Prayer and Public Policy – The Law of God and Public Policy

Prayer and Public Policy
The Law of God and Public Policy

Prayer must be the starting-point for all public policy.

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. 1 Timothy 2:1-4

Prayer is the means by which we may expect God to show us great things and mysteries we’ve never seen before (Jer. 33:3). Through repentance and prayer we may hope that the Lord will begin to heal our land (2 Chron. 7:14). Only by praying without ceasing, with brothers and sisters from many congregations and communions, continually and fervently, and with a focus on public policy and the coming of Christ’s Kingdom—only by thus praying can Christians truly hope to achieve the just and good society we seek (Matt. 6:10).

Here there is much work to be done. It seems clear today that we do not believe in such prayer. Where in your church, for example, do people pray in this way? When have you heard such prayers from the pulpit on Sunday morning? How often do prayers for such matters as we are concerned about in this study fill your own pleadings before the Lord?

We must repent of our unbelief and take up the work of prayer with greater devotion and dedication. We shall not be able to realize progress in Christ’s Kingdom, or in returning our nation to a greater experience of justice and goodness, apart from prayer.

Prayer is the starting-point for public policy. Prayer must be the sustaining power of public policy. And prayer in the form of worship will be the outcome of public policies, forged in prayer, which lead to a peaceful, godly, dignified, true, and Gospel-friendly society. As long as we continue to regard prayer as a perfunctory matter in the making of public policy, we shall not make progress toward the good society we seek. But let believers begin to unite together, lifting holy hands to the Lord continually and fervently for all aspects of public policy-making, and we will see the hands of God begin to move in our favor once again.

Visit our website, www.ailbe.org, and sign up to receive our thrice-weekly devotional, Crosfigell, featuring writers from the period of the Celtic Revival and T. M.’s reflections on Scripture and the Celtic Christian tradition. Does the Law of God still apply today? Order a copy of T. M.’s book, The Ground for Christian Ethics, and study the question for yourself.

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In the Gates is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T. M. Moore, editor of the Worldview Church. He serves as dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He is the author or editor of twenty books, and has contributed chapters to four others. His essays, reviews, articles, papers, and poetry have appeared in dozens of national and international journals, and on a wide range of websites. His most recent books are The Ailbe Psalter and The Ground for Christian Ethics (Waxed Tablet).

Scripture quotations in this article are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (c) copyright 2001, 2007 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.