We are beginning an exciting new year, and with every new year comes new year resolutions—about finances, relationships, diet, exercise habits, etc.

Imagine what would happen if God’s people were to make a New Year’s resolution to spend more time in prayer. Surely, things would dramatically change both spiritually and naturally. 

Things would change because: 

• Prayer pushes back against the powers of darkness. 

• Prayer overthrows the plans of Satan who, according to Scripture, seeks to kill, steal, and destroy. 

• Prayer is the key to obtaining victory in the spiritual battles between light and darkness. 

I hope that you are inspired to make prayer one of your resolutions and one of your priorities in 2024. 

Have you wondered whether your prayers really make a difference, or whether our prayers on this Zoom meeting once a month make any difference? 

If you have, I want to give you an example of how the prayers of one man moved God’s heart and saved a nation. 

In 2 Chronicles 14, we read that the Ethiopian army came out to fight against King Asa and Judah. The Ethiopians had one million men and three hundred chariots. There was no way in the natural that King Asa and Judah were going to win. They were defeated before their enemies, even before the battle began. 

But Asa cried out to the Lord, and said, “Lord, it is nothing for you to help, whether with many or with those who have no power. Help us oh, Lord our God, for we rest on you, and in your name we go out against this multitude. Oh, Lord, you are our God, do not let man prevail against you!”

The Lord was moved by King Asa’s humble prayer and his trust in Him. He responded and struck the Ethiopians before Asa and Judah, and the Ethiopians fled. 

2 Chronicles 14:13 says that the Ethiopians were overthrown and could not recover, for they were broken before the Lord and his army. 

The prayers of one man were the key in the battle between light and darkness. 

Throughout history, God has often chosen the few rather than the multitude to defeat the enemy. 

Another example of this is in 1 Samuel 14:6. As Jonathan the warrior was preparing to go up to fight against the Philistines, Israel’s enemies, he said to his armor bearer, “For there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few.”

Jonathan believed the Lord did not need the multitude to defeat their enemies! He was willing to go up alone to fight against their enemies because he trusted the Lord for victory.

He was not thinking about his own life or his own comfort. He was willing to give himself entirely to the Lord. Because of it, the Lord wrought a great victory for Israel that day. Their enemies were defeated before them. 

The Lord does not need a multitude praying to change cities, to change states, or to change our nation. He can work through just a few who are willing to pray. 

Over the years, we have mentioned Rees Howells and the small group of 80 Bible school students who interceded during World War II. 

It is believed that their prayers—their intercession—were what made the difference in the outcome of England’s war against Hitler. It was indeed a miracle of prayer. 

God has not changed. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He will work through those who, like Rees Howells and Jonathan, are willing to give of themselves to win the battle between light and darkness. 

He will work through you if you are willing to give yourself to prayer. 

Let us give ourselves to prayer in 2024 so we can see Virginia become a beacon of light to our nation!

For this month, we’ll be praying for the Secretary of Finance, which includes the Department of Taxation, the Department of the Treasury, and the Department of Planning and Budget to name but a few. 

Mr. Steve Cummings, our Secretary of Finance, is responsible for planning and executing the budget for the Commonwealth. He is also responsible for managing cash and investments as well as internal audits, and for forecasting and collecting revenue. He is responsible for the Department of Taxation and the Department of the Treasury. So, yes, we’re going to pray for those who collect taxes to fund the government. But first let me briefly build a biblical foundation for our prayer. 

Paul teaches us in Romans 13, “Every person must submit to and support the authorities over him. For there can be no authority,” he says, “in the universe except by God’s appointment, which means that every authority that exists has been instituted by God. … Those in authority are God’s servants for the good of society. … You are compelled to obey them, not just to avoid punishment, but because you want to live with a clean conscience.”

Now, it’s fair and reasonable to say that once established by God, all levels of our civil government require money to operate and to accomplish constitutionally assigned functions. 

The Pharisees tested Jesus concerning his relationship with the government and devised a plan to trip him up. They asked Him, “Is it proper for Jews to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” Matthew 22:17. Jesus told them to “pay the emperor what is due the emperor. But because you bear the image of God, give back to God all that belongs to him!” Matthew 22:21. By the way, Matthew was a tax collector himself.

Our forefathers appreciated the tension inherent in establishing a civil government and protecting rights to life, liberty, and private property. They intuitively understood that giving unlimited power to any man or man-made institution, to the State, even one established by God, would result in tyranny. They had experience living under kings and rulers who did not allow private property ownership but taxed them into poverty. They wanted to be sure they had a say in how they were governed, and they wanted their government, our government, to honor God. They wanted not only good government but godly government.  

Christians are commanded to pray and provide spiritual support. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 calls us to pray for all those in authority so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable in all godliness and reverence. This is also important because the Bible makes clear that government officials and magistrates are servants to God, and whether they acknowledge it or not, they have work to do for God—in the final analysis, they will give an account to Him. 

So with that, we want to pray for the Secretary of Finance. I mentioned earlier that Matthew was a tax collector. The Bible also mentions tax collectors in other passages. There were tax collectors in Capernaum who questioned Peter about whether Jesus paid the temple tax. Matthew 17. Matthew also mentions in chapter 21 that John the Baptist had baptized tax collectors. Luke alone records in Luke 19 the story of Zacchaeus, the tax collector who climbed the tree to see Jesus. Tax collectors and the Secretary of Finance are on God’s heart today. 

Let’s pray for our Secretary of Finance and for all those who work with him that they will have the wisdom to accomplish their responsibilities in a manner that honors God and not use our taxes to finance things that do not please God.