PRAYERS THAT SHAKE NATIONS

God could easily impose his will on the world, but it's not his character to rule us with an iron fist. He would rather have us:  love and obey him by our own choice.  He also wants us to be in partnership with him through prayer to change situations that are contrary to his will.  This outward, selfless kind of prayer is called  INTERCESSION.  Intercessors seek God's help on behalf of individuals, cities & nations.
        The faithful prayers of one Godly person can change the destiny of a whole nation.
In 1 Samuel 7:5-9, the people of Israel were facing an enemy invasion and pleaded with the prophet Samuel to intercede before the lord for them. Samuel said he would only do so if they would stop worshipping idols and repent of their sins. When they did,  Samuel cried unto God on their behalf, and the Lord saved them from their enemies.
Let us identify something outside of our own situation today:  for which we would like to intercede. Let's ask God to show us specific ways to pray.

LET THE SPARKS FLY!

LET THE SPARKS FLY!
With voices getting louder by the moment and faces turning beet red, the two roommates squared off in sharp disagreement.
Though they were close friends, their strong personalities and opinions seemed to draw them regularly into conflict. As they worked harder to listen to each other and respond in a godly way, God began to shape them. After some months together, they were astonished at how many "rough edges " God had polished through their occasional disputes.
  Iron is sharpened by rubbing two equally hard pieces together. The friction polishes the metal but also causes the spark to fly! In the same way, the Lord uses our relationships to sharpen us spiritually. The habits and personalities  of our companions may grate on us at times, but these conflicts, even if they don't result in heated sparring, serve a useful purpose.
When our different strength, opinions & perspectives rub against one another, qualities such as pride, obstinacy & selfishness get ground away until we are sharpened tools, effective and ready for use.
Consider your difficult relationships. Can you see how Jehovah is using them to sharpen some rough areas in your life? (Proverbs 27:15-17)