Christian leaders do not leave their faith at the door of their respective Capitol. They not only have a right, but an obligation before God to govern by truth.  They have been given the sword and the scepter by God and will be held accountable by Him.  We help leaders understand how God speaks into every area of life and encourage them to stand boldly for truth.

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,  who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.” (1 Timothy 2:1-7)

We will naturally make plans. This is good.  The people will perish without a plan.   But as the Apostle James instructed we must plan with humility and prayer, aligning our will with that of our heavenly Father.

In 1 Timothy, Paul writes to his young protégé whom he had left in Ephesus as a pastor of a struggling church.  He gives him two charges: guard the church against false teachers, and nurture it into the image of the Lord, Jesus Christ.  The most important tool he gives Timothy is prayer.

The “First of all” at the beginning of verse 1 indicates the primary importance of prayer. D.L. Moody once said, “Every great movement of God can be traced to a kneeling figure.” Indeed, the fate of men and of nations is greatly dependent upon prayer.  When David went out under his own power, he was soon found on his knees, pleading for mercy and restoration. Thankfully, God is gracious to sinners.

A common question for those in the Reformed faith is, “If God is sovereign and does all His holy will, why should we pray?”  The simple answer is, “Because God tells us to do so.”  Verse 3 says, “This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior.”  Other passages like Philippians 4:6[1], Colossians 4:2[2], and James 4:2[3] also command God’s people to pray.  We should also note that prayer makes a difference. Verse 4 makes plain that prayer has an effect on people’s salvation and knowledge of the truth. Let us not quibble over God’s sovereignty and prayer and do what we have been directed by God to do: pray.

Paul tells Christians to pray for all types of people, but it is leaders that he specifically mentions here.  Paul knows that Christians live in a world that operates under the natural order.  That is, we have earthly rulers just like everyone else, and these rulers can either be supportive of Christ’s church or deleterious. We are urged to pray that we might live a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

What is the benefit of Christians being able to live a peaceful and quiet life?  It’s a lot better than the alternative; and the gospel spreads a lot faster when the government is favorable to Christianity.

Sub-Saharan Africa has been wide open to the gospel for decades.  While the governments in places like Uganda, Kenya, Congo, Rwanda, and Tanzania do not prohibit other faiths, they nevertheless support Christianity and even declare themselves to be Christian nations.   The result has been a massive awakening, with more people coming to Christ per year than make up the entire membership of the PCA.  Compare this to closed countries like China or North Korea, where growth happens, but at nowhere near the same rate.

The PCA believes that the church should have a voice in every sphere of creation and has a ministry that speaks within our nation’s houses of government.   It is called Ministry to State (MTS).

Ministry to State Evangelizes the Lost

There is a king who sits on the throne with creation as His footstool. And every knee is going to bow, and every tongue should confess Him as Lord. whether in this life or at the judgment.  1 Timothy 2 tells us that God desires that all people be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth, that there is one God and one mediator between God and man, Jesus Christ. Ministry to State ministers proclaim the gospel and love of Christ to our statehouses with the hope of seeing those in government know Christ as Savior and Lord.

Pray that the Holy Spirit would go before us, working in the hearts of the lost.  Pray that we will have boldness and gentleness.

Ministry to State Promotes A Biblical World and Life View

Christian leaders do not leave their faith at the door of their respective Capitol. They not only have a right, but an obligation before God to govern by truth.  They have been given the sword and the scepter by God and will be held accountable by Him.  We help leaders understand how God speaks into every area of life and encourage them to stand boldly for truth.

Pray that Christian leaders will be bold in their faith and their leadership, and that MTS ministers will have opportunities to meet Christian leaders and to speak into their lives with encouragement and wisdom.

Ministry to State Pastors Those Who Are in Need

MTS missionaries are ordained gospel ministers.  One of their chief gifts is pastoring people.  You would be pleasantly surprised by how many people seek out these PCA ministers at statehouses all around the nation.

Pray that MTS ministers will quickly be recognized in our statehouses as true friends and that we will have words of wisdom and hope for the bruised reeds and the smoking flax.

Ministry to State Connects the Church to Her Leaders

MTS ministers help to connect believers to their leaders through prayer.  MTS encourages church members to pray. We train them to pray.  We inform them how to pray for their specific leaders.

Right now, the fields are white with the harvest.  In light of highly politicized issues which have separated people in our culture, they are craving normalcy and looking more and more to Christ.  Young people are buying Bibles at record numbers, and my friends in PCA churches are telling me that they are seeing increasing numbers of adult baptisms.

Our Lord has already won the ultimate battle. He sits enthroned. Now He has given us a job: To make disciples. This happens best when our leaders are supportive of the propagation of the gospel.  Pray for our leaders and pray for Ministry to State’s faithful service with our leaders.  Pray for the Holy Spirit to descend upon our nation.  Pray that Christ’s people might lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

Jim Shaw is a PCA Minister and the State Capitol Minister to Atlanta, Georgia

[1] “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayers, and petitions, with thanksgiving, let your needs be known.”

[2] “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.”

[3] “You do not have, because you do not ask.”