Praying for our leaders leads to a quiet life, which creates an atmosphere for people to come to know God. First Peter 2:17 says, “Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.”
The Heart of Nations
I believe that nations have a heart. Social justice happens when the heart of the people of certain nations change. For example, they begin to love their children so foster care and child abuse decline. Or they learn to work hard and prosper; therefore the economy improves.
What we call “public opinion” is actually the heart of a nation. We can and should work with individuals, but there is a more powerful tool for changing people and that is influencing the way in which the “corporate mind” thinks about life. When the corporate mind changes, the behavior of that nation changes.
Jesus spoke of “sheep-and-goat” nations. It is clear that there are personal judgments as well as national judgments. There are national judgments because people corporately begin to think as “one man.” They lose their sense of independent thinking and take on a common mind. This mind can be influenced as it was in the days of the kings. When Israel had a good king, they would serve God, or when they had a bad king, they would fall away.
Call for Leadership
Discipling nations is about submerging the nation in God (not religion) and “teaching them all I commanded you” (Matt. 28:20). Teaching nations how to think is the core of changing cultures. As long as Christians aren’t valued in society, they have no influence in the world.
It is imperative that we become kings who learn how royal people influence one another. Otherwise, we reduce ourselves to social begging, hoping that the BIG people feel compassion for us and help our cause. This reduces the Christian message down to a cry for help instead of a call for leadership.
In other words, we do not need our nation to change for our sake; we have a living, abiding, unshakable kingdom that dwells within us and prospers under all circumstances. We need our nations to change for the sake of the world. The culture around them creates safety until they get the kingdom within them.
Christianity is not a subculture, but rather it is a counter-culture until the mindset of a nation begins to take on the mindset of the kingdom. Subcultures are those that exist under a more powerful culture. Christians are not subservient because God has assigned us the highest level of authority that exists on the earth.
However, it is important that we learn how to carry His authority. If we as believers become combative instead of confrontive, we reduce our influence to the small pond of the church and render ourselves powerless in the ocean of humanity. We are to carry God’s authority into the lives of people and nations through invitation, not through intrusion or invasion. Although we are called to be combative to the powers of darkness, we are to be honorably confrontive to people demonstrating the benefits and rewards of a superior kingdom.
Cultural Transformation
When Christians lose their desire or ability to be confrontive, they begin to be influenced by principalities. These demonic forces work to dethrone the Prince of Peace, who is the rightful prince of the prince-ables, and enthrone the prince of darkness. Consequently, the enabling principles of a culture become demonically inspired instead kingdom inspirited.
This dark prince works to enable evil thinking that ultimately leads to destructive behaviors. But when Jesus rules, He enables the principles of the King to transform the culture through the mind of Christ. In other words, people in that nation begin to think like God!
We are called to baptize the nations into the triune Godhead: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Father teaches us how to have someone over us, Jesus demonstrates how to get under people and the Holy Spirit shows us how to walk beside people. We need to learn how to carry our superior authority in a triune relationship to the world.
For more on this subject, check out my book How Heaven Invades Earth.
How do you pray for your nation? Tell me in the comments below.
Kris Vallotton is the senior associate leader of Bethel Church in Redding, California, and co-founder of Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry (BSSM). Kris travels internationally training and equipping people to successfully fulfill their divine purpose. He’s a best-selling author, having written more than a dozen books and training manuals to help prepare believers for life in the kingdom. He has a diverse background in business, counseling, consulting, pastoring and teaching, which gives him unique leadership insights and perspectives. Kris has a passion to use his experience and his prophetic gift to assist world leaders in achieving their goals and accomplishing their mission.
For the original article, visit krisvallotton.com.
Ron Allen 
Eddie Hyatt 
Michael L. Brown 
