“He who loves purity of heart, and whose speech is gracious, will have the king as his friend.“ — Proverbs 22:11.

Are you so focused on watching the king’s hand that you forget to look at his face? With gracious speech and a pure heart, you will have the king as your friend. When God sees your pure heart, He will turn the heart of the king in your favor; and the king, hearing your gracious words, will approve of you. Therefore, change your ways. Change your character. God will cause situations to turn in your favor.

We live in a world where those who rule and lead are not guided by the Spirit of God. In other words, they are not Christians. Often, we think we don’t need them to reach the top because they don’t share our beliefs. As Christians, we tend to reject the idea that God could use such people. We assume that if God were to act, it would have to be in a way that aligns with our logic. It’s as if we know God so well that we believe we can predict how He will act.

We expect God to fit into our narrow way of thinking, which completely excludes those outside the covenant as instruments to fulfill His will. I believe Nehemiah, Joseph, Daniel and his companions, and Esther had a better mindset than ours. All of them were promoted by kings who worshipped idols — in reality, occultists.

Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, Darius, Artaxerxes, and Ahasuerus were not Jews, and they had no faith in “YHWH.” Even though each of them recognized God’s greatness and power, it is never written that they renounced their worship or rituals. Yet, these are the very people through whom God’s will was fulfilled.

Nehemiah could have said he didn’t need Artaxerxes since he had the Almighty God with him, and if God had to act, it would necessarily come from Jerusalem. But who in Israel could have helped Nehemiah? Let’s be honest — the country was in ruins and vulnerable, the wall destroyed, the people had turned away from God, and some were discouraged. No one in Jerusalem could have helped Nehemiah.

As I said, Nehemiah had a different mindset from ours. He knew the king held the key to the success of his mission and understood this when he asked the Lord to grant him favor before the king.

“The king’s heart is like a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He pleases.” Proverbs 21:1.

God answered Nehemiah’s prayer — he indeed found favor with the king when he appeared before him. He didn’t need to speak much, just presented his nation’s situation, and the king, deeply moved, asked only two questions:

“Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, ‘How long will your journey take, and when will you return?’ It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time.“ Nehemiah 2:6.

God turned the king’s heart. He is capable of reaching even the most unyielding leader to accomplish His will. But to do this, He needs people who pray and intercede — nothing happens with a snap of the fingers. We can continue focusing on ourselves, hoping that things will change and that those in authority will make good decisions. But nothing will happen unless we pay the price of intercession, unless we stand as watchmen for our families, neighborhoods, cities, and nations.

God is looking for people who will stand in the gap so He can touch the hearts of our leaders. I’m telling you, nothing is impossible for God, and Nehemiah shows us that prayer works.

“For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, till her vindication shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch.“ Isaiah 62:1.

This passage urges us to fervent prayer — all our strength must be channeled into prayer. We must raise our prayer standards if we desire change in our environment. No change happens without prayer. If occultists can spend nights calling upon their gods to make things change, why can’t we — children of God, a chosen people? It is through prayer that we receive everything.

Look — Artaxerxes went even further. He wrote two letters: one as a permit to facilitate Nehemiah’s travel and prevent Judah’s enemies from stopping him on the way, and the other authorizing him to take all the materials he needed for the construction work. This is what God can do when we turn to Him — He changes the heart of whomever He wills in our favor, to the point where whatever we ask for is granted…

This text is an excerpt from the book “The Economy of the Kingdom” written by Emmanuel MENIE.

We invite you to read the next article: “Leaders Who Change a Nation’s Mindset.”

GOD TURNS THE HEARTS OF KINGS. GOD TURNS THE HEARTS OF KINGS.

GOD TURNS THE HEARTS OF KINGS. GOD TURNS THE HEARTS OF KINGS.