“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” –Hebrews 12:2
We often forget that it was the politics of His day that were the immediate cause of Jesus’ death. The Roman occupation of Israel, coupled with the jockeying for power among several Jewish sects, created a tension that simply couldn’t allow for a popular miracle-working preacher who offended all of the powers that were present. Much of Jesus’ teaching dealt with how to live in such a politically tense situation.
So in our day, as we struggle sometimes with even knowing how to pray for our nation, this is a critical command to embrace: Fix your eyes on Jesus. We don’t have to do this on our own. Jesus understands political and national situations and struggles. As we pray for our nation, we keep our eyes fixed on Him.
In prayer, fix your eyes on Jesus. Ask Him to show you how to pray for our nation.
Commit to enduring whatever it takes to see the fulfillment of God’s purposes in our nation.
Lord, today and always I choose to fix my eyes upon You. You lived in a land of political tensions and struggles and overcame, though at a great cost. Teach me how to pray and how to live in the midst of the battles we are facing as a nation. Give me the courage that You had to endure whatever comes in order to please the Father and see His purposes fulfilled.
Adapted from Desperate for Change, PrayerShop Publishing, 2012. The full devotional is available for purchase at www.prayershop.org
