The Idea of Praying for Government

I have noticed in conversations with many of my friends that the current state of our government whether provincial or federal is often the topic of choice. As I listen I often wonder what constructive acts this person has done to influence the very issue they are speaking of. Did they vote in the last election; did they examine prayerfully the character and stance of their candidates on issues they are concerned about; are they praying for those who serve them in government; are they in contact with their representative and expressing their concerns or offering support?

I know from my own experience the feeling of powerlessness to influence or affect change on institutions such as provincial or federal governments. As I read the scriptures I became aware of the power of the voice of one. Joseph was one voice who was used to save nations, among them was the future nation of Israel. Nehemiah was used to restore the defences of Jerusalem and put into place the governmental institutions that would allow the temple to be rebuilt. Esther, Mordecai, Daniel and many others were singular voices that affected the future of nations for the purposes of God in a governmental sphere. So I became convinced that my voice and my prayers can be a channel for influence and change in government.

I also became convinced of the tremendous strength of the corporate voice in prayer to affect change. If one can put to flight 1000 and two 10,000 how many can five or ten in sustained intercession put to flight? Houses of prayer are where I believe the trans-denominational voice of the church is being trumpeted into the heavens. This is the foundation of Kingdom transformation. This is where I believe literally heaven meets earth, the place where it begins: “on earth as it is in heaven”. In houses of prayer, praying the will of the Father into being on earth.

In April of 2007, my wife and I entered our Legislature in Regina on a scouting mission with the intention of hearing from God how He wanted us to pray for our provincial government as representatives of our provincial house of prayer (Saskatchewan House of Prayer). Without much warning or preparation we were thrust onto the stage of praying for our government. It has been a steep learning curve. We went with the simple mandate to serve from a non-partisan position all those who serve us in government. In my next entry I want to talk about how this looks.

Here are some others who are praying for government on site;

Tim Schindel,   BC  www.leadinginfluence.com , Rob and Fran Parker Ottawa www.nhop.ca ,

The Idea of Praying for Government: continued

My first recollection of praying for government was in the early 70’s when I was visiting an evangelical church in Salem, Oregon. It was US election time and the minister spoke clearly from the pulpit on the need to support, pray and vote for government but in a deliberately partisan way. I took notice because something did not sit quite right with this posture.

Fast forward to April, 2007 and I am sitting in the west gallery of our legislature observing Question Period and praying for all 58 of our MLA’s. Watching the procedures I am thankful for those who serve our province. I know each represents a political party but I see individuals. I know many have left successful careers to serve at greatly reduced incomes their constituencies out of a passion for their province. I see husbands, wives, fathers, mothers and I pray. Stressed marriages, difficult children, addictions, illness and I pray. I see great responsibility, difficult decisions, pressure from every side, compromise, pride, loss of integrity and I pray.

On another level authority for government which comes from God, was created by Him and for Him and continues in Him, is continually being challenged by a created being, the prince of the air. This is a kingdom conflict and involves a whole different approach in prayer. This is an area to be approached seriously. It involves wisdom, corporate intercession, Holy Spirit revelation and corporate unity.

This area of conflict is very real and most of those who serve in government are completely unaware of the conflict which rages about them. A thought I have often had is that we get the kind of government we pray for. If we don’t pray someone else influences the kind of government we get.

On the practical side all of our prayer teams leave partisan perspectives at home. We practice being faithful in taking our place as watchmen. On site prayer meets in the cafeteria for conversational prayer each week as we want staff and politicians to know the church is praying for them. We have a second on site weekly meeting in a room that has been offered to us. We have teams attend every Question Period and some committees to pray. We have a weekly conference prayer call to connect intercessors from around the province to pray.  We invest in relationships with MLA’s and staff to serve and encourage them. A MLA Prayer Canopy is being developed where individuals and groups who live in each of the 58 constituencies commit to pray for their MLA weekly.

Our politicians and their staff have embraced the church being onsite and praying once we demonstrated we were there to serve and not lobby and that we were genuinely nonpartisan. You can be sure they test us in this.

We often quote 2 Chronicles 7.14 but I like the next verse in which God promises, “Now My eyes shall be open and My ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place.”  Lord heal our land we pray.

May 2008
From Isaiah 28:16, 17 the Sovereign Lord says:

“Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem (Saskatchewan*) a firm and tested stone.
It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on.
Whoever believes need never be shaken.
I will test you with the measuring line of justice and the plumb line of righteousness.” NLT (*we pray this for Saskatchewan)

This passage was given to us prior to the Legislature convening on March 10th and formed the foundation of our prayers for government this spring. Continually we worshipped the One who has placed this cornerstone in Saskatchewan and we declared the absolute authority, dominion and sovereignty of our God. We requested of Him that He would measure and check the fit of all that is in place in our government and renovate as He desires.

The spring session of the Legislature adjourned for summer recess on May 15 after eleven weeks of full activity. People were in attendance for all Question Periods and some Legislative Committees. Teams from Moose Jaw, Kipling and Swift Current also attended and visited with their MLA’s. When asked for his impression of his visit one 10 year old boy from Moose Jaw said very seriously, “Responsibility, I feel responsibility”. The heart of the message I believe the Spirit is speaking to the Church of Saskatchewan regarding government is that we have a responsibility to stand on watch on the wall, to cover them and to intercede.

On 16 April, 2008 we had a day of unprecedented favour at the Legislature. What we did not realize until the next day was that it was our one year anniversary being in regular attendance at the Legislature. The day began with many of the MLA’s being in attendance at the annual Lieutenant Governor and Chief Justice Prayer breakfast. Later three separate speakers in the Legislature spoke of events or people that gave honour to the Name of the Lord Jesus. Throughout the day I had personal meetings with most of the Christian MLA’s that were uninitiated, the highlight being invited to attend an MLA’s prayer time.

We have also experienced unprecedented favour with our elected officials. From the floor of the Legislature our MLA’s have introduced us and spoken well of us and our activites, repeatedly. We were offered the use of a board room adjacent to the speaker’s office for a prayer room and each Thursday morning a group from Regina and Moose Jaw gather to worship and pray. This meeting will continue on into the summer. We have also been meeting with believers on both sides of the House weekly for prayer. All of the MLAs will be home for the summer so call up your MLA, visit their office, encourage them, love on them and pray for them.

There has been a faithful core team. Our Monday night conference call has been rich and many times the Lord has given direction for the coming week. Consider joining us especially during summer when many are away. Call for connection information.

Habakkuk stated:
“I will climb up to my watchtower and stand at my guard post.
There I will wait to see what the Lord says and how He will answer my complaint.”
Then the Lord said to me,
“Write My answer plainly on tablets,
so that a runner can carry the correct message to others.
This vision is for a future time.
It describes the end, and will be fulfilled.
If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place.
It will not be delayed.” Habakkuk 2:1-3 NLT

We have been so careful not to initiate but to develop a posture of alert listening to what the Lord is speaking and then to listen again as to how we are to respond. In all of this process He has established the work of our hands. Our position is to lay down our Christian agendas and to seek relationship.

On 21 April an MLA informed me that he had lost his wedding ring on the weekend and was devastated. He had been traveling from Regina to Saskatoon to North Battleford to Lloydminster on the weekend speaking in churches. He told me the ring was valuable (worth about 10,000) and had great sentimental value as it had stones from the rings of his wife’s father and grandfather. He asked us to pray for its return. During our Monday night conference call a Holy Spirit unction rose up among us and we called the ring back to where it righfully belonged. I knew with certainty the ring was coming back. We also had asked that it would be found in a supernatural way that no man could take credit. One week later this MLA is out of province speaking when he awakes in the night and “knows” where the ring is. In the morning he phones his wife who is blind in one eye and has limited vision out of the other, to tell her to find someone to drive her to North Battleford to this remote field where they had walked their dog a week earlier. She was driven there and after only several steps out of the car saw the faint glimmer of the back of the ring in spite of being almost completely blind. The stones, part of a generational inheritance were buried in the mud not visible. Only a small protion of the hoop or ring was visible, the portion of the ring which is symbolic of covenant.

This speaks to me that the Bridegroom’s covenant destiny for Saskatchewan remains in effect. The generational involvement of the Church is not lost. The investment of past generations of believers in Saskatchewan’s destiny has been successfully passed on to us. North Battleford is also significant because this is a resting place of one of the great revivals in Saskatchewan. I believe the Spirit is saying, “What you thought was lost, is not lost. It will be fully restored. The future will be greater than the past. The destiny of Saskatchewan is established on the foundation of those believers who pioneered in past generations. Earlier generations have looked forward to and have seen this day.”

Now it is up to us to carry our portion.

Richard Lepp & Government Gate Team

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