The Psalmist asked many centuries ago, “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”(Psalm 11:3). And many are asking the same old question in our nation today. When we see evil growing, spreading and overtaking like wild fire, unchecked, what can the righteous do? Do the righteous fold their arms and do nothing? Hoping that good situation will just spring up someday?
I am talking about the situation going on in Nigeria today. Some Christians are tired of praying for our nation. They have given up hope of God’s divine intervention. They have allowed the enemy to convince them that even God is tired of this nation, so why continue to pray? How far from the truth can that be.
Scriptural Foundation
Whatever we do as Christians it must have Scriptural foundation. Let me mention examples that have to do with praying and intercessions for nations;
Abraham pleads with God for Sodom:
“Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the LORD. 23 And Abraham came near and said, “Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? 24 “Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it? 25 “Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” Gen 18:22-25 (NKJV)
Moses pleads with God not to destroy the people:
“Therefore He said that He would destroy them,
Had not Moses His chosen one stood before Him in the breach,
To turn away His wrath, lest He destroy them.” Psalms 106:23 (NKJV)
“Then Moses pleaded with the LORD his God, and said: “LORD, why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 “Why should the Egyptians speak, and say, ‘He brought them out to harm them, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your fierce wrath, and relent from this harm to Your people. 13 “Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven; and all this land that I have spoken of I give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’ ” 14 So the LORD relented from the harm which He said He would do to His people.” Ex 32:11-14 (NKJV)
Daniel pleads for the nation of Israel.
“Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. 4 And I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, and said, “O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, 5 “we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments.” Dan 9:3-5 (NKJV)
In the New Testament we are exhorted:
“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. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Tim 2:1-4 NKJV).
What the righteous can do
We all are not the same. Some are more daring than the others. Can you lead a protest, can you speak out against injustices, do you have the boldness to confront corruption, injustices and wickedness in government? Good, if you can. The righteous certainly should speak out against and confront wickedness. However, I tell you the truth, many righteous people are not able to carry placards and lead or join a protest on the streets, or confront evil in high places, a few may, but many cannot.
There are men and women who organize protests, carry placards. Some are speaking, confronting and challenging the evil going on in our nation, fighting good and just causes beneficial to all. The righteous can back up their good actions in prayers.
Thank God for them. Pray that their voices will be heard and that God will protect them and their families, and give them wisdom. Pray that their good intentions and actions will be backed up by heaven and produce good fruits. They are doing the active, physical part you may not be able to do.
And who says prayer is passive? Prayer is being active. The courts of heaven are opened 24/7, 365 days of every year, and the maker, possessor, and Judge of the whole earth is always on His throne!
Like King Hezekiah (2 Kings 19:14 – 36), we should take up our pleas to God and petition Him. When you read or hear about law makers fighting to have good bills passed in the National Assembly, take it to God in prayer. Plead with God to back such up and speed up its approval and implementation.
When you hear of evil and draconian bills wanting to be passed, present it before the Lord in intercession, asking for such to be cancelled and disapproved. Pray also that evil leaders are removed and good ones raised up in their stead. This is the first on the list of what is killing our nation – bad leadership!
Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD (Prov. 16:5 NKJV). God resists, opposes, and brings down the arrogant (James 4:16, Luke 1:12, Prov. 16:18). There are some who have exalted themselves above God and others, strutting about, speaking pompous and malicious words in our nation today. Pray that God will bring down these modern day arrogant Pharaohs, Nebuchadnezzars, Sennacheribs, Belshazzars, and Herods.
One with God is majority
Thank God you don’t need a crowd to pray. Even if it’s only you, you and your spouse, or just two friends, neighbours or colleagues, all that’s important is unity of mind, faith in God and intensity in prayer.
“So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. 31 “Therefore I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; and I have recompensed their deeds on their own heads,” says the Lord GOD (Ezek 22:30-31 NKJV).
The righteous can through prayer pull down the strongholds of wickedness and lay new foundations. And God hears and answers the prayer of the righteous, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16 NKJV).
When you pray for our nation follow Biblical pattern. Confession. Start by confessing the sins of the nation, and identify yourself with those sins before beseeching God for mercy and divine intervention (Daniel 9: 20). Read the prayer pattern of Daniel, Nehemiah (chapters 1 and 9), Jehoshaphat, and others this will help you on how to start praying.
Our prayers to God for our country are never in vain. God hears! And you will be doing His command by praying.
I have spoken about speaking out against injustices and wickedness. I laid much emphasis on prayer, not because I think the others are less important, but because I believe that God hears and answers the fervent prayers of the righteous and all Christians regardless of their views (on activism or national issues) can pray.
Lastly, I add these:
The righteous should learn to vote wisely.
The righteous must walk uprightly. The righteous should be examples of uprightness, integrity, honesty, kindness, compassion, meekness, selflessness and be their brother’s keeper irrespective of ethnicity and religion, the Bible teaches us to be kind to all men. Always do the right thing in all situations even if you are the only person who does.
May the Lord raise up in this critical time in our nation’s history fearless preachers whose preaching and prayers will so shake and affect our nation for a positive change and the Nigeria we all long for.
Beloved brethren, let’s continue to cry out to God on behalf of our nation:
Lord, not because we deserve your divine intervention as a nation, for we are a very sinful and wicked nation, deserving your judgement, but for your own name’s sake have mercy on us. In your anger remember mercy. We beseech You to intervene in the affairs of our nation, do this Lord that men may know that You are God, that the earth is Yours, and You install and remove kings and You still reign in the affairs of men. In Christ name, Amen.
Here are other helpful Scriptures on intercession: Isaiah 62:6-7, Isaiah 64:7-9, Isaiah 59:16, Isaiah 63:5, 2 Chronicles 20.