I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.
1 Timothy 2:1-2 (NLT)
Recently, it was laid upon me to pray for the leaders of our nation — not just politicians and policy-makers, but also those influencing our culture. I’m talking about those leaders in the music, film, and sports industry. I’m talking about influencers and trendsetters, the ones with blue checkmarks atop their Instagram handles. These people are shaping our culture just as much, if not more, than politicians, and we should be covering them in prayer, too. What if God used these people to shift our culture? What if he used these people to bring revival? These people influence change and decisions of consumers and followers every day, so it’s not crazy to think they could influence them spiritually, too.
Regarding political issues, I will generally stay quiet because we have a tendency to react from what we read or hear from the media, and surely we must understand that everything that comes from the media is not 100 percent true? Every twist, untruth, or gray word spoken, can have huge implications with the general public regarding how we think and feel about those leaders. Therefore, unless I hear directly from the source itself, I hold what is shared through media very lightly.
Scripture, as we read in the Book of Timothy, shows that we should pray for those in leadership, and trust that they will turn to God in their hour of need to direct their ”sphere.” Yet, regardless of what we think we know, these people have an unthinkable task of making decisions that quite often will change the course of History – even with opposition at every turn.
My prayer is that every leader of the world will be a born-again Christian who is walking with the Holy Spirit, but even when that doesn’t occur, we seem to forget who has ultimate control. We panic that the world is doomed, and yet, humanity has tried to destroy itself since Adam and Eve.
Folks, our faith needs to be a drastic contrast to what the world says we should fear. Faith in God is what keeps us from losing hope, and ultimately helps us to let go of fear. As we read in Psalms 11, David’s advisers were afraid because they saw things with their natural eyes, yet David was comforted and excited for the future because he knew that God was greater than anything this world could do against him. No matter what is happening in the world now, the Bible tells us more is to come, and therefore, we need to be walking with God to understand that the Heavenly rule is the One that ultimately prevails for eternity.
“The foundations of law and order have collapsed. What can the righteous do? But the Lord is in His holy Temple; the Lord still rules from heaven. He watches everyone closely, examining every person on earth.”
Psalm 11:3-4 (NLT)
So while it is important to be praying for those in Washington, DC, let’s also lift up the ones who have been given a platform larger than we have. May they be receptive to the Holy Spirit and allow God to use them in culture-shifting ways. And while we are on our knees, let’s also pray for the Christians with large followings- because they have a big influence too, and the enemy doesn’t like it. Satan wants to bring them down, to make them question their faith, to distract them from their kingdom mission. But God! God can use these people and their trials to influence the world, too. So let’s pray for revival, for the influencers, for His Kingdom to come on earth as it is in Heaven.
Blazer_ Brooks Brothers
Turtleneck_ Gap
Pants_ Paul Stuart
Shoes_ Aldo
