1 Tim 2:1I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth
We are to pray for those in authority so that we may live quiet and peaceful lives. If we are not doing this, then we are partially to blame for some of the nonsense that goes on in the political world.
There are many in this world who tell us it is our duty to vote, and voting is the way to change what goes on in politics. This writer would say that is faithless. It is a spiritually bankrupt statement. How so?
What does the Word say?
| Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. |
So let me ask you, did Jesus ever vote? No. Did Jesus 'get involved' with roman politics to change the world for the better? No. The answers to these questions are a definitive no, not a "no, but.." Men who think like this world speak from the viewpoint of this world and tell you to get involved in its politics:
| They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. |
Let me ask you a revealing question, who do you think would change the world more for the better:
1. The man who always voted and never prayed?
or
2. The man who always prayed and never voted?
No, I don't want to hear this rubbish about praying and voting because Jesus did not vote, period.
In fact to put a nail in this coffin we also look to this:
John 18:36 Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place."
Our kingdom is not of this world. How much more clear does the Lord have to say it? We have the Lord's instruction on these matters but as in many other things men want to take things into their own hands. I can tell you with 100% rock solid certainty that the man (or woman :) who prays will impact the world far and away greater than the person who votes. It comes down to a question of what we really truly believe our prayers accomplish. Do we really believe our faith can move mountains? Do we really believe the Lord still answers prayer? When the Lord returns will He really find faith on earth?
| ... Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth? |
Faith filled prayer moves mountains, that is the clear instruction in the Bible and that is the testimony of this nobody who writes to you today. What we believe matters. How much faith we have (or dont have) matters because it impacts the results we get from our prayers.
| ... Have faith that you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." |
This brother would encourage you to pray today with whatever faith you have in you. If you lack faith ask the Lord for more. We are in this world but we are not of it. We are aliens and strangers here
| ... Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. |
So let us pray with faith as strangers in this world who look forward to a kingdom that is not of this world. Let us pray so we may live quiet and peaceful lives.
grace and peace
