There is much clamor and expressing of all kinds of opinions concerning the coming election. I thought I would show some of what is going on behind the scenes and show how to pray and believe effectively that the will of God can prevail.
Spiritual Battle Requires Spiritual Weapons
There are spiritual forces in the heavenlies that control the world system with its thoughts, attitudes and ideas. This where the battle is. Heart-felt, effective, spirit-led prayer can tears down strongholds of evil spiritual powers and change things. It can release and free things so that men are enabled to hear and understand and receive the Gospel.
We need to tear down the strongholds in people’s minds and hearts through prayer. It takes spiritual weapons to tear down spiritual strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:3-5; Ephesians 6:10-18). Prayer in the Spirit is effective for this. So is prayer from the Spirit.
The Condition of Mankind
Ephesians 612 – The spiritual forces of darkness in the heavenlies control the present world (Zechariah 13:2 – I will removed the unclean spirit for the land).
Col 1:16 – There is a visible world and an invisible world (2 Kings 6:14-20).
Ephesians 2:2 – The course of the present age is according to the prince of the power of the air (Romans 12:2; 1 John 2:16).
1 John 5:19 – The whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
James 3:15 – The world system is controlled by demonic wisdom (1 Timothy 4:1 – But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons).
2 Corinthians 4:4 – Blinded by the god of this world. People are so blind in these days that they can’t think rationally or see things as they really are.
Mankind without God and influenced by the spiritual forces that rule in the heavenlies tend towards evil.
Genesis 6:5 – The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination and intention of all human thinking was only evil continually.
Psalms 14:1-4 – The [empty-headed] fool has said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable deeds; there is none that does good or right. The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any who understood, dealt wisely, and sought after God, inquiring for and of Him and requiring Him [of vital necessity]. They are all gone aside, they have all together become filthy; there is none that does good or right, no, not one. Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread and who do not call on the Lord?
Jesus came and redeemed us from this evil and regained our authority. Wherever the Gospel is in control, society is better and more civilized. Many are confused because they think God is in control of everything. But mankind has the authority in the earth and many things happen that God doesn’t approve of..
The earth belongs to god, but the world system is in control of the evil one. God is in control but He isn’t in charge. He gave the earth to mankind. He gave US the authority.
The Authority of Mankind
Genesis 1:28 – And God blessed them and said to them, Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it [using all its vast resources in the service of God and man]; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and over every living creature that moves upon the earth.
Genesis 9:1-2 – And God pronounced a blessing upon Noah and his sons and said to them, Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. And the fear of you and the dread and terror of you shall be upon every beast of the land, every bird of the air, all that creeps upon the ground, and upon all the fish of the sea; they are delivered into your hand.
Psalms 115:16 – The heavens are the Lord’s heavens, but the earth has He given to the children of men.
Psalms 8:3-6 – When I view and consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained and established, What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of [earthborn] man that You care for him? Yet You have made him but a little lower than God [or heavenly beings], and You have crowned him with glory and honor. You made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet:
Hebrews 2:7-8 – For some little time You have ranked him lower than and inferior to the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor and set him over the works of Your hands, For You have put everything in subjection under his feet. Now in putting everything in subjection to man, He left nothing outside [of man’s] control. But at present we do not yet see all things subjected to him [man].
Romans 8:19 – For [even the whole] creation (all nature) waits expectantly and longs earnestly for God’s sons to be made known [waits for the revealing, the disclosing of their sonship].
Matthew 28:18-20 – And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, all authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…
Matthew 16:18 – And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
Ephesians 1:21-23 – Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
Ephesians 2:5-6 – Even when we were dead (slain) by [our own] shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ; [He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him, for] it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation). And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together [giving us joint seating with Him] in the heavenly sphere [by virtue of our being] in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One).
Ephesians 6:10-13, 18-19 – Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. …With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,
Our Part in Prayer
Timothy 2:1-4 – First of all, then, I admonish and urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be offered on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in positions of authority or high responsibility, that [outwardly] we may pass a quiet and undisturbed life [and inwardly] a peaceable one in all godliness and reverence and seriousness in every way. For such [praying] is good and right, and [it is] pleasing and acceptable to God our Savior, Who wishes all men to be saved and [increasingly] to perceive and recognize and discern and know precisely and correctly the [divine] Truth.
Cause and Effect – Pray for all men and those in authority that WE may pass a quiet and undisturbed life in all godliness and reverence. This is good and right and pleasing and acceptable to God because He wishes all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.
There is a connection between our prayers for those in authority, how quiet and peaceable and free our society is, and in the free spread of the Gospel.
This also shows that what is happening in the world isn’t caused by God, but it is connected to our prayer.
If we don’t pray and evil happens, it isn’t the will or the direct judgment of God. It is because of our lack of correct prayer. And we aren’t working God in the spread of the Gospel as we are designed and empowered to do; it hinders Him. And this is our main directive as the Body of Christ. The is the main focus of the age in which we are living.
So I should at all times pray for leadership with the expectation that we might pass a quest and undisturbed life, peaceable in all godliness and reverence. This will produce a society that enables the free flow of the Gospel.
In conclusion, take your place in prayer and in authority and pray for leaders and all mankind to enable God to complete His work on earth which is that men may be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.
