Pray for the country
Contents
prayer for the country
Psalm 33:11-12
“I was not confident in everything from the beginning of the ministry. So I unconditionally depended on the Lord. And according to the Lord's last command, I prayed without missing a single day to spread the gospel to our people and to spread the gospel to the whole world. Then God revived our church. All I did was pray to evangelize the nation.”
That is a very humble statement. Because he evangelized with the desire to love the nation and spread the gospel to the whole world, the church was established as a church with 80,000 followers and 50,000 including children.
Unlike other years this year, people's attention is focused on the World Cup. The reason, of course, is the performance of the 2002 World Cup. When we tasted the result of the World Cup semi-finals, which we did not expect, we cannot easily let go of that expectation. For a little over a month in June and July, nothing else caught my attention because of football.
But now that the World Cup is over, I hope that we can sort out these thoughts and calmly study the Word and share prayer topics about why we should pray for our country and people.
■ First, the reason we should pray for our country is because God has established the country.
Martin Luther, the famous Reformer, said that there are three institutions established by God: the family, the church, and the state.
There is no one to argue with the fact that God established the family. Looking at Genesis 2 and 3, there is no doubt that God established a family. Also, in Acts 2, the church of God is established through the Holy Spirit. However, there are some who disagree as to whether God really established the nation.
But let's look after Romans 13:1. “Let each one be subject to the authorities that are above him. There is no authority except from God, and all authority is ordained by God. Therefore, those who resist authority are against the command of God, and those who resist will bring their own judgment. ” (Romans 13:1-2)
Here, it is said that all authority comes from God, and that authority is established by God. The Bible does not deny the power of those in power. Rather, it says that the power comes from God.
This means that all rulers have been ordained by God. Isn't it natural that the God who established the powerful established the kingdom?
With that said, I have a protest question that immediately follows. ‘No, then did God establish an evil government that ruthlessly kills people? and say.
It's a natural question. That's what I think too. However, what we are dealing with here is the subject matter of who founded the state. We will look at immoral nations and powers in the second site.
Therefore, if God is the one who established the country, isn't it appropriate to pray for the prosperity of that country?
From when on, I see that criticism takes precedence over prayer for the country in the hearts of Koreans. Of course, this is all because we love and care for our country, but sometimes we see cases where it goes too far. Of course, if we open our eyes wide, we see a lot of wrongdoings by the state or those in power. But before I see it and say I'm doing it wrong, I need to think about how much I prayed for the country and the authorities.
When I was reading a book, I read an article about the American press.
I don't know how accurate that statement is, but at least the US media outlets say that when a new president or policy maker starts working, they wait six months without criticism. Once you give them a chance and waste that opportunity, you start criticizing them from that point on. But we have lost the aesthetics of waiting.
Think about it. Originally, our people were good at waiting. When we cook rice, we soak it and cook it. And I cook it in a cauldron that takes a long time. And you have to take it again.
See also the side dishes. They do not eat kimchi immediately after soaking it, but ripen it and eat it. Also try soy sauce or miso. All of which have been fermented for a long time. It is a people who are accustomed to waiting very long after eating. There were very few ready-to-eat or so-called fast food. But from when onwards, I do it quickly, and then I quickly get rid of things that I shouldn't be doing quickly. I hope you can be a little patient.
They prayed once or twice and were disappointed that there was no answer. They believed that they would receive blessings if they believed in Jesus for a month or three.
Since it is God who established the country, we must pray for the country. nothing more and nothing less.
■ Second, we must pray for God's reign through the country to be successful.
First, 1 Timothy 2:1, 2 says: “Therefore, I urge first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and for all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and modesty.”
The same goes for Romans 13:3. “Governors are not a fear of good, but of evil. Do you not fear authority? Do good, and you will receive his praise.”
Martin Luther, the Reformer, said, “There are two kingdoms in the world. One kingdom is the kingdom of God and the other is the kingdom of the world. The reason God established the kingdom of the world is to prevent people from becoming more evil and from doing bad things through the kingdom of the world.”
This is also true of the Reformer John Calvin. He said, “God established the state to prevent the spread of evil and to protect the common people from the unrighteous due to the power of the state.”
God knows that people are full of iniquity. And he knows that he will do evil with the fullness of his sin. Therefore, institutions were established in various places to prevent evil deeds, and one of those institutions is the state and the people in power.