“Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.”
(Psalm 127:1; NIV)

“I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest…”
(Isaiah 62:6; NIV)

 

When the ancient city of Troy was besieged by the Greek army in 1200 BC, the Trojans thought that their defenses, especially their high walls, could never be breached. They were right. However, the Greeks did not mount a frontal attack on their walls, but instead cunningly deceived their enemy by leaving a large wooden statue of a horse. The idea was to feign defeat and honor the Trojans for their victory. Meanwhile, a band of Greek soldiers was hiding inside the horse’s belly as the Trojans unwittingly admitted the “prize of war” into the heart of their city. Later that night, as the residents of Troy slept, the hidden Greek commandos emerged to open the gates to the rest of the Greek army who savagely massacred the residents and destroyed their once proud city by fire.

 

In the same way, the greatest threat to America’s national security is our openness to deception and lack of watchfulness. The Trojans thought they were invincible behind their vast, high, seemingly impenetrable walls and defenses. We dare not become complacent, thinking that because we are the world’s “superpower,” we are safe from attack. That is not the case at all. Even great empires have fallen when their enemies succeeded in deceiving them and conquering them from the inside.

 

We must pray for our current and future administrations to be able and willing to boldly identify and confront threats to the nation. We also need to pray our leaders will have the willingness to look carefully at policies previously created or underway that might undermine and endanger our national security.

 

Points for Prayer:

 

Thank God for His deliverance and protection over the USA until now and for His mercy in the “divine turnaround” we experienced during the 2016 election.

 

Pray for President Trump and his administration and for our Department of Defense to have great wisdom as they seek to upgrade and modernize our military forces, both conventional and nuclear.

 

Pray for our various intelligence agencies and for the Director of National Intelligence, that they will work together in unity and careful coordination, being ever watchful to discover security threats.

 

Pray for any remaining cells of terrorists to be uncovered and plots foiled before any harm can be done. Pray that these dangerous people will be arrested and deported from our country immediately.

 

Pray for the removal of the corrupt and wicked from positions of influence in the government, including the CIA, FBI, and other intelligence agencies, as well as other governmental bureaucracies in D.C. and throughout the nation. The Lord is answering this prayer, but we need to see this process go further to ferret out and prosecute all “deep state” actors.

 

Pray that the moral and spiritual decline of America will be reversed. Identify in repentance for our national sins and ask for God’s mercy upon our wayward nation.

 

By John Robb
Co-Convener, National Prayer Assembly
Chairman, International Prayer Council