There is much transpiring on the world stage. We are living in a time of great transition and reset in the nations. Iran’s population is revolting against its Islamic leaders, Venezuela had its dictator recently removed, the nations within the European Union are collapsing socially and economically, and the war between Russia and Ukraine is making the headlines of the day. 

While those issues are front and center in the news, all nations on Earth are in a time of transition and reset. What is happening is a global domino effect. To sit week after week in our churches and hear pastors say nothing about what concerns their people is a failure of leadership.

Some are wondering what we can do to end these conflicts. To say, “We need to pray,” can seem insufficient to those who do not yet understand the power of prayer. 

In the book of Ezra, a single verse gives us an indication of how we should pray. That kind of prayer is about turning the hearts of leaders toward cooperating with the will of God. It happened in the time of Ezra as the Temple was being built because the Lord “had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, so that he aided them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel” (Ezra 6:22).

The word “nations” is mentioned over 500 times in Scripture. Jesus addressed the state of nations in His discourses. Paul mentioned the nations in his address to the philosophers in Athens, revealing God’s intent for each nation, “His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him” (Acts 17:27).

In the Great Commission, our New Testament marching orders, Jesus referenced nations. He said, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations” Matthew 28:19).

It has been amazing to see some elements within the Church teach their people, either directly or by inference, to ignore the nations and focus only on their personal faith. That approach is selfish and narrow in its focus. The Old Testament prophets, Early Church leaders, and the Lord Himself did not share that opinion.

How we choose to pray for the nations will define the kind of world we will leave behind for our children, grandchildren, and future generations. If the leaders we pray for refuse to follow the voice of God, they will be removed from their positions of leadership because they stood in the way of God’s will for the nations. Our prayers are more powerful than we can imagine.