Dear Intercessors:
In this Discerning the Times, I believe we need to start doing the work of prayer for the American Election Process. I am sure in the eyes of many it is laborious and convoluted. It does, however, provide us all with a good opportunity to get to know who is running for office.
I believe we need to start now to pray for someone to be elected as President of the United States who can be a part of God’s plans for defeating the demonic stronghold of Radical Islam.
Of course whoever is elected will have to deal with many other challenges: economic development, the environment, massive unsustainable debt among Western democratic nations, the rise of tyranny in Russia and China, and more.
Of course I cannot tell you how to vote. But I think I can make some suggestions as to what type of leaders the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom may need to face the growing nemesis of Radical Islam which is threatening the entire Western world. I know that Christians often shy away from politics but I am convinced that our Reformed understanding of the Kingdom of God calls us to be involved at all levels, from praying for candidates to voting–even running for office if called by God to do so.
Please see video message from Brad Long about praying for our leaders by clicking on the video below:
The Qualities of National Political and Military Leaders Needed to Defeat Radical Islam
What I have learned both through study of historical events such as the Battle of Vienna on September 11, 1683 and the experience of praying for President Bush is that God often works to bring victory over the growing evil of Radial Islam by raising up a team of leaders–a team who embody among themselves the diverse facets of the Moses and Joshua roles. We are basically praying for a team of military, political, cultural, and religious leaders who can converge to provide following coverage:
• First are leaders who can see and accurately name the deadly threat that Radical Islam poses not just to the Jewish and Christian faith but to Western culture and our institutions of individual liberty and diversity.
• Leaders who can unify the assault against Radical Islam by pulling groups with diverse interests together and uniting them in a common defense and offense.
• Leaders who understand the enemy and who can mobilize the relevant strengths of our Western culture to decisively defeat the Jihadist Armies of Islam.
• Leaders who understand the spiritual dimensions of the battle with Islam, including the work of prayer and intentionally seeking God’s guidance.
As we survey the cast of those in leadership and influence at any particular moment in the flow of world events there are many leaders and potential leaders who fulfill these various roles, but there needs to be the right convergence of people as well as empowered positions for this to take place. Part of the difficulty in praying for and working for this convergence (i.e. voting politicians in or out), is that in the fog of the moment we often do not know what is actually taking place in the counsels of government or in the relationships between leaders.
Often these convergences are seen only in retrospect and when the fruit of their concerted actions have been proven over time.
For instance, defeating the invasion force of Islam at the gates of Vienna in 1684 has been shown by historical evidence to be the first step in forcing the long slow retreat of Islam from Europe. We also know that this decisive victory required the convergence of a number of leaders coming together: the Pope, Brother Marco d’Aviano, and the King of Poland, Jon III Sobieski, with his Winged Hussars. But for those Christians called to pray for this desperate situation, very little was clear.
So how do we pray for leaders and the convergence of their talents and relationships when all is shrouded in the confusion of the moment?
1. First we must be using all the powers of our reason to know the facts and to analyze those facts. We must be students of history as well as unfolding human events.
2. We must be asking the Lord what His big picture plans are and asking Him to reveal to us who He is calling to take part in His plans to defeat Islam and advance the Kingdom of God. Take note: these may not all be born again Christians, but they must be those who have an appreciation of our Western democratic culture and ideas.
3. In our democratic nations we must also take all this in account as to who we vote in or out of elected office. It makes a profound difference as to whether we have those in office who can defend our Western Judeo-Christian values or not. We can know this by listening to their words, observing the record and listening to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Our role is to pray for this convergence to take place before it is too late and Satan has all the human means necessary to unleash his plans for the full replacement of Jews and Christians through genocide and Islamic hegemony. For many of us, having prayed for the election of these leaders, the Holy Spirit may well keep us on duty to continue to pray for them.
We have months before the November elections. It is essential that we enter this process of prayer and discernment now, so that we may take part in shaping a future in which Radial Islam falls, our freedoms are preserved, and the Gospel reaches the entire Muslim world.
Please let me know if you have any discernment on this. I am personally struggling with these things and I suspect that I am not the only one.
In Christ,
Brad Long
P.S. Two relevant Scripture verses that an intercessor shared are:
1 Timothy 2:1-4: I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to know the truth.
Proverbs 21:1: The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.
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[…] In January of 2016 I sent out a DTT listing the four criteria needed by leaders to defeat the growing demonic strongholds of Radical Islam. (https://discernwith.us/praying-for-national-leaders-with-the-qualities-needed-to-defeat-the-nemesis-o…😉 […]