your sins, I will resettle your towns, and the ruins will be rebuilt.
The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass through it.
They will say, "This land that was laid waste has become like the garden of Eden; the cities that were lying in ruins, desolate and destroyed, are now fortified and inhabited."
Then the nations around you that remain will know that I the LORD have rebuilt what was destroyed and have replanted what was desolate. I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it.’
"This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Once again I will yield to the plea of the house of Israel and do this for them: I will make their people as numerous as sheep,
as numerous as the flocks for offerings at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts. So will the ruined cities be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the LORD."
Esther 4:12-14
"When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai,
he sent back this answer: "Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape.
For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?"
5. PRAY AS AN INTERCESSOR STANDING IN THE GAP TO PREVENT THE JUDGEMENT OF GOD ON OUR NATION
The Lord is calling for intercessors who will stand in the gap for their nation. The sins and iniquities and the violence and the injustice in our nation will bring down the wrath and the judgement of God. Only the fervent prayers of the intercessors who stand in the gap for their nation will prevent the wrath of God from being poured out. Our prayers and supplication will cause the Lord to turn away His fierce wrath and be merciful to our nation and our people. Like Abraham we must be intercessors who plead with God to show His loving kindness and tender mercies to our nation .The Lord would hear our cry and spare our nation.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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Ezekiel 22:23-31
" Again the word of the LORD came to me:
"Son of man, say to the land, ’You are a land that has had no rain or showers in the day of wrath.’
There is a conspiracy of her princes within her like a roaring lion tearing its prey; they devour people, take treasures and precious things and make many widows within her.
Her priests do violence to my law and profane my holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common; they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean; and they shut their eyes to the keeping of my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.
Her officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey; they shed blood and kill people to make unjust gain.
Her prophets whitewash these deeds for them by false visions and lying divinations. They say, ’This is what the Sovereign LORD says’-when the LORD has not spoken.
The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the alien, denying them justice.
"I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none.
So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger, bringing down on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign LORD."
Isaiah 59:12-18
"For our offenses are many in your sight,and our sins testify against us.Our offenses are ever with us,and we acknowledge our iniquities:
rebellion and treachery against the LORD,turning our backs on our God,fomenting oppression and revolt,uttering lies our hearts have conceived.
So justice is driven back,and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets,honesty cannot enter.
Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.The LORD looked and was displeased that there was no justice.
He saw that there was no one,he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm worked salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him.
He put on righteousness as his breastplate,and the helmet of salvation on his head;he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.
According to what they have done,so will he repay wrath to his enemies and retribution to his foes; he will repay the islands their due. "
Genesis 18:20-33
"Then the LORD said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous
that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know."
The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD.
Then Abraham approached him and said: "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?
What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it?
Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?"
The LORD said, "If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake."
Then Abraham spoke up again: "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes,
what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city because of five people?" "If I find forty-five there," he said, "I will not destroy it."
Once again he spoke to him, "What if only forty are found there?" He said, "For the sake of forty, I will not do it."
Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?" He answered, "I will not do it if I find thirty there."
Abraham said, "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?" He said, "For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it."
Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?" He answered, "For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it."
When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home. "
6. PRAY FOR DIVINE STRENGTH AND DISCERNMENT TO LIVE IN THESE EVIL DAYS
The Lord is calling to be vigilant and realise the evil times in which we are living. The Lord has warned us that in the last days, people will be extremely evil and cruel and desperately wicked. There will be an increase of false doctrines and teachings which will turn people away from true worship. There will also be increase of natural calamities and wars and perplexities and intense sufferings which will cause great fears and anxieties in the hearts of people. Therefore we must be walk in close fellowship with God and be filled with divine strength to face these challenging times.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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II Timothy 3:1-5
"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.
People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,
treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—
having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. "
I Timothy 4:1-5
" The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.
Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.
They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth.
For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,
because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. "
II Timothy 4:3-4
"For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. "
Matthew 24:3-8
"As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"
Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you.
For many will come in my name, claiming, ’I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.
You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.
Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
All these are the beginning of birth pains. "
Luke 21:9-11, 25-26 , 34-36
When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away."
Then he said to them: "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.
"There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.
Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.
"Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap.
For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth.
Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."
7. PRAY WITH DIVINE AUTHORITY TO BIND THE PLANS OF THE ENEMY AND RELEASE THE PURPOSES OF GOD
The Lord is calling to use the authority He has given us to bind all the works of the enemy and release the blessings of God over our nation . The devil is desperate and working feverishly in hearts of evil people to enforce his evil plans on our nation. Our prayers can nullify the plans of the enemy. The Lord is calling us to come boldly to the throne of Grace to obtain all the help we need in this critical hour. We can confidently ask the Lord concerning the future of His children and to bless our nation with a glorious destiny.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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Matthew 16:18-19
And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
Hebrews 4:16
Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Isaiah 45:11
Thus says the LORD, The Holy One of Israel, and his Maker: " Ask Me of things to come concerning My sons; And concerning the work of My hands, you command Me.
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