Praying for Those who are Blue
As I was contemplating the recent election, I felt so much hope for our nation. In the midst of the hope, I also felt concern over my own state and the other “blue” states. It was like everybody in class was invited to the birthday party except those wearing blue. Every state moved toward the right, but not every state made it to the party. I heard snide comments about those “blue” states. I saw people posting about avoiding vacationing in blue states.
I thought, “Wait, don’t leave us behind!” You know what it is like to have a leader you don’t agree with that is taking your land in a direction you don’t want it going in, but now that our nation is moving towards not having that type of leadership, are you forgetting that there are parts of this nation still under ungodly leadership? Sure, our states didn’t have a majority that voted for the shift, but in every state there are somewhere between 32% to 48% that voted for change. In California alone over 5.75 million people voted to Make America Great Again.
I understand the frustration with those states which are entrenched in policies that grieve the heart of Father God. I have that frustration at times myself, but I live in the midst of it and see the Ekklesia praying and working to expand the kingdom.
So how can we pray for blue states whether we live in one or not? How do we pray for the Ekklesia in those blue states?
Recently I was studying the story of King Hezekiah. I took comfort in Hezekiah’s admonition to his people in the face of attack from Sennacherib in 2 Chronicles 32:7-8 “Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.” I love the picture of an arm of flesh reaching out trying to control or conquer and then the Lord our God responding! We all know our only hope is in God working, but it is especially evident for those living in blue states or blue cities.
In the next passage King Sennacherib of Syria does a classic ploy of the enemy. He tries to get the people of God to walk in doubt and unbelief. In 2 Chronicles 32:15, “Now therefore, do not let Hezekiah deceive your or persuade you like this, and do not believe him; for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people from my hand or the hand of my fathers. How much less, will your God deliver you from my hand?” and again in vs. 17, “He also wrote letters to revile the Lord God of Israel, and to speak against Him, saying, “As the god of the nations of other lands have not delivered their people from my hand, so the God of Hezekiah will not deliver His people from my hand.”
Don’t fall into the trap of doubting our good God. The enemy would love for us to accept our situation as unchangeable and to give up and walk in self-pity. He would like for seeds of division to be sown between the red states and the blue states. The Ekklesia has an opportunity to span our whole United States as an agent of unity.
Next in the story is a great encouragement to us in 2 Chronicles 32:20-21, “Now because of this King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz prayed and cried to heaven. Then the Lord sent an angel who cut down every mighty man of valor, leader, and captain in the camp of Assyria. So he returned shamefaced to his own land.” (Where he was killed by his own offspring.) Obviously, we are not hoping the leaders of the opposition in our states and nations are killed, but wouldn’t it be wonderful if every demonic influence returned shamefaced to his own land!
More than ever, now is a time we need to ask the Lord for revelation on His strategy for these current times and battles.
We need to ask questions of the Lord. For example:
1. Lord, where are you working in our state or city?
2. What can the Ekklesia do to be more effective in our region? Where do we need to reorganize? Where should we stand firm?
3. Who is the Lord using in our state to shift things? Who can we align with and work with?
4. What gifts in the greater body of Christ do we need to ask for help? (Are there leaders we need to invite into our region?)
5. What prophetic words do we need to hold onto in this season and what declarations do we need to make?
Some key prayer strategies:
6. Pray for God to release the Spirit of the Fear of the Lord over the region.
7. Break word curses spoken over your city and state spoken by the enemy. For example, our governor has declared, “This state is an abortion sanctuary state.”
8. Break judgments by those in the body of Christ. Remember that life and death are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21). Well-meaning people can speak judgements that can hold negative things in place. What is being said may be a fact, but if the situation in your state is not the will of God, let’s break the judgement and believe for change. For example these judgments might sound like, “That state always votes blue,” or “That state will never change!”
9. Exercise your faith and believe for harvest and transformation.
10. During times of transition the political spirit is looking for ways to take advantage and gain power. Let’s stand against the political spirit ruling in our region, state and nation.
11. Declare exposure of all corruption.
12. Declare an uprooting of all demonic strongholds.
13. Break hopelessness, discouragement and lethargy off of the prayer army.
14. Just as the enemy has had their blueprint to take regions and states, we call forth the Lord’s blueprints over our cities and states and the leaders to implement them.
Remember God heals. Sometimes he uses doctors and medicine and sometimes he uses miracles. The same is true for lands, God heals. Sometimes He uses elections and government and sometimes he uses miracles of revival and transformation. If your state hasn’t shifted governmentally, there is still hope.