Ezra: The Lord HelpsSample

The Church of England’s old Book of Common Prayer contains a wonderful prayer for those in authority. Penned by Archbishop Cranmer, it asks that those who rule this land would ‘truly and indifferently [impartially] minister justice, to the maintenance of thy true religion, and virtue.’ It is a prayer for those in government to pass laws that would both bring about justice and preserve Christianity in the land. 

To pray that, you have to believe that God is very powerful indeed – able to influence and guide unbelievers. That is precisely what we’ve seen in these explosive opening verses of Ezra. God moves in the heart of Cyrus (v. 1) – the unbelieving leader of the Persian superpower. So powerful is this work of God that Cyrus not only permits but positively promotes and encourages God’s people to be released from exile – in order to go back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple (vv. 2–4). This was, as Archbishop Cranmer would put it, for ‘the maintenance of … true religion’. 

That is quite remarkable in itself, but it doesn’t end there. Cyrus even urges people in his realm to give large sums of money to enable the rebuilding of the temple (v. 4). You can imagine a ‘Children in Need’ appeal on state television, but for the children of God who are in financial need. 

The Lord moved in the heart of Cyrus to begin a work of reformation. He can do the same again today. We are threatened by significant changes to the law which could easily hamper our efforts to proclaim the gospel. Persecution won’t ultimately stop the spread of the gospel – it never has. But we should pray for the Lord to so work in the hearts of those in authority – even unbelievers – that we would be able to press on with gospel ministry, unhindered and unhampered. We could pray for more than that: for the government to promote and even fund the cause of the gospel. That’s what happened in 539 BC!

Reflection

How often do you pray for the government? Do you pray that authorities would pass laws and act in ways that do not hinder church growth and even promote gospel growth? Read 1 Timothy 2:1–4, then pray for leaders to create a peaceful environment where the gospel can be freely proclaimed to everyone.