So when the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed to the Lord and said “Strike this people, I pray, with blindness.” And He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

II Kings 6:18 NKJV

Here is a prayer we do not hear very often, “Please strike those people with blindness.”

Corrie ten Boom is famous for helping many Jews escape the Holocaust in the Netherlands. She was eventually captured and sent to a concentration camp with her sister. While carrying a Bible to the camp’s entrance, Corrie was searched by the guards. She prayed that they would not find the Bible and by God’s grace the Bible was not found. There are accounts of prisoners coming to faith through her Bible reading and witness.

When Elisha went down to the Syrian army he prayed to God for their eyes to be blinded that they might not be able to see or recognize him and their surroundings. God answered his prayer and struck the Syrians with blindness.

We often pray for the Lord to give sight to eyes blind to Christ and to give hearing to the ear deaf to His glorious gospel. After all, isn’t that the point of praying, “Thy Kingdom come” (Matt. 6:10)?

Praying for the coming of the Kingdom of the Lord has at least three parts (1):

1) Praying for the Kingdom of Grace to be advanced. That is, that many more who are blind would hear the Word of God proclaimed, and by the Spirit at work in them, would believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor…and recovering of sight to the blind…” (Luke 4:18).

2) Praying for the Kingdom of Glory to come. Jesus said, “Surely I am coming quickly,” and we pray, “Amen, even so come, Lord Jesus” (Rev. 22:20)!

3) Praying that Satan’s kingdom, the kingdom of the world, would be destroyed. For the house of God to be built, the kingdom of Satan needs to be destroyed. When the Lord returns, Satan and all his allies will be cast into the fires of Hell for eternity. Praying for the advancement of Christ’s kingdom includes praying for the destruction of Satan’s spiritual kingdom.(2) “Put on the whole armour of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles [schemings] of the devil” (Eph. 6:11).

When Elisha prayed and God answered, it was a God honoring prayer for the protection of Elisha, his servant, the city of Dothan, for all Israel, and even for the Syrian army itself who may have been destroyed by the army of the Lord had they moved against Elisha.

We can pray for the eyes of the enemies of God to be blinded so that they cannot carry out the harm they intend for His people. As communist governments in various countries hunt for Christians and the underground churches we pray that they may not find them even as Jezebel could not find Elijah whom she intended to kill. We pray that women who would desire to kill their children would be blind to Planned Parenthood and other abortion mills, thereby sparing the life of their unborn child whom they are called to protect. We can pray for the blindness of governments in nearby countries (see Pastor Coates in Canada)(3) to the house of the Lord that they might not send their inquisitors to hinder and imprison God’s people who are worshipping Him in Spirit and in Truth.

From the balance of II Kings 6 and throughout God’s Word we also see much prayer for blind eyes to be opened to the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ that seeing they may repent, believe, and be saved. Even as we pray for blindness of those intent on doing harm to the Lord and His creatures, may we always pray that the Lord would give sight to the eyes of those in darkness that they may see the glorious things of God in His Word.

Thy Kingdom Come!

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(1) Westminster Shorter Catechism Question. 102. What do we pray for in the second petition?
A. In the second petition, which is, Thy kingdom come, we pray that Satan’s kingdom may be destroyed; and that the kingdom of grace may be advanced, ourselves and others brought into it, and kept in it; and that the kingdom of glory may be hastened.

(2) Throughout history and to our present day many individuals, nations, and even whole continents have fallen into great sin, error, and death, misapplying the doctrine of the Kingdom of God. Like the Jews in Christ’s day, many have looked for a Kingdom that was here on earth. Towards that end, they exchanged the truth of God for the deceitful doctrines of men and pursued violence, murder, and war in the name of Christ and his Kingdom. A short study of the medieval crusades reveals the theological ruin that had taken place in Europe prior to those wars built on another gospel of works righteousness, greed, and hunger for power that was no gospel at all. Physical violence in the name of Christ profanes and blasphemes the name of Christ and must be far from the minds of those who have been born again by the Spirit. Christ’s Kingdom is not of this world and the warfare God speaks of is “not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12).

(3) A recent statement from imprisoned Pastor Coates can be found here.

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