DO CHRISTIANS HAVE ANY POLITICAL CLOUT?

Jeremiah 1:10 (ESV) See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”

Jeremiah was given a sort of global calling. He had authority over nations (plural). It may seem that the politicians are really the ones with all the power, but it only seems that way. There is a power that is more real and dynamic than all of the mess we see in Washington D.C. It is the power of calling, and that power is birthed and manifested through prayer and prophetic preaching. One hundred years before the Declaration of Independence was written, the concepts contained therein were preached from America’s pulpits. The American preacher had clout in those days, and it may seem that we have long lost that sort of influence, and that may be true in part, but we must not underestimate the power of calling. I’m sure in Jeremiah’s day he didn’t feel like he was “over” nations. If we could travel back in time and go to one of those nation’s leaders and ask them what they thought of Jeremiah, they might say, “Jere—who?” Yet what God said was so. His words were powerful, they came true, and they called people to turn to God.

I’m going to tell a story you may consider a little odd, but I think it to be real. When I took a ministry position at small local church, an inspired message was spoken over me by a man in that church. He told me that wherever I set my foot the Lord would give me the land (like Joshua). I took that as an encouragement from the Lord. A few years later another message was given to me that I needed to follow in Joshua’s footsteps (literally) and actually survey out the land I wanted to take for the kingdom and actually step my foot on it. I know, that seems a bit weird, but I contemplated it, for a few years actually. When I was praying about how far to go out from my house – city, county, region – 10, 20, 30 miles radius, I was reminded of the story of when Elisha told King Jehoash to strike the arrows on the ground. It was to represent Israel’s victory over Syria. Jehoash only struck the ground three times and Elisha rebuked him in anger. Had he struck it five or six times he would have had complete victory over Syria, as it was he only had a short lived victory (2 Ki 13:14-19). So, in faith I told the Lord, “If you really mean that wherever I step my foot you will give me the territory, then I will take the nation.” Afterwards I called a buddy of mine and we took a trip to Washington D.C. We went, connected with an elderly intercessor there, toured, met some important people, and then on the way out of town we stopped at a river where I pulled out my little American flag and waved it while praying and making proclamation. I said my amen and we resumed our journey home. That was it. No fireworks. No proof of anything miraculous, but I know what transpired - something unseen.

I have been back to D.C. three more times, and each time I feel a sense of connection, linking my heart to the city and nation. I pray for the nation, and there are times where I hear my very prayer topics repeated on the news. It may be presumption, but I don’t think so. I dare to think that God performs His word, and I dare to think that He hears my prayers for the nation and is working to pluck up, break down, destroy, to overthrow, build, and to plant. Beloved, as believers in Jesus we are the governmental body of the nation - the church (Matt 16:18), which overpowers the gates of hell, but we must remember, our most powerful governing chambers are our prayer rooms, and our most effective governmental activity happens on our knees.