I was recently invited to pray for Ohio and the nation at the State House in Columbus. When I asked God what to pray for He whispered, “peace.” Though I value the peace only He brings to my heart, it is not a central theme to messages I normally preach. I was excited not so much for the opportunity to speak, but the opportunity to yield so fully to His direction.
He led me first to quiet my heart before Him and to wait. I waited until He initiated the direction. This may have been the hardest part because I so wanted to run ahead and offer my suggestions. But, as He led, He spoke and I listened as He showed me how He wanted to pray through me for the peacemakers He has appointed in this generation.
I have included the prayer below but before you read it, I want to be vulnerable and transparent about the internal battle to obey God and to own my voice without comparison amidst other well respected faith leaders and public servants. I fought the battle of comparison as I stood there as the only person who appeared to have prepared ahead of time with my prayer, printed on paper nonetheless. I fought the battle to keep my focus on glorifying him and my purpose to please God rather than impress man. In the end, I felt victorious not because people I respected yelled, “Amen” as I spoke but because I knew I had fully yielded and allowed Jesus to have His way. He alone was on the throne of my heart and nothing could take away from that victory. I share this in hopes that you will be encouraged to trust Him when He asks you to do something outside of your norm. I have found that obedience removes fear because I know He will back me up when I am in His will. It is not stepping out in presumption but faith in His ability to keep His promises.
Here is the prayer:
Let us quiet our hearts before the Lord… Holy Spirit, come and manifest your peace in our hearts, quieting every anxious thought in Jesus’ name. We fix our gaze upon your faithfulness.
Father, we come to you united in Jesus, humbled yet confidently trusting in you.
Lord, I pray that you would raise up peacemakers in this hour who have your ways in their hearts and will not swerve from the path of steadfast righteousness. Sons and daughters of God who live from peace deeply rooted in righteousness towards peace. Strengthen your peacemakers granting them bravery, courage, hope, and perseverance that they would not grow weary in well-doing nor shrink back and be silenced by intimidation.
Father, grant them wisdom and strategy to honorably and equitably bring forth justice for all people so that our nation would experience prosperity and peace. I pray those who rise up would have pure motives and walk in the ways of the Lord. May they look like, talk like, and love like Jesus, the Prince of Peace.
Thank you, Lord for the new breed of peacemakers you are raising up in this hour specifically called to this generation. Thank you that peace will be the common fruit of their calling but their ministry designations would be diverse.
I pray for those who would be ministers of reconciliation to see clearly the one for whom Christ died and not have their vision polluted or hope dampened by the wisdom of the world. I ask they be equipped and anointed to restore the relationship between God and man and man with one another. I pray for these peacemakers of reconciliation to rise up in every mountain of influence, every state, city, town, and neighborhood across this nation in Jesus’ name.
I pray for the bridge builders to be brave and courageous to stand up to cultural apathy and fulfill the law of love by representing Jesus and bringing revelation light to polarized groups of people. I ask you Father to grant them wisdom, favor, and strategy according to their calling. I declare what the wisdom of the world says is impossible will come to pass to the glory of God. I pray Father, would you raise up these bridge builders in every mountain of influence, every state, city, every small town and neighborhood that our nation would be blessed and your peace would reign.
I pray for those peacemakers whom you are calling to be repairers of the breach that they would stand in the gap for those who do not know any better, that they would be anointed to bring healing to our past as a nation and bring down the giants threatening us as a people. I pray they go forth with the confidence of being backed by the armies of heaven. That all would know there is a God in America and His name is Jesus. I pray for repairers of the breach to rise up in every mountain of influence, every state, city, small town, and neighborhood in Jesus name.
I pray for those peacemakers whom you have called to be ministers of mercy, advocates for the poor, and disfavored. Father, grant them mercy, and protect their hearts so that they would remain soft and not be hardened or calloused by discouragement. Grant them positions from which they can bring forth heaven’s justice in our nation. Thank you, Lord, for rising up voices for the voiceless and for establishing peace in our nation in Jesus name.
I call the peacemakers of this generation to rise up and to come forth in Jesus’ name. Come forth and bear fruit in every mountain of influence for every people group represented in this nation for the glory of God in Jesus’ name. Amen
