(by Lilian Schmid, January 2021, an extract from the document 40 Days Prayer and Fasting for the 7 Mountains or Spheres of Influence)
Both Father God’s power (internal ideas and principles) and form (external frameworks and structures) are necessary for true and everlasting freedom. The pathway to liberty within a nation is from the internal to the external, from the inside out, from the bottom up.
All government begins in the heart of man with his ability (or inability) to direct, regulate, manage, and control his life. There are then two spheres of government — internal and external. Internal government is self-government. External government occurs in the family, church, business, associations, and civil government. External spheres of government are a reflection of the degree of internal self-government a person or people possess. Internal government is causative to external government.
All authority and power come from God. It flows from Him into the hearts and minds of people, and then out into the family, church, businesses, schools, and civil realm. Civil government is a divine institution with a legitimate function, but it is limited. It is to protect the righteous, punish the evil doer, and administer God’s justice in the civil realm that is under its sphere of authority. The state exists to serve man. The state is not our Saviour.
The relationship between Christianity and politics is historically complex, as well as in modern politics between the ‘Christian right’ and ‘Christian left’. All governments suffer to some degree from corruption, dishonesty, evil infiltration to rule, and false power. The only government that will never have any corruption is the Kingdom of God, which is in essence God’s redemptive reign.
God’s inspired revelation tells us that He will send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began (Acts 3:20–21). In the Bible God reveals to us that He will restore His government, His law and His way of life to this entire earth.
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus, we shall always be with the Lord.
(1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 NKJV)
All human governments will eventually end, and Jesus will reign over everyone forever.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
(Isaiah 9:6-7 AMP)
Scripture Reflection
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (cf. Mark 1:15)
- Jesus is the King of God’s true Kingdom. Where the king is, there is the kingdom. Jesus is both the faithful ruler and the righteous citizen of the kingdom. “The kingdom of God is in the midst of you.” (Luke 17:21)
- Jesus reveals His purpose for the right Kingdom. Jesus described his mission saying that He “must preach the good news of the kingdom of God” (Luke 4:43).
- Jesus declares the Kingdom of God on Earth as it is in Heaven. Jesus explains the kingdom and invites people to enter into it. The declaration of the kingdom “On Earth as it is in Heaven” (Matthew 6:10).
- Jesus demonstrates the Kingdom. Through his works, Jesus shows the power of the kingdom and his authority over the prince of darkness.
“I cast out demons by the finger of God” (Luke 11:20) - Jesus overcame the enemy of the Kingdom. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (John 19:30)
- Jesus deploys the Kingdom. Jesus sends his followers out as ambassadors of the kingdom with the Great Commission “All authority in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18)
‘Both riches and honour come from You, and You rule overall, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone.’ (1 Chronicles 29:12)
Prayers
Let us humble ourselves, pray, seek the Lord’s face, and repent and ask Him to forgive us and our nation for wickedness in our national and regional governments. (Note: not all these points below may be relevant to the governments in your country.)
- For lies and deceptions being voiced instead of God’s truth.
- For weak accountability to the population and no accountability to God.
- For wasting human and financial resourced on trivial and destructive matters, instead of consulting with God to spend them wisely and constructively on the true needs of the country and regions.
- For diverting funding to inappropriate projects and acquisitions which benefit themselves or their ‘friends’ instead of using public funds in an unbiased manner and spending them appropriately.
- For the many types of abuses committed on fellow parliamentarians and public servants, and for acting as if superior to the general public.
- For seeking to undermine ‘unfriendly’ persons and/or appoint ‘friends’ into key government positions, instead of using professional negotiation and proper candidate selection processes.
- For a lack of interest in political stability; speaking harshly against and undermining one another regardless of the ’cause’ just because they are political opponents, and for ‘political point scoring’.
- For creating policies and passing legislation that harm our society and goes against God’s ways:
- Abortion.
- Adoption of children by same sex couples.
- Belittling the role of fathers and men to become superfluous to families.
- Belittling the role of women to be just wives and child-bearers.
- Expecting women to work and pay for their children to be looked after by child-care.
- Legalising brothels.
- Legalised substance abuse.
- School sex education and encouragement through use of pornography.
- Gender confusion and de-identification.
- Same sex marriage.
- Euthanasia: for the elderly, the sick, and ‘those who are tired of their life’.
- Loss of free speech.
- Loss of religious freedoms.
- Other sexual and moral corruption.
- For imposing unjustified restrictions on civil liberties, and imposing unfair penal servitude or bodily harm on people who violate the restrictions.
- For abandoning solid, proven, good principles of government and governance laid down in constitutions and founding principles (e.g. those based on Judeo-Christian roots) and allowing parallel-law states with polarised ideologies to be established in the country (e.g. Sharia Law) which has massive potential for legal conflicts and confusion.
- For poor responses to, or ignoring, or even encouraging human trafficking and slavery.
- For supporting ‘Libertarianism’, ‘One World Order’, ‘Climate Change’, and the ‘Great Reset’.
Lord forgive us,
Lord correct us,
Lord hear our prayer.
In Jesus name, Amen.
Very informative!!!