Fundamental Components

Psalm 72:7Fundamental ComponentsPrayer shapes our days. Prayer shapes history. Prayer shapes our future. Prayer shapes the man. Prayer shapes the man in authority. Prayer gives a man his days. First-priority-prayer focuses on fundamental components in a leader’s life and days.“In his days the righteous shall flourish, and abundance of peace, until the moon is no more.” The completion of this statement will of course occur when He who is our blessed hope comes to establish his reign in Zion, in that day when the uncompromisingly righteous will flourish in the land and when peace will abound.The completion of this statement may be brought forth in rulers’ lives by a company of uncompromisingly righteous men and women. Days of this kind may spring forth as answers to daring prayer, a kind of prayer which in itself carries the characteristics of the days so eagerly pursued. Blessed is the ruler who is able to count such men among his benefactors.

What are those days going to look like, those days in which one finds uncompromising righteousness? What richness of attraction those days will hold when peace will abound. What does the modern church present? Do we reflect the beauty of holiness? What does it take to bring in days of this quality, of this radical otherness? What will it take to be able to offer a foretaste of the rule of the Righteous One? What will it take to produce days in which a prosperity and richness will be presented which is profoundly different from the shallow, cheap counterfeit presented at this present hour? A King wrote this line: “Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me.” Kindness and goodness – simple words, forgotten words, immensely rich and beautiful words. What does it take to bring them into the scene of the affairs of men again?

Kindness and goodness goes together with quietness. Quietness goes together with moral stamina, with uncompromising righteousness. Quietness does not bring timidity, it stands for integrity, balance and singleness. These are all qualities that need to be revived. Any revival expected should have its focus in bringing this vital issue to the forefront. To be occupied by these fundamental components is to move “from strength to strength”; each one of these qualities appears in the uncompromisingly righteous before God in Zion. Ps 84:7. What we have here lies at the heart of the Law which shall go forth from Zion, the law which the peoples and nations will hasten to adhere to.

Underlining the obvious: Righteousness can only be established in righteousness. Righteousness can only be prayed forth by those who hunger and thirst for it. Righteousness, and prayer bringing righteousness, begins in a heart which finds the opposite utterly repulsive and disgusting. Intercession which will bring forth a righteous ruler begins in desperation – “Burning indignation has seized me because of the wicked”, Ps 119:53. Pray until this prayer grown into a blazing fire in your heart. Then, only then will “those days” come. May justice and welfare flourish, and peace abound. There will be no way that the war for righteousness and peace will be fought and won by a mind bent towards unrighteousness. Our shallowness, our superficiality, our complacency speaks against us. Our pride concerning what we label exploits in the name of the Lord finds no limits. Our desire for tranquillity and security based on standards which Heaven finds debasing must come to an end. Uncompromisingly righteous – no other standard will pass as sufficient.

The peace of the Lamb is our goal, only peace will suffice as our tool. Praying men are the true peace-brokers. The rest which is God’s rest is set forth as the standard. Only that rest quantified and substantiated in a praying community will bring days of rest to the minds and hearts of rulers and leaders and their people. What is ruling with Christ like? How does one learn to rule? How to learn the laws which will bring uncompromising righteousness? How to learn the language used in the courts of the upright? Are we to become experts on theology, do we have to master volumes upon volumes holding every piece of instruction and correction for each and every situation to come up among men? The Law, the whole law is contained in the Newness of Life. The Law is the law of the Spirit of Life – do we know Him? Is our fellowship a gathering which has no other aim than a waiting for a revelation of This Law of Life in full and steady operation?

The law of life cannot be established or defended by a mind in which there is little room for that law. The Spirit of life does not mirror Himself in a mind which is prone to strife and opposition. Defending righteousness by aggression, pride and selfishness is to begin a quest in defeat – one cannot bring victory by tools designed for failure. Speaking to a man about his evil ways is easy, any man can move in with force on the sins of another. It takes grace speaking in a manner which will touch the conscience of a sinner. It takes much praying to bring forth a situation in which such words can be presented. It takes quality prayer, it takes first-priority-prayer to bring fort days of righteousness and peace. It takes quality prayer to bring forth men of righteousness and peace. It takes prayer which springs forth from a heart desperately hungry for righteousness to bring those days when righteous shall flourish, and abundance of peace, until the moon is no more. Prayer, effectual fervent prayer focuses on essentials. Prayer, effectual fervent prayer focuses on fundamental components of life.