Pray for Authorities
The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will. -Proverbs 21:1
Sometimes the people that you’d never think of doing right turn out to be on your side.
Just ask Ezra:
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. -Ezra 1:1-2
After a captivity of seventy years, the Israelites’ regathering came from a very unexpected place: a heathen king named Cyrus.
As the verse at the top of the page says, the king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, and He is capable of turning it wherever He pleases.
In this case, it was God’s will for His people to rebuild His house, and so He gave them help from an unexpected source.
Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put them in the house of his gods; -Ezra 1:7
All of the vessels of gold and silver that a previous heathen king (Nebuchadnezzar) had taken from the temple were restored onto the people. And this came some 70 years after their initial plundering!
Seeing that God can stir up in the hearts of even the most powerful men in the world on behalf of His own people, so we ought to recognize that God is able to work today in the very same way.
The heart of the king (or the president, or the prime minister, etc.) is in the hand of the Lord, and He is able to turn it wherever He pleases.
I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. -1 Timothy 2:1-2
Related posts:
Leave a Reply