Jeremiah 29:7
7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. (ESV)
7 And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace. (KJV)
Ever found yourself in a place you did not expect, or do not want to be? You may indeed feel as if you had been carried off into a situation; you may feel like you are a captive, like you are in exile from the place of the lifestyle you once had or wish you could have. And maybe, if you are honest, you played a role in your captivity, in putting yourself there...
Or maybe you feel captive to the current political climate in our country. Maybe you say to yourself "I'm stuck with an administration I do not like" and drive around with bumper stickers proclaiming in denial "#notmypresident". Maybe you are confused about the refugee crisis happening globally - can you imagine being forced into exile because your entire city was blown to pieces? Only to enter a climate into which you are persecuted.
I used to remember feeling as if I was a prisoner in school sometimes, and a slave to The Man working at jobs I loathed just to pay the rent; sometimes modern life has me captive on a hamster wheel. Maybe you were even in a literal prison.
Now stretch yourself. Take your attention away from your chains and the walls being built along the borders, and turn toward God. He knows you are there. In fact, he has a plan - a reason - for you being there! A few verses later in this chapter, the Lord says:
Jeremiah 29: 11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.
It may seem hard at first, but we are called to pray for the place and the situation we are in which we do not prefer. If you think about it, this makes sense, because while we're there, we might as well have that situation be blessed; we would much rather experience peace than anxiety. God promises us in the verses above that he WILL hear us if we seek him. He is to be found in places and situations that might seem godforsaken.
This prayer also takes the attention off our personal situation and extends it out unto the entire city, to the others in similar places and situations. Families, schools, offices, cities, nations - these are all interconnected networks of individuals with hopes and fears, and all in deep need of prayer and of the Lord. All are seeking peace.
Imagine if all the protesters and rioters in a restless nation sat down to pray together in the streets instead of shoving each other around; or if that bumper sticker said "#prayforourpresident"; or if a refugee came into a country and said, "I am here now, and I will do my best to make this place better for the natives here, and my generations who will be born here."
Pray for the welfare of our nation and for all nations, no matter how frustrated you are about being captive in the current global situation. Pray over it. God promises to hear, to restore, to deliver from captivity, and to give us peace in the meantime.
ASK by BJ PUTNAM
You said ask And You would give the world
We say yes Heaven come to earth
We cry out
Lord we ask for the nations Faith is rising, we now believe As we ask for the nations
You will remember all that You’ve promised We ask, Lord we ask
Send us out Out to the broken ones
Show us how To love the world You love
And we cry out Oh we cry out
Lord we ask for the nations Faith is rising, we now believe
As we ask for the nations
You will remember all that You’ve promised We ask Faith is rising, we now believe
As we ask [for the nations] You will remember all that You’ve promised We ask, Lord we ask
All, I’ll give my life All, I’ll sacrifice it all All that is mine is Yours, it’s all Yours
Take it all I’ll give my life and all I’ll sacrifice it all All that is mine Yours It’s all Yours
We ask Faith is rising, we now believe As we ask
You will remember all that You’ve promised We ask, Lord we ask