A Reason for the Lord to Have Mercy
October 12, 2000
[For use in corporate or personal prayer]
“O Lord, how can your people know the way, when their leaders lead them astray?”
As Moses stood in the gap when your people had departed from your ways, worshipped a false god, and had fallen into immorality [Exodus 32-33], so now I stand today to plead the case of your people:
O Great Father, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Author of Life, Giver of the Holy Spirit — have mercy upon us.
We confess that we have sinned against you in so many ways that if we were to number them, many books could not contain the record. If you were to destroy us and wipe us off the face of the earth, you would be entirely just in your judgments of us because our sins are many. We have turned from your Word; we have pursued pleasure and not righteousness; we have been cowered by the threats of the enemy; and we have longed for the praise that comes from men rather than prefer the praise that comes from God alone. Forgive us, Father, for turning away from you towards this world and its false affections. We have many idols. We are guilty and without excuse, O God. But for your sake and for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, though you would be just to destroy us, you have called us to be a kingdom of priests to intercede on behalf of the world. Therefore, Lord Jesus, Father Almighty, Gracious Holy Spirit, I now plead the case on behalf this people.
Look, O Lord, upon the people of this nation. They are like sheep without a shepherd who have been scattered among the hills by the roar of the lion and the prowling of the wolf, [Ezekiel 34, Zechariah 10]. False teachers have arisen in the midst of the flock to betray and deny your Word. They all claim to be speaking in your name, and the sheep are confused. These “teachers” have taken the seat of Moses and put on the garments of the priest, but they have counseled with a council of lies – to the end that even the leader of this nation is surrounded by those who claim to speak for you, yet who also say it is all right to destroy the littlest ones who rest within the womb.
Is it any wonder, Lord, that your people are scattered, when wolves have entered the fold and put on sheep’s clothing in order to lead your people astray? How can the people know the truth when even their pastors and priests mislead them? The people are scattered and confused because they have not heard your voice through the shepherds, O Lord. They have not heard You speak with One Voice. They have heard the arguing of the scribes but not the Teaching of the One who has Authority.
Come therefore now, O Lord, and stand in the midst of your flock [Micah 5:4], to shepherd them, that they may have a choice, hear your word and obey it! Have mercy upon us, for your Name’s sake, Lord Jesus — that through us you may be exalted in the earth – that the shout of joy and the cry of “deliverance” may yet again be heard in this land! Let your Name be exalted with thanksgiving and showered with a chorus of praises because of the victory you work on behalf of your people! Let it be so, Lord, and let it be told among the nations!
Father, there is yet another reason to have mercy upon this people: for 40 years, a generation, a foreign king has oppressed them and has forced alien laws upon them. And for 40 years, frog-mouthed spirits have been loosed against this people to indoctrinate them with the law of this king. These spirits have used gossip, intimidation, propaganda, and have disheartened your saints with a cascade of lies. All manner of things have been spoken against your people, falsely, because of you O Lord.
Hear, O Lord! It was not by the will of the people that you were dethroned. They did not remove you from the schools of this Land. They did not vote you out nor desire it; it was forced upon them. They desired their children to be taught of you, but it was forbidden. It was not by consent that they were forbidden from praying or speaking your Name in the schools of this land, yet they were impelled to attend these schools through the economics of the public purse. It was not with but against the will of the people that your Commandments and your Word were taken from the public places in our Land. When the people desired to acknowledge you and your ways, it was declared illegal. No Lord! It was by the oppression of a foreign king, who threatened this people with lawsuits and imprisonment if they disobeyed, that these things happened. This arrogant king, the devil himself, passed his laws through the courts to oppress your people. Your people did not choose these laws, Lord. Even today, if the people were free, they would choose today to acknowledge You as the only God, Sovereign Lord, and Leader of this nation. So, Lord, have mercy upon your people and rescue them from this foreign power and its evil ways.
Lord, it was not by choice nor by vote nor by Constitution, that murder became a right protected by the laws of this land. Even today, the majority of the people are against abortion for any reason, but their will has been thwarted continually by the courts of this foreign king. When they try to pass laws restraining the evil, their will is overturned. It was not by choice that parents were deprived of the right to intervene and even know of their children’s situation. It was not by vote, O Lord, that the perversions of lust became protected privileges of the state. The people of this land did not will these things. It is true, Father, that we allowed it, and for that we are guilty, but we did not choose it, it came upon us. Have Mercy, O God and deliver us, that we may again worship you freely and acknowledge your Name and establish your will by the laws of our Land.
Father, remember the sacrifices of those who tried to stop the murder of little ones made in your image – the murder of those waiting to be born. When some of them, your Church, took to the streets to raise up a cry of “repentance” and issue the prophet’s warning of “injustice,” we were arrested and thrown into prison. Some were stripped of property; others treated like criminals and members of organized crime. Even the right to freedom of speech was taken away to protect the murdering spirit reigning through the courts of this foreign king. And when the rest of your people saw what happened, they were afraid to speak out. They were scattered. Forgive us Lord.
But remember also, Holy Spirit, how for 40 years, those who believe your word, and who have upheld your truth and your values, have been subjected to a catalog of lies from the mouth of the frog-like spirits of deception. In the media, the mouthpiece of this alien king, evil is called “good” and good called “evil.” License is promoted as liberty, and respect for life is vilified. Promiscuity is rewarded and purity is disdained. Those who want the freedom to pray, worship you, and acknowledge you as the Only true God and Savior are called “oppressors” and “intolerant.” Those who honor your Name and your Righteousness are called “bigoted” and “mongers of hate.” This did not happen just once, but daily. Just as your people in Egypt were subjected to the slavery of making bricks without straw under the taskmaster’s whip, so your people today are subjected daily to the whip of your enemies, who use the power of public slander to castigate and threaten.
Yes Lord, we have bowed under the whip. We have eaten at the fount of pornography and promiscuity, and we have fallen prey to the flood of lies, and for that O Lord, we are guilty. But we did not choose these things; they came upon us. The temptation of lust became our daily bread, and the false heralds of “freedom” declared it “good” for us. The courts of this alien king also declared that unholy and sinful temptations could not be censored or removed from the eyes of the people. The courts equated the freedom of worship with the license of sin. And daily, the assault upon our senses increases.
Yet in all this, the media still does not represent the majority of the people. The media serve the interests of the powerful few who intimidate even the legislators through a barrage of lies. The media do not reflect the will of the majority, Lord, yet constantly they try to manipulate the populace to uphold the values of this alien king. And your people are weakening, year by year, under the onslaught of the power of these lies. Your people are getting used to their slavery, Lord. Let us not become comfortable with slavery!
Therefore, O Lord, though we have sinned and surrendered to the powers of this age, we beg of you to have mercy upon us. For the sake of your Son Jesus, forgive us and deliver us from the oppression of the enemy, and restore our freedom, that righteousness may again reign through the will of the people over the courts and laws of this land. Give us courage and boldness to stand for you. Let our only King be Jesus, and may Jesus reign as King over this Land once again. Lord, we cannot save ourselves from this situation. Only You, O Lord, can deliver us.
Therefore, we beg of you Lord, Come! Give your people One Voice. Draw out from among your people the false shepherds and the wolves. Make a distinction between the true and the false, so that the people may clearly see —who is on the Lord’s side. Give authority and power to the shepherds who uphold your Word. And let the Spirit of unity and agreement reign in the true Church — that the world may know the voice of the Lord and discern it from the devil and his lies. Stand O Lord, in the midst of your Flock, this people in the United States, and gather them unto yourself. And then O Lord, Lead them that we may know your victory on this earth!
Father, hear us, for we ask this all in Jesus’ Name and for his sake.
Amen.
Prayer by Jefferis Kent Peterson
May be freely copied and distributed.