to us, hasn't he? He's been faithful to our country, faithful to us as individuals. Praise the Lord for a faithful God. Now I want you to take your Bibles tonight and turn to 1 Timothy chapter number 2. 1 Timothy chapter number 2 in our Bibles. I trust all of you have a list now of the officials that we're going to pray for tonight in our service. I want to give you a little bit of the reason why. 1 Timothy chapter 2, we know Timothy was written by the Apostle Paul to his young preacher boy Timothy. Timothy was a pastor at Ephesus. He faced some challenges. His church faced some challenges. In the day and age in which they lived, Nero was in charge. He was a ruler. He was a wicked ruler, hated God and hated God's people. He was known for political murders and the persecution of Christians. There was a fire that happened in AD 64 in Rome. It was blamed on the Christians. That, of course, caused there to be more turmoil and more persecution from Roman authorities. Obviously, having been released from Roman imprisonment recently, Paul was aware of what was going on, what Timothy was facing and the church at large was facing. And he called the church in this section of scripture to pray. The Apostle Paul knew that prayer makes a difference. And we read here specifically verse 1 of 1st Timothy 2, I exhort therefore that first of all supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and for all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty, for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior. And then we see God's heart, God's heart for the lost, who will have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. It makes a difference. It makes a difference in our individual lives. It makes a difference in our church lives. It makes a difference in our community. It makes a difference in our government. And I want to take just a few minutes tonight before we spend some time in prayer. And I want to see, I want to look at some illustrations of this that we find in the Word of God. So I want you to turn to 1 Kings chapter 17 and I want us to see first of all how prayer makes a difference here in the nation of Israel, specifically with regards to Ahab and regards to God's man Elijah. And we find ourselves in 1 Kings chapter number 17. God's people had gotten away from God. Elijah comes to God's leader, he comes to Ahab, the leader of Israel there. The Bible says in verse 1, And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. Imagine going to the leader of this nation. Imagine going to President Trump or any of the presidents, pick your favorite president, and walking, and somehow you get there to the White House, somehow you get a voice, maybe you're having a tour of the White House, I don't know, and the president comes out, and you look at the president and you say this, hey, it's not gonna rain again in the United States until I say so. You think, wow. I mean, probably initially, Ahab and any other king would have said, You're crazy. You think that you can control the rain? You're nuts. But after a few days and a few weeks and a few months, what happens? It doesn't rain. It doesn't rain a drop. As a matter of fact, you can read in 1 Kings 17 how God takes care of Elijah and how God provides for him there at the brook. In chapter 18, he comes back and he says, hey, let's talk about the Lord and the things of God. And he has a showdown here in 1 Kings 18. And you're familiar with it. He challenges them that God is God. And of course God delivers and the rain comes. How do we know that it was Elijah's prayers? Well we read in James chapter 5, Elijah prayed. Elijah talked to God and moved God. Now he had grounds to move God because the scriptures tell us in the book of Deuteronomy, God said to his people, you get away from me and I'm going to shut up heaven. I'm going to close up heaven and you're going to have no rain, which means you're not going to have any crops that are going to grow and it's going to take place. And he had grounds, biblical grounds to go before God as God's prophet and to plead. And of course, God led and God worked and God moved in this nation in answer to the prayers of Elijah. Prayer moves a nation. Prayer moves the hearts of those that are in charge of the nation. Let's look at the book of Esther. Esther in chapter number 4. in Esther chapter 4. We read this story, and again, all of these stories really you're familiar with. What I'm trying to do is help us to see that prayer moves God. The Bible says the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, and he moves it with or so ever he will, Proverbs 21 and verse number 1. In Esther chapter number 4, we know that God's people again are up against it. And we see here in chapter 4 and verse number 12, let's read verse number 13. Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house more than all the Jews. We know that those people that hated God, Haman and his folks, decided that they're going to try to get rid of the Jews. They're going to try to get rid of God's people. We know that the king had to summon for somebody, even for the queen, in order for that person to enter into his presence. We know that if someone came into his presence, and the king did not hold out his scepter, that that individual would be killed. Esther's the queen. There's a problem. There's a law that's been passed against God's people. And of course we know that Esther was a Jew. And what do they call for? They call for a time of prayer. Esther says, verse 15, Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer, Go gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan. And fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day. And I also and my maidens will fast likewise. And so will I go into the king, which is not according to the law. And if I perish, I perish." What are they doing? They're seeking God. And we know. What do we know happens? You know the story. It just so happened that the king couldn't sleep. It happened back in the day that Mordecai helped save the king's life. It just so happened that the king couldn't sleep. It just so happened that the king woke up. It just so happened that he happened to read the section there where Mordecai saved his life and he asked this question. Was anything done for him? And again, you know the story, and what does God do? God moves in the king's life, by the way, in a number of ways. He holds out the scepter. Esther had to take a step of faith, didn't she, for God and for his people, and Mordecai challenged her, hey, you come to the kingdom for such a time as this. She had to say, hey, fast, pray, I'm gonna go into the king, and he holds out the scepter. God gives her favor in the eyes of the king, and of course she's able to explain the whole situation, and God delivers, and Haman is hung from the gallows that he built for Mordecai. What an amazing story. I tell you, you see God's prominence in this whole story. The book of Ruth is another tremendous, I mean of course they're all tremendous books, What do we see? We see God's people getting together and God moving in a nation and delivering His people. Look at Nehemiah chapter 1. Ah, we have gone through Nehemiah, we're just about done. We got a couple more problems that Nehemiah faced and we'll be finished with our study on this book. But Nehemiah chapter one, Nehemiah finds that God's people, God's city, the walls of Jerusalem have been burnt with fire. It's just a disgrace. Verse four of chapter one, I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned certain days and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. We see a desperate Nehemiah. He has to go to the king and he's got to get permission. And by the way, he wasn't allowed to be in the king's presence sad. And he's burdened. He's weighed down from this. You can see that this is so gripping him and burdening him. And he tells us in verse number two, Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? This is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid. Why? Being sad in the presence of the king could mean the end of your life. Where's a high? Imagine working for somebody and they say if you're not smiling and happy, not just you're going to be fired, you're done. Well, I'd have to take some happy pills before going to work or something, you know? But Nehemiah, what does he do? Nehemiah had already fasted and prayed. But I like this little quick prayer. He says in verse four, then the king said unto me, what does thou make thy request? What do you need? So I prayed to the God of heaven. And what do we see in the book of Nehemiah? We see God giving Nehemiah favor in the heart of the king, and he's allowed to go back and rebuild the walls. Prayer makes difference that's why Paul again admonished Timothy hey spend time in prayer and spend time in prayer for the kings and the rulers those that that set the laws those that enforce the laws why we may live a godly a quiet and peaceable life so that God's work can move forward you know this story to look at Daniel chapter number two Daniel chapter 2 Nebuchadnezzar is about to kill them all He has a dream. Nobody can interpret it and he says man Everybody's done. They're all done everybody and what do they do Daniel verse 17 of Daniel 2? He goes to his house. He says hey, give me some time. Would you give me some time verse 16? he desired of the king that he would give him time that he would show the king the interpretation and 17 of Daniel 2 then Daniel went to his house and made the thing known to Hanani Mishael Azariah that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven God blessed Daniel God gave Daniel the interpretation of the dream and by the way We'll not read the whole story there Daniel gives all the glory and all the praise to God They get together and say man. This is desperate if somebody doesn't interpret this King's dream if somebody doesn't figure this out man We're all dead And they get before God, and together they pray, and they desire mercies of the God of heaven. God, would you deliver? And God gives them favor, obviously, to give time. But God gives them the interpretation. They give the honor and the glory to God. They interpret the dream, and you know the story. What does God do? God delivers. We see a similar story a few pages over in Daniel chapter 6. Daniel was a man that prayed. We know that. Prayed three times a day and the only thing they could get him on is his prayers. You know the story. Let's make a law that says you can't pray to anybody except the king. By the way, if someone wanted to get you, how would they do it? You think about it, there's a whole message right there just on Daniel's life. They had watched him. They had studied him. They were after him. They were out to get him. Why? Probably because he brought conviction. Probably because he so walked with God, and so had the blessing of God, and so saw God work. They didn't like that. We're going to get him. We're going to take this man down. We're going to take this guy down. They can't figure out anything, so they say, okay, well, let's come up with a law. And what does Daniel do? He hears about the law and the Bible says in verse 10, When Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house, his windows being opened in his chamber. He could have closed the windows. He could have prayed in the closet. No other after me man, I'm going to lock the closet. You know, he could've prayed, but what does he say? It don't matter to me, I'm gonna do just what I've normally done. He opens the windows and he prays to God. Daniel was a man that walked with God. And we look at the end of this story, just like the end of the story there with Nebuchadnezzar, what does the king do? The king says, his God's God. You see, God so moves and works in the heart of the leadership. Why? In answer to prayer. Prayer moves God's hand. Prayer works. Let's go to the New Testament. A couple in the New Testament and we'll be finished. Acts chapter number four. Acts chapter four. The disciples are doing what they're supposed to be doing, right? They're out talking to people about Jesus. That's what Jesus said. Go out and tell people about me. Chapter 4 and verse 13, they saw the boldness of Peter and John. Acts 4, 13. They took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus. And so what do we see? We see the rulers, priests, the rulers. getting them together, the elders and scribes, and they say, hey, look, we're not doing this anymore. You're not doing this anymore. Chapter 4, verse 17. But that it spread no further among the people, let us straightly threaten them that they speak henceforth to no man in this name. And they called them and commanded them not to speak nor teach in the name of Jesus. And what does Peter and John say? Hey, we have to, we cannot but speak the things which we've seen and heard. And then we see a nice prayer meeting here. Lord, would you give us boldness. I don't know about you, they just keep on doing it and what happens? Chapter 5, they get in trouble again. They get in trouble again, they've prayed, they've asked God, Lord, we're doing what you want us to do, and we find them in Acts 5 getting in trouble. Verse 28, "...did not we straightly command you that ye should not teach in this name? Ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine." Boy, there's a whole message there. filled Jerusalem, filled Chester Springs, Pennsylvania with the truth of Jesus, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us. And then Peter says what? We ought to obey God rather than men. And if you look at this, it's interesting how the story goes. Verse 38. And now I say unto you, refrain from these men, and let them alone. For if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to naught. But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it." They beat him. They tell him, don't speak in the name of Jesus. They rejoice that they're counted worthy. You suffer shame. And they go out and teach and preach Jesus. They could've been locked up forever. So you're gonna lock you up, we're gonna kill you, we're gonna, but what do we see? We see again God working and God moving in answer to prayer. My favorite church prayer passage is in Acts 12. And this is the last one we'll look at here. Acts chapter 12 and verse number five. You see this passage, the church is facing persecution. They kill James. Alright, James is out here and he's telling people, just kill James, get rid of him. And boy, that pleased the Jews. Verse 3, Acts 12 and verse 3. They said, let's take Peter too. They put him in prison. Verse 5, tremendous verse. Peter therefore was kept in prison, but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. When Herod would have brought him forth the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, and what do we see God do in answer to prayer? I mean, Peter's up a creek. I mean, for all, you look at Peter, Peter, good knowing you. When you look at it, I mean, look at where he was doing. Hey, we killed James, we captured James, we killed him. We're going to do the same with Peter. And the church says, hey, we better get together and we better pray. And I'll tell you, a prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. There's a lot there. The church was united together. And people weren't worrying about petty things that don't matter. People weren't about themselves. They were all seeking God for the deliverance of Peter. And I'll tell you this, I think churches would have a lot more impact if we'd unite together to seek God for the deliverance of people that we know, people that are chained, people that are bound, people that are in sin, people that are hopeless, people that need help. The devil will do whatever he can to keep a church from praying. He'll do whatever he can to keep an individual from praying. I know if it's you, one of the biggest challenges is to say, hey, I gotta pray and I'm gonna get together and pray and I gotta seek God and take time to pray. I'm thankful for Wednesday night, we've set aside time to pray. Sunday mornings at nine o'clock, we set aside time to pray. We pray before Saturdays and we have activities going out. We spend time in prayer and we've called some special prayer meetings. And again, our men are gonna pray together the last Friday of July, write it down, plan to be here, start at nine o'clock. And we need to pray. We need to pray for those in authority over us. I don't know about you, but you're aware that some people in authority over us are being attacked? Imagine, how'd you like being the President of the United States? You know, one of the biggest challenges somebody in authority like the President has is he makes decisions based on what he knows. We often are critical based on what we don't know. It's easy to be a couch, what is it, an armchair quarterback. When you're in the trenches, we have no idea the attack of Satan on our leadership. We know that our vice president has trusted Christ as Savior and he's on his way to heaven. We know that by his own testimony. You think about not just the president and the high official come all the way down even to the township here. And the challenges that even a township supervisor would have. What do we need? We need to pray. They need wisdom. They need God's wisdom as they make decisions. Why? Apostle Paul admonished us to pray. for those that are in authority over us. Prayer makes a difference. I'll tell you this, we need as a nation to get back to God. We really do. God is the answer. Blessed is the nation, God said in His word, whose God is the Lord. And I tell you, the further an individual gets away from God, the further a nation gets away from God, the more difficulties there can come. I tell you, as a nation, we've gotten away from the Lord. Now, as I said this morning, I'm encouraged with some steps that are being made to help the gospel to go forward and to help people really see that Jesus is the answer. But I want to take, we've celebrated, or we've talked about our nation here today. We've sang patriotic hymns, and we love America, and I hope you do. And if you love America, you'll pray for America. If you love our nation, we'll pray for those that are in authority over us. And so we have nine men, correct? Where's Pastor Drew? Nine men that are, men, can you project, can you project as a man could, all right? Whoever's praying, kind of nod at me, and I won't make you all come up here and stand by the microphone. We wanna give some time here now to seeking the Lord, and when the last one has prayed for Joe Toner here, then I'm gonna pray, and we're gonna transition into our Lord's Supper service. And I would encourage you, God says, if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. And I would encourage you as we set some time, as we take some time here to pray, I would encourage you to ask God as a psalmist, did Lord search my heart? see if there be any wicked way in me, and Lord if there is, show me and I'm going to get it right, because I want you to hear and answer my prayer. So who is going to start here? Who is praying for our president?