“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” – 1 Timothy 2:1-2

WE ARE LIVING in one of the most exciting, and yet alarming, epochs in the history of humanity. Apart from those who lived through the Second World War and remain among us, it wouldn’t be incorrect to state there has never been an era since so unstable, so immoral, uncertain, unsafe and twisted than we’re living in now. The aspects that we hear so prevalently in our news leaves us all with a sense of insecurity; none of us can be certain of what is going to transpire tomorrow – as to whether or not we’re going to wake up to a normal and usual routine life. The last six years have certainly been far from the norm, and the level of intense frustration only seems to escalate. The very scenarios we witness today oftentimes seem so surreal; the things we see and hear of today were merely confined to the pages of a science-fiction or horror novel. It’s real no matter how many times we may attempt to pinch ourselves from a disturbing dream. We are still here and we’re still awake to much dismay.

The alarming aspects I don’t need to spell out; the majority of us know. What about the exciting times? What’s exciting about living in our day? One would expect someone on mind-altering substances to utter such stupidity. From a Christ-centred perspective it is a completely different situation. In fact, from a God-centred outlook it is more real than what our minds accumulate and process; we become so accustomed, entrapped and bogged down by what we perceive that we miss Reality altogether, and this doesn’t imply that what we’re facing today with all the monstrosities and atrocities that pervade our globe isn’t real. Of course it’s real, only a fool would insinuate otherwise. I have deliberately capitalised the word Reality and such that prevails above all other realities. Oswald Chambers was so attune with his words: “The existence of a truth is nothing to me unless I am brought into the current events where that particular truth is a living reality to me because it speaks the language of my conscious life. Reality must have its source outside me; my conscious experience is the sphere of reality in me, but I must be careful never to confound the reality of my experience with Reality itself.” Such a pertinent statement, and yet how are we to relate that powerful truth in our lives with all that we’re facing today? We want truths that don’t just sound impressively philosophical; we want the exact prescriptive advice that’s going to remedy the problems we face. How are we to cope with all the upheaval we constantly have to contend with? Of course, no one of us individually are going through the same intensity; each country differs from one to the next; people that we may know are going through some excruciating times, but generally as a whole – and especially in our westernised cultures – we’re encountering a dismantling of what made our nations strong; stability within our societies is now being thrown overboard, and what was once deemed wrong is being hailed as right and vice-versa. It’s an absolute utter mess.

So, the question remains to be answered: what’s exciting about the times we’re living in? First, I thank God that we have some whistle-blowers and journalists that are pure truth seekers and revealers; their heart-intent is to propagate truth, and practically in getting that truth out no matter what the cost. I thank God for such people who are unbiased and pay good service to society in rightly informing us. We have never seen so much exposing taking place that covers at least one-hundred years of deception and corruption right up to the present day. It’s unprecedented. Okay, so that’s the first, but what is being done about all that’s being exposed? For sure those results are pretty slow especially in light with high leaders that abuse their positions; why aren’t they being tried, arrested and imprisoned; why are even certain figures in ‘authority’ immune to such prosecutions? We can only hope that justice will be served, but many of us have seen the repeated similar scenarios where such governing individuals and organisations are so close to having that sentence nailed to them only to have such cases dropped! Nevertheless, this does not negate that an overwhelming and distinctive exposing is taking place. To find out something light has to be shed to see what’s really going on. So, starting from the bottom of the list, what many of us were ignorant about we’re now actually seeing.

Secondly, there is a huge awakening taking place world-wide. People are seeing for the first time, and collectively as a society, we object to what we now know; we’re repudiating tyranny and the seeds of totalitarianism. We’re making our voice heard in the true and noble spirit of democracy. We want law back in place for the welfare of our communities; we don’t want lawlessness that has pervaded so deceptively – and for far too long.

Thirdly, people are hungry for truth like we have not witnessed for goodness knows how long. People are really searching. People are being shaken out of their comfort zones where so many things have been taken for granted. Many of us would state that we have had it quite easy considering our age of technology and such ‘convenience’. Rather than it enabling us to being more fruitful and productive, it’s rendered the majority of us more lazy, dull and insensible. Has it not? I’m speaking generally as whole; of course not everyone has fallen susceptible as victims to a desensitising via our digital age.

Fourthly, Bible sales have increased astronomically over the last few years. I don’t think this is mere coincidence. There is definitely something spiritual taking place. People’s hearts are being stirred with an insatiable search for spiritual truth. This is not implying a time of rejoicing; we need to see sound converts via the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. We only need to look over those great epochs of revivals of the seventeenth century in Great Britain and the United States of America. These nations were mightily shaken by the Spirit of God. However, while so many individuals were awakened there were some who did not taste salvation. Recall to mind the parable of the sower.

I want to add here, that despite the terrific work our whistle-blowers and journalists have accomplished in exposing an incalculable amount of deep corruption right across the globe, many of them remain without a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Inevitably their perspectives are going to be confined to having hope only in this world, or at the most a false spiritual system of influence that will never stand the test at the Judgement Seat of Christ. We know that absolute Truth is our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; anything outside of Him renders any man or woman living in darkness and being truly lost. We were all there at one time; it took our Shepherd to seek us, find us and liberate us. It takes the same grace of God to do the same for anyone. As Christians we ought to be aware of what is really transpiring in the world; it is no good burying our heads in the sand because we find such findings pessimistic, and neither is it good to dwell obsessively on global events to where we become consumed by them and therefore lose sight of God and His absolute sovereignty. Hold in mind that many honest journalists are coming from a humanistic viewpoint, void of anything that is God-centred; their only hope is the fight for freedom in this life while remaining under the greatest tyranny ever – sin. What we do with such secular truths of what is accelerating worldwide is of pivotal importance.

Fifthly, while we observe our society sinking fast in vile, foul and blatant God-resisting ways, we must always, as Christians, remember the Church throughout her history sinking to where she appeared to be almost non-existent. Again, recalling to mind the condition of both nations – Britain and America – prior to the Great Awakening that looked utterly hopeless, and of course these nations were – left to themselves. Both Church and State were abysmal, racked in deep immorality and heresy. No government reform could ever have rescued such nations from dire consequences. It was God Who stepped in and raised these two countries back to their feet again. There was absolutely no human hope. It was beyond it all. Is this not the wonder of God intervening, where things are impossible with man, but with God ALL things are possible? It is of no surprise as to why God had subsequently blessed these leading nations with great scientific discoveries that accelerated the nation’s prosperity. We are in such dark days again. You only need to read – if you haven’t yet – of such times that in many ways mirrors the current spiritual condition we are in as a whole.

Our root problem goes infinitely beyond the need for exposing and justly dealing with corruption, lawlessness and tyranny; remain at such levels and we’re left with a mere social moral reform – if we’re fortunate – with the inner heart remaining corrupt; we’ve only dealt with the symptoms. We could have the most promising elect party in power to radically alter our utmost concerns that any moral man or woman could ever wish for, and yet at large be still radically wrong in the eyes of God.

I am convinced that many of us will stand before God on that Glorious Day with the shocking revelation that we prayed so little and so ineffectively for the kingdom of God to advance here on earth; many of us will sorely realise that we spent the majority of our energy resisting unlawful demands upon society rather than knowing the power of prayer and intercession that changes the course of activity and history where it would be humanly impossible to do so otherwise; many will shockingly realise we complained so much at the expense of prayer. We do NOT know the power of prayer in our generation, and to not know its power must entail we know very little of God. It is of pivotal importance in rightly handling what we witness in this world as fuel before God in prayer. We run our mouths to others in complaints rather than imploring God through prayer. We’re either fraying in complaints or triumphant through prayer. To have an outlook on this world that is not governed by Biblical thinking will outdo us in total pessimism. This world is pessimistic and its only hope is through the redemption of Jesus Christ. Amidst all the upheaval in this world we have this hope within because the Spirit of God indwells us, and Paul’s exhortation to be renewed in the spirit of our minds is more pertinent now than ever;

Prayer is not a twisting of God’s arm but rather getting into His stride; it is not a dictating to God but rather a submissive and total reliance on Him and seeking first the interests of His kingdom. We have much unlearning to do and so much to grasp. Biblical praying is first and foremost concerned with the glory of God; our praying today is more geared toward our success and prosperity; it’s very self-orientated as many view salvation for self-preservation – it does save us but in order that we may worship God aright. We are primarily saved to be a people unto God Himself; today we have erroneously got it the other way round. Becoming sensitive to the matters of God’s kingdom and His righteousness is the platform that ought to govern our praying, but sadly many pray out of panic and not habit; many are fraying and not praying. “When these things take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:28). That raising of our heads is literally a looking to God that recalibrates us to pray aright. To be governed by the atmosphere of this world, and to take our cue from honest journalists just as much as we rely on weather forecasts will leave us depressed; we are leaning upon our own understanding and not God’s, and there we shall know a fraying of our spiritual life. We are out of alignment.

As for Christians, we have a due responsibility to know what is transpiring around us globally in order that we may pray strategically, intelligently and effectively. From a military perspective, being aware of the enemy’s tactics is the key factor to strategising a counter attack. It is the same way pertaining to the spiritual realm in regards to our warfare against principalities in the heavenly realms, and especially bearing in mind what the apostle Paul stated of not being ignorant of the devil’s wiles. Nowadays we are accustomed to waging war in the flesh, by human might and wisdom to the neglect of praying in the power of the Holy Spirit. We must be governed with wisdom from above; common sense will not avail us much. Wisdom in knowing what and how to pray is imperative if we are to intercede in ways that prevail; it’s not so much that our prayers prevail but rather being in step with the Holy Spirit in our praying that grants breakthrough.

Some of us may be aware of Rees Howells – despite a few disagreeing with some of his theology, nevertheless, here was a man who knew how to pray. To this day I firmly believe that Howells was instrumental in the hands of God as he and his colleagues interceded for hours on end during the last World War. Without going into detail (I would warmly encourage you to read his biography entitled Intercessor), I will state that certain colossal events were either stopped or radically altered by the hand of God through prayer, incredible answers to prayer I have never read of before. History was altered in ways that astound, and all because a few people met together to seriously pray in the presence of God. Answers came, and petitions were amazingly granted in such a fashion that is humanly impossible.

Where are the Jacob’s of today that wrestled with God and prevailed? Where are the John Knox’s of old who beseeched God, “Give me Scotland or I die!”? Mary queen of Scots feared nothing more than her armies than John’s praying. Bold praying – not irreverent – but holy daring praying. Are we witnessing the pulling down of spiritual strongholds today? Do we know the weapons of our warfare being mighty in God? Have we tried them?

Are we praying for our leaders, kings and emperors – of all in high position? I wonder how many were praying for Saul before God met him on the road to Damascus. How many of us are praying in the Spirit for the leaders in political power we do not like and wish were out of office? Dear readers, I have been guilty of anger at many of the current corrupt leaders, but little have I prayed that God would indeed turn the hearts of such leaders unto Him for His glory. Impossible is it? IMPOSSIBLE?! “With man this is impossible, but with God ALL things are possible” (Matthew 19:26) – there’s our answer; what are we going to do with it?

My sixth and last point, and by far not the least, no one of us knows the day or precise hour our King of kings shall return, but without insinuating any prediction, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was in our generation over the next successive years. The way this age of deception has accelerated in its manifestation of evil, with a fist of blatant rebellion in the face of God, it leaves one wondering if such a never-witnessed and inexplicable glorious event is imminent upon us. In light of this, we are living in wondrous times – not dreadful times as some end-time theological stances take that leaves a note of pessimism on one’s spiritual taste buds – and I deliberately elevate the word from exciting to wondrous. This does not negate trying times and seasons; we live among atrocities, and they are becoming all the more prevalent within our westernised and supposed ‘civilised’ nations, but where there will be a greater increase in evil, there shall also be manifest the hand of God as He draws out His purposes before our very eyes. Indeed, evil is only subservient to the courts of God that rules overall; where evil seems to prevail we will see it as a mere footstool for the glory and honour of God. “I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth” says the Lord (Psalm 46:10).

Are we praying – not so much for our safety and security, but that the Lord will be exalted among the nations? Are we yearning for the power of the Holy Spirit to be made known again in our day and age? Do we long for another Great Awakening as of three-hundred years ago? In this spiritual war, are we praying that the glory of God be made manifest in turning more Saul’s into Paul’s? Are we praying for God’s kingdom to come that goes infinitely beyond mere moral reform? Are we praying that a holy fear of God rest on our lands again? It was deemed impossible hundreds of years ago, and it is deemed impossible today because of our fraying in unbelief, carnal thinking and ‘theological’ barriers.