Recently I was waiting on the Lord for guidance on how to pray, quietly sitting while holding my Bible. I had planned to begin a Daniel fast. I dislike fasting. Did I have to do it? It's hard! So I was wondering to myself, should I follow through?
With that question in my mind, I opened my Bible. To my surprise, its worn pages fluttered open to Daniel chapter 10. Many times before, the Lord has guided me with an "open Bible." Amazed, my eyes went straight to the verses where Daniel was fasting for three full weeks before an angel arrived with God's message. Daniel the prophet was entreating the Lord to forgive Israel's sin and restore her inheritance.
Significantly, Daniel's fast occurred as Cyrus was starting his third year of rule. Cyrus was a pagan king in a heathen land holding Israel captive, yet he was God's key man, being carefully described by the prophet Isaiah. (Isaiah 44:28, 45:1) Likewise, the captivity of 70 years had been described in advance by Jeremiah (25:11).
Using the scriptures, the Holy Spirit was impressing upon me that my timing was on target. I was indeed to enter into a Daniel fast and intercede for God's people to return to their full destiny and divine inheritance. In Daniel's day it was the nation of Israel needing restoration. Today it is the people of God, the body of Christ. But our inheritance is more than spiritual. Our nation given to us by God through our forefathers, is part of what we must labor to preserve. The battle is over the land and the inheritance of the righteous. The United States of America is in danger of disintegration. Great blessings can be gained or forfeited based on which way America goes.
Will we obey God's word and pray for those in authority? This is a command to us (1 Tim. 2:1-2), not to curse, but rather intercede with prayers for our nation's leaders. To fail in this is to abdicate our role as believers using God's authority by praying in His name. The timing is critical. We need to be praying for President Trump. Our future national welfare is at stake.
God used King Cyrus, a non-Jewish ruler anointed by God, to be a pivotal player in Israel's history. Daniel saw this in the scriptures and prayed according to God's word. He repented with tears in behalf of the sins of his forefathers. Angels got involved. History changed its course. Daniel's timely intercession opened the heavens and set the stage for God's prophetic word to be fulfilled. Amazingly, the Israelites came out of captivity and were restored to their land by Cyrus' decree. They came out of captivity authorized to rebuild, being given ample resources to do it. That's what we need in America today.
In America, Donald Trump is our King Cyrus. If he is carnal or contentious, it's irrelevant. God chose him to lead us. Though opposed mightily, he's anointed to govern, to save us from dissolution, and to restore us to our Constitutional foundation. He is in a fierce spiritual battle against media manipulation.
To summarize, we are entering the third year of Trump's presidency like Cyrus was in his third year. The fate of the nation now hangs in the balance. The power to turn things around is not in political hands, but in the hands of those who align with God's will. Can we become like Daniel and pray?
-- Ron Wood is a writer and minister. Email him at [email protected] or visit www.touchedbygrace.org. The opinions expressed are those of the author.
Editorial on 01/23/2019