PLUS

I Corinthians 12:26 “And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

As I make observations during my first month in Washington DC and before I begin a series of posts related to the upcoming election, one thought has struck me about the state of Christianity in our world today.  We are under attack.  Whether it is across the globe or around the block, the name of our Saviour is increasingly unwelcome.

In 1948 the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).  With wording that brings to mind the Free Exercise Clause of our Constitution’s Bill of Rights, Article 18 of the UDHR states:

“Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.”

In practice, however, these rights are far from universal; they are at risk even in the United States.  In over 40 countries, Christians are actively persecuted by their governments.  While Christians in Syria and Iraq are currently in the news, over 100 million fellow believers worldwide face regular and severe opposition because of their faith in Christ.  While we are rightfully concerned about the increasing intolerance of Christianity in our country, these brothers and sisters in Christ are truly suffering and deserve our prayers.

PLEASE PRAY FOR OTHER CHRISTIANS AROUND THE WORLD, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE SUFFERING FOR THEIR FAITH.  Through our prayerful support, we should suffer alongside them.  We should also urge our government to support them via the universal declaration that is so frequently ignored, while not forgetting to abide by such rights at home.

I Timothy 5:17-18 “Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.  For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn.  And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.”

As America needs pastors who preach sound doctrine with longsuffering, we must encourage them to continue doing so.  They should be encouraged by our words of support, our generosity, and our faithfulness.  They should be encouraged by our attendance and our notes of appreciation.  They should be encouraged by our faithful prayers.

We should pray for their faithfulness.  We should pray for their wisdom.  We should pray for their longevity.  We should pray for their well-being.  We should pray for their families.  We should pray for their passion.  We should pray for their leadership.  We should pray for their doctrine.  We should pray for their determination to overcome challenges.

Faithful pastors are worthy of our double honour as they labour in the Word and in doctrine.  PLEASE PRAY THAT AMERICAN CHRISTIANS WOULD ENCOURAGE FAITHFUL PASTORS AS THEY PREACH THE WORD TO A NEEDY NATION.  If we are to have hope that national transformation will start from the pulpits of our church houses, then we need those pulpits filled with men who are as encouraged as they are determined to make an impact for Christ.

II Timothy 4:2 “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”

As I end the series of PLUS posts about praying for our secular leaders, I cannot leave this topic without a few posts on praying for our spiritual leaders as well.  After all, our pastors have a significant impact on our individual spiritual lives as they embrace a Biblical mix of truth and grace.  As they do, they have a significant impact on our nation.

America needs pastors who will stick to Biblical doctrine while resisting the temptation to conform to culture.  America needs pastors who will preach with passion while resisting the temptation to tone down their rhetoric.  America needs pastors with unwavering Biblical conviction while resisting the temptation to accept prevailing cultural convictions.  America needs pastors who will reprove and rebuke while resisting the temptation to avoid offending those who need correction.  America needs pastors who will exhort towards Christlikeness while resisting the temptation to accept spiritual mediocrity.  America needs pastors who are longsuffering while resisting the temptation to acquiesce when times get tough.

PLEASE PRAY FOR AMERICA’S PASTORS AS THEY PREACH THE WORD TO A NEEDY NATION.  A transformation of our nation is more likely to start from the pulpits of our church houses than from the podiums of our state houses.  We need those pulpits to be red hot for Christ.

II Chronicles 32:25-26 “But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up; therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.  Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah.”

While our leaders have a significant impact on our lives, they also face substantial challenges and temptations based on their position in life.  These men and women are courted by parties who endlessly cater to their lusts and pride.  While the Lord has blessed them greatly to bring them to such positions, through the favor of others they are tempted to trust instead in their own self-sufficiency.

George Whitefield addressed this situation as well, as he continued on in the sermon referenced in the previous post:

“If we set before us the many dangers and difficulties, to which governors by their station are exposed, and the continual temptations they be under to luxury and self-indulgence; we shall not only pity, but pray for them; that he who preserved Esther, David, and Josiah, ‘unspotted from the world,’ amidst the grandeur of a court, and gave success to their designs, would also preserve them holy and unblameable, and prosper all the works of their hands upon them.”

The temptations of luxury and the grandeur of the court beacon our leaders toward self-indulgence.  PLEASE PRAY THAT AMERICAN LEADERS WOULD RESIST AND REPENT OF PRIDE FLOWING FROM THEIR POSITIONS.  If we are to prosper as a nation, we need leaders who would resist self-indulgence and instead rest upon the Savior.  We need leaders who would humble themselves for the pride of their hearts to stave off the impending wrath that we will all face if they don’t.

Zephaniah 3:1-3 “Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city!  She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the LORD; she drew not near to her God.  Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.”

Zephaniah 3:6 “I have cut off the nations: their towers are desolate; I made their streets waste, that none passeth by; their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, that there is none inhabitant.”

The next reason to pray for our leaders is a very practical one.  Our leaders have a significant impact on our lives and their conduct influences us in substantial and tangible ways.  The extremes of this leadership dipole are starkly contrasted in I Timothy 2 (see the All in Authority post from July 27^th) and in Zephaniah 3.  Through leadership, we can lead “quiet and peaceable” lives or we can have our streets made waste and our cities destroyed.   We can be characterized by “godliness and honesty” or we can be “filthy and polluted.”  God can consider us “good and acceptable” or He can extend to us the sorrowful salutation “Woe to her.”

In a sermon entitled “Intercession, Every Christian’s Duty” George Whitefield provided a wonderful and succinct summary of this line of thinking:

“Next to the praying for all men, we should, according to St. Paul’s rule, pray for Kings; particularly for our present sovereign King George, and all that are put in authority under him; that we may lead quiet lives, in all godliness and honesty.  For, if we consider how heavy the burden of government is, and how much the welfare of any people depends on the zeal and godly conversation of those that have the rule over them … we shall not only pity, but pray for them”

PLEASE PRAY FOR AMERICAN LEADERS TO BE FILLED WITH ZEAL AND GODLY CONVERSATION.  Our welfare depends upon it.