This is a copy of a prayer that the Governor of Oklahoma recently gave.
“Father, we just claim Oklahoma for you. Every square inch, we claim for you in the name of Jesus. Father, we nothing apart from you. We don’t battle against flesh and blood but against principalities and darkness.
And Father, we just come against that, we just loose your will over our state right now in the name of Jesus. We just thank you and we claim Oklahoma for you as the authority that I have as governor and the spiritual authority and the physical authority that you give me.
I claim Oklahoma for you that we will be a light to our country and to the world. We thank you that your will was done on Tuesday and Father, that you will have your way with our state, with our education system, with everything within the walls behind me.
Lord, we pray that you will root out corruption and bring the right people into this building.”
It is so wonderful to hear a leader pray not for his will, but God’s will be done. So often when we pray, we tell God our conclusion of how we want things to work out. Then when we don’t get the result we asked for, we question if God is answering our prayers.
As a young man, Daniel and his friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, were taken captive and deported to a foreign land. As devout Jewish men in a pagan land, I am sure they came up with many solutions of how God could overthrow the Babylonians and reestablish Israel as the blessed nation it was under King David.
Instead, we read over and over how they trusted God’s will to be done. They trusted God would solve the dilemma of eating unkosher foods. They respectfully asked to be allowed only water and vegetables as a trial and God intervened. God used their faithful obedience to show His power and glory.
When confronted with worshipping an idol, the three friends refused to disobey God. The king tried to get them to deny God and worship him, but they trusted God no matter the outcome. Again, God used this situation to demonstrate His Power and Glory.
Daniel spent the night with a bunch of hungry lions because he trusted God’s will to be done. He faced death when the king ordered all his magicians and advisors killed because of a dream the king didn’t understand. Many times Daniel turned to God, trusting the source even though he had no clue of the outcome.
We recently had another election in this state with disappointing results for Christians. We are watching the people that openly endorse evil win time and again. We often feel a little like Daniel and his friends facing captivity as we watch evil being called good and good called evil. We need to remember that God’s will will be done. We may not see the desired results in our lifetime. Daniel never returned to Israel. He died in captivity, but God used him where he was.
There is a statement that several people have been making lately. “God has put you in this time and place for a reason.” There is a reason you weren’t from a prior era nor from a future time. Not sure of the biblical accuracy of this statement, but it is a take-off of the old “bloom where you are planted”. The point being, we need to take courage, continue to trust God and walk faithfully with Him. Remember, He is faithful.