Influence

Derek and I were at a dinner with fellow believers last night, and they graciously allowed me to mostly listen during the conversation (as is usually my preference in group settings).  I'm seeking to learn to delight in the people and exchanges around me and participate through silent prayerfullness when not vocally.  This role has helped me to rest in and accept the introverted nature bestowed on me by my Creator.

 

At one point the conversation drifted to discussing politics and the brokenness of our societies (both Peru and the US) and about how difficult it is for a Christian to rise to a position of influence politically or professionally.  As they discussed, I was thinking about how God calls us to reign with Him and have dominion--words which seem to imply great influence.

 

 

Revelation 5:10 – “and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,  and they shall reign on the earth.”

 

Daniel 7:27 – “And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High His kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.”

 

Galatians 3:29 – “And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

 

2 Timothy 2:12 – “If we endure, We shall also reign with Him.”

 

Hebrews 2:8 – “You have put all things in subjection under His feet." For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him.”

 

Ephesians 2:5-6 – “even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus”

 

 

I wrestle to understand how much of this describes our present role versus our future role.  However if prayer is as powerful and consequential as I think it is, it alone constitutes a force at our disposal that is a lot like the power to reign.  Since Christ is already seated on the throne of heaven and doing His will in all the world, and since He has seated us with Him and handed us the authority to pray and thereby bring about His plans now, then in a mysterious, behind the scenes sort of way, we ARE reigning, or at least possessing the potential to reign, right now.

 

 

As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 4:8, “Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you!”

 

 

I think that we underestimate our potential influence in the here and now.  We see that the world doesn’t value what we have to say, but I wonder if spiritual beings in the world take much greater heed of us and our prayers of faith—perhaps even than we do. 

 

 

I think of Daniel and the incredible influence that he and his prayers had in an incredibly pagan setting.  And He was not someone who seems to have aspired to greatness personally.  He merely prayed 3 times a day and accepted the suffering which came to Him as from the Lord’s hand of mercy and grace.  He managed to keep his spiritual eyes open and watchful in the face of temporal anguish. 

 

 

Oh Lord, keep my spiritual eyes open.  Allow me to recognize the kingdom missions that you place before me daily and help me to have faith in the victory potential offered to me by Your authority.  Father, remove my fears of personal discomfort, injustice, weakness, and mismanagement.  Enable me to delight in the seat of royalty you’ve bestowed on me for the present time and grant me wisdom to embrace the ways in which you call me to reign in the world today.  Amen.