Is it appropriate to pray about current events?

Is it appropriate to pray about current events in our time? Sometimes, because of the intensity of everything going on in the world, you may decide that it’s too much—I’ll just let God handle it; after all, He’s sovereign.

I’ve learned that when I don’t gauge what I’m hearing in the news by the Word of God, a sense of despair can creep in, seeking to weigh me down with fear, worry, and hopelessness. The feeling of oppression that accompanies being overwhelmed can constrict your faith and pressurize you into backing away from praying for our nation. Like the Israelites of long ago, you might feel like a grasshopper before the seemingly insurmountable circumstances facing the country and exploding around the world, and as a result, this can cause you to recoil from praying about what’s going on.

In the Bible, the majority of the men sent in to spy out Canaan were overwhelmed by what they saw. They said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us” (Numbers 13:31b).

And yet Caleb declared, “We should by all means go up and possess the land, for we will surely overcome it” (Numbers 13:30b). Because of his good report, Caleb was commended by God who described him as having a different spirit in following after Him fully (see Numbers 14:24).

I’ve heard several Christians say that they don’t like to intercede about current events because they’re concerned they might pray against the will of God. “After all,” they confide, “we’re in the end times. The Bible says that things will go from bad to worse. If we pray for things to change, aren’t we in danger of praying against the plan of God?”

Jesus said that the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy (see John 10:10), and many of the events we witness today absolutely involve stealing, killing, and destroying. When you pray to inject light and truth into situations or pray to hinder or thwart evil, you are not praying against God but against the author of stealing, killing, and destroying—the devil. Of course, as you pray, be alert to the Holy Spirit— He knows the details more intimately than you ever could, so let Him direct how you pray.

You may not be able to impact every current event going on in the world, but if you don’t pray, one thing is certain—you won’t impact anything.

You may be familiar with the story about the man who walked down a beach after thousands of starfish washed ashore. He stooped frequently as he walked to pick up another “sea star” to throw it back into the waves. A companion, seeing the multitude of beached starfish in both directions, asked him, “Look at all those things! Picking up a few dozen and tossing them back into the water won’t make any difference!”

The man straightened back up with another starfish in his hand. Tossing it into the ocean, he replied, “It’ll make a difference to that one!” You may not be able to impact every current event going on in the world, but if you don’t pray, one thing is certain—you won’t impact anything.

But if you are still concerned that you might pray the wrong thing at the wrong time—after all, it may be the end times when things will go from bad to worse—consider this: The Lord Jesus didn’t condemn the man in the parable for pulling his sheep out of a pit on the Sabbath—the day when all work ceased (see Matthew 12:11-12). Instead, this man’s labor of mercy in freeing his innocent animal was acknowledged by Jesus as appropriate despite timing of the Sabbath rescue. In light of this, are we called to turn a blind eye to creeping agendas of lawlessness meant to steal, kill, and destroy our neighbors and countrymen when we have been given the power in prayer to bind and to loose? (See Matthew 18:18.)

The Bible declares that you are more than a conqueror (see Romans 8:37), even now, even when things seem to be spinning out of control. As you refuse to cast away your confidence (see Hebrews 10:35), you will find that the prayers you pray will become bolder, more targeted, and more saturated with Scripture.

It is written in two places in the Old Testament that God sought for an intercessor but found none (Isaiah 59:16, Ezekiel 22:30). Be found of Him, willing to take a stand in prayer about those things in the nation and the world that grip your heart. Then, if Jesus does return in your lifetime, He will be able to say that He did, indeed, find faith on the earth, for He found it in you.

Dorothy

However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth? Luke 18:8b