SENTINEL WATCH October 11, 2010 Issue

ARE YOU A SPIRITUAL REVOLUTIONARY?

THOMAS MITCHINSON

FROM KENYA TO INDIA AND PAKISTAN and on to the United States, virtually every government faces monumental challenges these days. The question is, what are we doing about it? A favorite pastime in my own country is criticizing the government and blaming it for things that are wrong. Often that's understandable, and sometimes the government really has dropped the ball. But more and more I'm feeling that every government, in every country, needs our prayers. The complex issues they are grappling with, and the dangers facing them in relation to the financial and physical security of their people, are almost unimaginable.

The same divine wisdom that guided King Solomon millennia ago can guide all governments today. When faced with overwhelming challenges and very little self-confidence, he turned to prayer. Solomon asked God, "Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?" (I Kings 3:9). This humble acknowledgment, instead of political bickering, can bring intelligence to decision making. Such prayer can reveal how best to make necessary changes, stabilize honest government, and guide us in the present and in the future, instead of idealizing the past.

One of the most powerful prayers anyone can make on behalf of government is to recognize that intelligence and integrity are spiritual qualities given to each of us by God. This is true about all people. At the moment, they may not be acting that way, but that doesn't change the divine actuality. As God's likeness, they reflect intelligence, compassion, integrity, and honesty. Our insistent prayer along these lines can lead to healing that changes their behavior from evil to good.

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