The content below was originally paywalled.

Seven Good Things to PRAY AND PROCLAIM Over Your Nation

History reveals seven good things that when flourishing in a nation, create a strong, powerful foundation which can hinder evil from advancing. By using these seven areas as a template for prayer in our cities and nations, we can see untapped power for good multiply in our countries.

1. Self-Government

When people hear the word government, they usually think of civil government. In most nations civil government is the only government. But this bureaucratic entity, is only one type of government. When God created Adam and Eve, He did not initiate civil government; He commanded man to govern himself. The word government means direction, regulation, control, restraint, and government thusly provides direction, regulation, control, and restraint in its area of jurisdiction. This can be both internal and external. Internal government, the first and most important type of government, is self-government. All government begins with self-government.

Internal government in the heart must rely on man’s ability to govern his conscience, will, character, thoughts, ideas, motives, conviction, attitudes, and desires. How a man governs himself internally affects his external actions, speech, conduct, use of property, etc. Each external sphere of government is a reflection of the internal government. The internal is causative to the external. The type of government that exists in the homes, churches, schools, businesses, associations, or civil realms of a nation is a reflection of the internal or self-government within her citizens.

Hugo Grotius, the seventeenth century Dutch clergyman and scholar who systematized the subject of the Law of Nations, summarized the principle of self-government:

“He knows not how to rule a kingdom, that cannot manage a Province; nor can he wield a Province, that cannot order a City; nor he order a City, that knows not how to regulate a Village; nor he a Village, that cannot guide a Family; nor can that man Govern well a Family that knows not how to Govern himself; neither can any Govern himself unless his reason be Lord, Will and Appetite her Vassals; nor can Reason rule unless herself be ruled by God, and (wholly) be obedient to Him.”

Grotius was clear; you must rule yourself before you can rule others. The Bible teaches that rulers must be self-governed. We can see this in Paul’s criteria for leaders in the church. It is important that he “manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?)” (1 Timothy 3:4-5). The following chart summarizes the idea.

Increasing Levels of Responsibility:

Kingdom

Province

City

Village

Family

Self

Reason

Will

Appetite

Many civil government leaders today attempt to govern their nation, yet are unable to effectively direct and control their own lives or their families. They are divorced or living in adultery. They have children breaking laws and living wildly. They have businesses that violate regulations or fail to pay taxes, etc. These men and women should be replaced by those who can rule their own lives. Real power is a possession of those who are self-governed by biblical directives: “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city” (Proverbs 16:32). Grotius’ statement reveals how the flow of power should occur within a country, from the internal to the external. Effective government can begin only when citizens learn to govern themselves.

The more internal and self-governing a people are, the less external government is needed. Consequently, the more external rules and laws required to maintain civilian control reflects the diminishing amount of self-government. For instance, in some countries it is a law that every citizen must vote. If a person does not care and is not informed, what value is such a law? In the entire Bible there are about 11,000 words, but in the one new law in the U.S. that Obama proposed for health care there are about 11,000,000 words!

History teaches that man can control himself with limited success. In world history, it is apparent in ancient Greek democracies that were short-lived, or in modern totalitarian regimes,  rarely does a ruler restrain himself and finally a violent overthrow takes place. Even when a nation tries to establish an external written form of government in a constitution, it rarely succeeds due to a military coup soon thereafter. For instance, Venezuela has had 26 constitutions since its independence. Haiti has had 24. Since self-government cannot be externally imposed, another source for internal control is needed. Grotius reveals that man can only be self-governed if his reason, will, and appetite are ruled by God. Self-control is based on obedience to the Creator and His standards of conduct.

The fourth President of the United States and chief architect of the U.S. Constitution, James Madison, stated that the founders of America chose “…to rest all our political experiments on the capacity of mankind for self-government.”

As people become less self-governed, and give up more and more of the power that ought to be theirs, the civil government (primarily the national government) will grow, make more laws (many outside its realm of jurisdiction), and impose external laws on what was meant to be governed internally. Lack of self-government leads to greater centralized external government, resulting in the loss of individual liberty.

·         Pray for more self-government in your nation’s people and leaders.

·         Prophetically proclaim for it to emerge.

2. Voluntary Union

The people of a free nation will voluntarily work in union with each other for the common good. History reveals that political unions were a result of centralization via political force and military might rather than voluntary consent. Christianity provided the basis of a community united, not by external bonds, but by the vital force of distinctive ideas and principles emanating from internal decisions.

In the Bible’s history the term “covenant” expressed this idea of social frameworks of government, especially in early Israel. As Christianity emerged and influenced different nations, these governing principles spread and civil agreements or contracts became a part of other nations. In early America, English Pilgrims drafted the Mayflower Compact in 1620 for their civil government which stated their agreement to covenant together to create a system of congregational church government. The modern concept of constitutionalism is based upon this Biblical idea of covenant [Study this further later in the section on ‘Taking Up Serpents’. Many nations have adopted constitutions in the last few centuries but have lacked the biblical foundation and the individual character that was, for thousands of years, the basis upon which covenants were founded.

Covenants are a foundational part of a nation. The Bible contains covenants between man and man and between God and man. The ultimate covenant (Matt 26:28) that God makes with men through the atoning work of Jesus Christ initiates the heart change that is necessary for the foundation of freedom in an individual and in a nation. Biblical marriage covenants keep marriages permanent and strong. Without strong families, no nation can long endure.

The external union of a people in covenants develops from an internal unity of ideas and principles residing in the hearts of the people. Compulsory unions, imposed by external force and fear, never last. A framework of government (or union) cannot be forced externally, but must arise from internal agreement. Covenants or compacts among people on a local level are the basis of political unions. For people to covenant together, they must share common beliefs, purposes, ideas, and faith.

Joining together for civil purposes in our nations begins with covenanting together for independent purposes in homes, churches, schools, clubs, businesses and various organizations. A people together in harmonious union will bring a great increase to the strength of a country.

The principles of self-government and union must be balanced. Too much emphasis on political union will result in centralization of power, while too much emphasis on self-government leads to disintegration of the nation.

·         Pray for more voluntary union and working together by covenant in your nation’s people and leaders.

·         Prophetically proclaim for it to emerge.

3. Individuality/Diversity

The principle is simply that everyone created by God is unique and distinct. Everyone has a well-defined existence with unique talents and abilities designed for a special purpose. Mankind has physical characteristics that make us distinct from other people – fingerprints, profile, voiceprints, scent, and even nerve patterns on the inside of the eye. We have matchless internal characteristics including thoughts, opinions, emotions, and attitudes.

Man is a reflection of his Creator, who is unified (God is One), yet diverse (God is a triune Being). God does not create carbon-copy molds of humans, animals, trees, minerals, mountains, rivers, planets or stars. Everything He creates is unrivaled. Every person has his own outward and inward identity or individuality (Note: God’s creation is perfect and should be respected, but man can wrongly use the concept of “individuality” to claim that everyone must respect them although they make choices that are in violation of God’s design, such as homosexuality and transgender debates today). Each is responsible and accountable for his/her own choices and actions. Man, being created by God, has an independent value. In a nation that views the state as paramount in value rather than the individual, the people’s lives, liberty, and property will always be in danger.

While the principle of individuality clearly reflects that all men are equal in their right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of acquiring property, men are not equal in their talents and abilities. Governments embodying false ideas of equality say that men have an equal right to material possessions and then try to distribute the wealth accordingly. Equal opportunities from God are different from the equal outcomes attempted by men. All men have equal rights before the law and  governments exist to secure those rights.

We must be careful to keep a balance of individual diversity with covenantal unity as discussed earlier. Too much emphasis on individual diversity leads to anarchy or an unchecked and dangerous elements in “democracy.” This was evident in ancient Greece where liberty was abused and led to chaos and eventually the rise of a new dictator. In modern America and other western cultures today we see that it is abused and special advantages are claimed in the name of  individuality, especially sexual and gender identity, and this is now producing a fascist repression of any criticism. Conversely, the result of an over-emphasis on unity is tyranny. This exaltation of the group over the individual is seen in many Asian cultures and often supports a totalitarian style of government such as seen in late 20^th century Soviet Union or the Chinese Communism of Mao. The proper balance of unity and diversity, embodied in a decentralized, democratic constitutional republic, will produce liberty while also maintaining order in a society.

·         Pray for more individuality and respect for diversity in your nation’s people and leaders.

·         Prophetically proclaim for it to emerge.

4. Property

A person’s property is whatever he has the exclusive right to possess and control. The most precious property is one’s conscience which tells a person whether his actions are right or wrong. Each person in a free nation has the responsibility to be a good steward of his conscience and keep it clear. By doing so, he will know what is right and wrong from within and therefore will be able to live his life in a right manner. The apostle Paul said he did his “best to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men” (Acts 24:16).

How one manages his internal property determines how he takes care of his external property. The following columns list kinds of internal and external property:

Internal Property            External Property

Thoughts                                             Land/Estate

Opinions                                              Money

Talents                                                 Freedom of Speech

Conscience                                          Bodily Health

Ideas                                                     Possessions

Mind                                                     Freedom of Assembly

The famous British political scientist, John Locke, wrote in his treatise Of Civil Government that while we are God’s property, God has given us the responsibility to be good stewards over ourselves.  He wrote that “every man has a Property in his own Person.” We have a God-given right to everything necessary to preserve our persons, i.e. a right to internal and external property. God requires us to be good stewards of everything we have.

Before any property can be taken from us, we must give our consent. If our property can be taken without our consent, then we have no property. A people standing on the principle of property will prohibit government or other citizens from seizing anyone’s personal property without their consent, or from violating anyone’s conscience and rights. Lack of this principle leads to unjust taxation, a government controlled economy, and usurpation of both internal and external property rights.

·         Pray for a greater value of property, especially the internal kind, in your nation’s people and leaders.

·         Prophetically proclaim for it to emerge.

5. Education

An ignorant people will quickly become an enslaved people. Only a well-instructed citizenry can be permanently free. To preserve liberty in a nation, the general populace must understand the principles upon which a free government is based.  When they do, they will prevent leaders from eroding their God-given rights.

Education is a sowing and reaping process. The Bible likens it to the cycle of a plant. The “seed principle” laid out in the well-known parable of the sower and the soils (Mark 4) is essential for us to understand in order to value education. The kingdom of God is like a seed. Although we are instantly converted when we repent and submit ourselves to Christ, the establishment of God’s character and kingdom within us is a gradual ongoing process, like the growth of a plant. A seed is planted; nourishment, care, and sunlight are provided; pruning is done; and then a mature plant comes forth bearing fruit. 

This same principle applies in establishing God’s truth in the nations of the world. It is a gradual process that occurs through Christian education. The ideas that are sown in a people through education will grow over the years and produce fruit that can be seen in every aspect of life—personal, social, political, and economic. An example would be Europe, where the emergence of universities around 1100 A.D. dramatically accelerated that continent in terms of liberty and prosperity compared to other regions of the world over the next eight centuries. And the United States was even more dramatic in its rise to a world power in intellectual and economic resources, after its priority on education beginning just a few centuries earlier.

Abraham Lincoln said “the philosophy of the schools in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next.” Educational institutions lay the foundation for liberty or bondage, depending upon the ideas imparted. Education is the means for propagating either a mandated governmental philosophy or a biblical self-governed way of life.

For a free government to be sustained, the people need more than knowledge or facts – they need moral and principled education. Education in the Christian religion and morality must be primary to information and knowledge because the most fundamental and universally accepted principles for free societies have their genesis in the Bible. The educational systems of pagan governments will not teach these to our children. The responsibility of maintaining a free nation rests on families, churches, and private Christian schools that will educate the next generation in morality and Christian principles.

·         Pray for more godly (especially private Christian) schools and valuing of knowledge in your nation’s people and leaders.

·         Prophetically proclaim for it to emerge.

6. Morality

No nation can long endure without personal virtue and morality. A loss of principles and manners is the greatest threat to a free people and will cause its downfall more surely than any foreign enemy. When the people are virtuous they cannot be subdued, but once virtue is forfeited, liberties are surrendered to the first external or internal invader.

Character is a convictional belief that creates consistent behavior. Character literally means “to stamp and engrave through pressure.” God is stamping and engraving upon us His image so that we might be examples of Him to the world by fulfilling His purpose for our lives. History has shown that virtue and character in a people are the basis of happiness in a society and absolutely necessary for a state to long remain free.

People of character will desire to observe and respect the law and will not willfully take the life, liberty or property of others. In addition, less government will be required in a virtuous nation since the rulers will also more likely be moral. Virtuous leaders allow freedom and justice to flourish because they do not corrupt the system. Consequently, people will not live in fear of civil government and generally do more than what law requires.

A lack of character in the people produces the following: a stagnant or declining economy, corrupt laws, a lack of smooth transition from one political leader or party to another after elections, a corrupt military that takes control of the government, and increased power and growth in civil government.  Too many character flaws in the people create a greater need for external control. People of character will be eternally vigilant to secure their rights and demand that their government’s power remain limited.

·         Pray for more pursuit of morality and character in your nation’s people and leaders.

·         Prophetically proclaim for it to emerge.

7. Faith in God and His Word

The foundational principles and the framework of a free society originate in the faith or religion of the people. The principles come from the Bible. Man becomes self-governing and able to live these principles when he is subject to God and His truth. Morality cannot exist without religion.

For the fundamental rights of man to be secure from government, the people must recognize that these rights are endowed by the Creator and not granted by government. If government is the source of rights, then government can take away those rights. But if God gives rights to men, then they are inalienable and absolute.

The following question must be answered and understood correctly to secure liberty for all men. “Who is the source of law in a society?” The source of law in a society is the God of that society or the cult of that culture. If man is the law’s final source, then the law will constantly change as man’s ideas and understanding changes. God alone is the source of true law and His law is absolute. William Blackstone, the great English legal scholar, said that no human laws are of any validity, if contrary to the higher law of God.

The Bible, the written Word of God, is the primary method through which God reveals His law to man. The degree to which nations apply the principles of the Bible will be the degree to which those nations prosper and remain free. The civil liberty now enjoyed in much of the world owes its origin to the principles of the Christian religion. Genuine Christianity gave birth to free constitutions of government. This began with Israel in the Bible and its written constitution called the “book of the covenant” and emerged due to Christian influence in Europe such as Alfred’s 9^th century England, and later the Magna Charta, and finally America’s Constitution in 1789.

·         Pray not only for more people to be saved and for revival to come, but for more faith in God and respect for His Word in your nation’s people and leaders.

·         Prophetically proclaim for these things to emerge.

Power and Form of a Free Nation

When these seven areas are developed and cultivated in a nation, liberation begins that is revolutionary and long-lasting. Many people want and pray for bad leaders in their nation to be removed. These type of revolutions may happen quickly, but without a biblical national morality, the result rarely produces lasting good.

The pathway to liberty within a nation is from the internal to the external. This is true for civil governments, churches, homes, businesses, or associations. The power, which is internal, precedes the change, which is external. The power of a free nation is revealed by its internal principles. These principles make a strong foundation, providing proper support for individuals, families, churches, associations, and governments.  These pillars enable societies to withstand any pressure and develop a free, just, prosperous,  peaceful, and long-lasting culture. Without this foundation, a free government can never be established or maintained.

We must focus our prayer meetings on not only standing against darkness in our country but also on praying the good in these seven areas that can bring real power for godly biblical change in a nation. When we do so, the nation’s demons are cast out and the Spirit of the Lord comes in their place.