Power is heady. That said, the Baltimore situation is only one of the many we have experienced over the years. Prayer is not just needed for those who react to injustice, but those who hold the power. We need to pray for the powers that be. Scripture tells us to pray for all men: 1) “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2) for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.” (1 Timothy, 2:1-2, NLT)
I reiterate, believers are instructed to pray for all men. When Christians unite in prayer for those in leadership, things will change. Everyone in authority is not a believer but that does not mean God cannot or won’t change that person or deter his destructive behavior. The point is that when believers submit to the ultimate authority, God, things happen. Prayer cannot be just limited to those who react to injustice. Prayer for those in leadership is just as critical.
Look to the source. Division and destruction are tools of the enemy. When he keeps people in this state, he can run rampant. His goal is to steal, kill and destroy. When believers find themselves caught up in judging and reacting to what they physically see, check behind the scenes. Destructive behavior is just a physical manifestation of what is going on in a person’s heart. Hurt people hurt people and that includes those who react as well as those in authority. All of us need prayer. Remember: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 5:8, NLT). There was a saying years back that stated “the greatest thing the devil did was to convince people he did not exist.” Check that. As believers, we cannot forget to look behind the scenes. It is never just about the obvious.
Commitment to the tools believers have at their disposal such as prayer, faith and standing on the Word is essential to our lives and this journey we are on. Let us not respond immediately in judgment but fall to our knees and ask God to deliver. Sometimes there may be something God wants us to pray for specifically. “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12, NLT)
We don’t always know what we need to pray for but God does. Let us unite in prayer and lift our voices to God. What we see is never as obvious as it looks. Remember to check behind the scenes.
Sandra V.
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