A Better Kingdom: How Christians Bless Their Nation, From Jeremiah 29

How should a follower of Jesus feel about their country, especially when it feels divided? Scripture gives a clear answer. You are a citizen of heaven first. From there, God calls you to pray for the place you live, seek its good, and live faithfully without putting your hope in any party or leader. Love and pray for your nation, but give your ultimate allegiance to the kingdom of God. So change the question. Instead of asking how God can bless your nation, ask how God can use you to bring His kingdom into it.

Where does a Christian's citizenship come first?

A Christian's citizenship is in heaven first. Paul says it plainly.

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Philippians 3:20

Pastor Marty Sloan pointed out where our Savior comes from. He comes from heaven, from no office in the Senate or the House.

So before you are anything else, you belong to the kingdom of God. Pastor Marty applies it to himself: before he is an American, a husband, a father, or a pastor, he is a Christian. Everything else flows from that.

The kingdom of God is God's rule through Jesus. It never ends, it is run by God, and it crosses every border. The kingdoms of men rise and fall and are run by people. Membership in God's kingdom comes through Christ in you, whatever your ethnicity or nationality, and anyone can enter by trusting Jesus.

Should Christians pray for their nation and its leaders?

Yes. God calls us to pray for our nation, the one we live in and the nation they come from. Paul gives the instruction.

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people, for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

1 Timothy 2:1 to 4

Look at what Paul asks for. He doesn't tell you to pray for more wealth, technology, or conquest. He asks for peace, quiet lives, godliness, and holiness, so that the gospel can go to everyone.

Notice also what Paul leaves out. He never says to pray only if you agree, or only if your candidate wins. Paul wrote this under the Roman Empire, which was killing Christians. He still told believers to pray for those in authority.

Pastor Marty offered a simple daily prayer: "Lord, bless this nation and turn our hearts toward you."

What does Jeremiah 29 teach about living in a broken culture?

Jeremiah 29 teaches you to build, plant, and seek the good of the place God has put you. God's people have always lived in nations that did not fully reflect heaven. In Jeremiah's day, Jerusalem had fallen. The temple was gone, and the people were exiles in Babylon. God sent them this message.

Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.

Jeremiah 29:5 to 7

God didn't tell them to complain endlessly or tear the city down. He didn't tell them to split into camps or hate those who disagreed. He told them to settle in, raise families, and pray for Babylon. Pastor Marty summed it up: "Make Babylon better because you live there."

For example, he pictured it in modern terms: build a house, plant tomatoes and cucumbers, grill on the back patio, and enjoy your grandkids. God has you there for a reason.

The church can't treat retreat as the answer, and ranting online won't fix anything either. The answer is a kingdom presence at work around you. If you live in Egypt, be a Joseph. If you live in Babylon, be a Daniel. If you live in a broken city, be a Nehemiah who rebuilds it. If you live near Sodom, be an Abraham who pleads for mercy.

How can I live faithfully without compromise?

You can live like Daniel: be faithful without compromise. "Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine" (Daniel 1:8). He served in a government that didn't honor his God, yet he kept walking with God every day. He influenced kings without letting them influence him.

Daniel shows that you can serve a nation without worshiping it. Pastor Marty loves his country and prays "God bless this nation" every time he sees the flag. He also warned that if your hope rests in Democrats or Republicans, you're already compromised. Calvary is a kingdom of God church, and its platform is the Word of God.

Theology over ideology is the idea that God's Word should shape your views on your nation more than any political system does. Pastor Marty noted that over the last 100 years, the presidency has been split almost evenly between the two parties. A century later, we still need Jesus. Pastor Marty said the answer starts on your knees in prayer.

Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.

1 Peter 2:17

Notice the order: fear God, then honor the emperor. Governments are temporary. Kings rise and empires fall, but the kingdom of God remains.

Who is God's kingdom for?

God's kingdom is for every nation. Jesus did not come to build one nation. He came for every nation. God told Abraham that all peoples on earth would be blessed through him (Genesis 12:3).

Pastor Marty has visited 32 nations. In Ethiopia he once watched a man pray with his whole being, and it made him want to pray differently. Calvary gets a taste of heaven every week with more than 70 nations in the house.

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.

Revelation 7:9

The Lord's Prayer gives you balance and focus. "Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10). You vote, serve, care, and pray, but no president saves and no empire redeems. Wherever God plants you, make that place better, because heaven lives in you. Stop trying to take over and start shining. For further reading, Pastor Marty suggested Faith for Exiles by David Kinnaman and The Church in Babylon by Erwin Lutzer.

Common questions

What does Jeremiah 29:7 mean for Christians today?

In Jeremiah 29:7, God told His exiled people to seek the peace and prosperity of Babylon and to pray for it. Christians today can follow the same pattern by praying for and working toward the good of the city and nation where they live.

Should Christians pray for leaders they disagree with?

Yes. In 1 Timothy 2:1 to 2, Paul urges prayer for kings and all in authority. He wrote this while the Roman Empire was persecuting Christians, so the command doesn't depend on whether you agree with the people in power.

What does it mean that our citizenship is in heaven?

Philippians 3:20 teaches that a Christian's first identity and loyalty belong to God's kingdom. You can love and serve your country, but you belong to Christ before any nation, party, or label.

How can a Christian be involved in politics without idolizing it?

Follow Daniel's example: serve faithfully and respect authority, but refuse to let any government or party take God's place. Pray more than you rant, and let God's Word shape your views more than any ideology.