In Matthew 24, Jesus gives a list of signs of the last days. One of these signs is found in verse 7 (NLT), “Nation will go to war against nation,” and I always thought that meant one country against another. But the Greek word for “nation” refers to “racial group.” That gives this list and this issue a whole new meaning, doesn’t it? Shouldn’t Christians lead the way for racial unity?
We have been putting Scripture about racial unity on stickers that can go anywhere, yet we have been putting them on the side of many Scripture stakes used to claim the land for God. Let’s review and pray these verses together. You can make your own, but we have stickers in our online store titled “Racial Unity” with the following verses on them:
“For by [means of the personal agency of] one [Holy] Spirit we were all, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free, baptized [and by baptism united together] into one body, and all made to drink of one [Holy] Spirit” (1 Cor. 12:13, AMP).
Baptism unites all races of Christians into one family.
Lord, help me to support and promote the unity of the body of Christ—of all believers everywhere. Forgive me for anything I’ve done in the past to damage it. Thank You for how baptism helps us to be unified in this process under the banner of Christ’s church. In Jesus’ name.
“But anyone who hates a fellow believer is still living and walking in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness” (1 John 2:11, NLT).
Christians who hate other Christians for any reason including race or skin color are living in darkness and have been blinded by darkness; remember, God is light!
Lord, deliver me from hatred, prejudice and pride. Unify all believers at the foot of the cross. Tear down the walls that separate us. Fill us with Your love and surround us with Your presence. Help us to show kindness and acceptance just as Jesus did for us in spite of our faults and flaws. In Jesus’ name.
“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart'” (1 Sam. 16:7, NLT).
Do not judge by appearance (like race or skin color). God looks at the heart, so please give others the benefit of the doubt.
Lord, forgive me for judging by outward appearances. I know You judge the heart. Help me to recognize and have discernment about the heart of others rather than their outward appearance. Grant me discernment of the spirit of others instead of physical features and characteristics. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
“I solemnly call on you in the sight of God, Christ Jesus, and the chosen angels to be impartial when you follow what I’ve told you. Never play favorites” (1 Tim. 5:21, GWT).
God, Jesus and angels are watching to see if you are acting impartial.
Lord, I know You, Jesus and Your mighty angels are watching. Please help me to be fair and impartial. Forgive me for showing favoritism in the past, Lord, and help me not to do that anymore. In Jesus’ name.
“From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries” (Acts 17:26, NLT).
We are all in the same family; we are all descended from Adam and Eve, so treat each other as family.
Lord, when I try to look down on someone else, remind me that we are all in the same family; we all came from Adam, and we all are the same race: the human race. Help me to show unending kindness and patience in light of that fact. In Jesus’ name.
“Bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you” (Col. 3:13, NASB).
Since we are all family, we should be very patient with each other, and we should forgive each other like God forgave us: totally and completely. Keep in mind that unforgiveness will eventually turn into bitterness, and bitterness will ultimately eat you up from the inside out. It’s sort of like cutting your own wrist and expecting the other person to bleed to death.
Lord, forgive me for my lack of patience with others in the past. Help me to be kind and patient with my brothers and sisters from now on, even forgiving them totally and completely, just like You have forgiven me. In Jesus’ name.
“But remember that anyone who does wrong will be punished for that wrong, and the Lord treats everyone the same” (Col. 3:25, NCV).
God treats everyone the same, so shouldn’t we?
Lord, more than anything I want to please You and avoid wrongdoing. Help me to be more like Jesus. Help me treat everyone the same, just as You do. May I always be fair and impartial. In Jesus’ name.
“Never mistreat or oppress foreigners, because you were foreigners living in Egypt” (Ex. 22:21, GWT).
We are never to mistreat or oppress—not immigrants and not locals.
Lord, help me to always show kindness. Forgive me for ever mistreating anyone in the past, and help me to always be fair and kind and encouraging to all others in the future. In Jesus’ name.
“There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28, NLT).
There is unity in Jesus for all people, tribes, colors, races and nations.
Lord, thank You for the unity we have as Christians. Help us to use that unity as an example to the world, reminding all others that through Jesus Christ we can have peace and harmony and happiness. In Jesus’ name.
“Stop judging by the way things look, but judge by what is really right” (John 7:24, NCV).
Don’t judge by looks.
Lord, forgive me for thinking right and wrong is opinion. Remind me that there are absolute truths, which all originate in Your Holy Word. Forgive me also for judging by outward appearance in the past, and help me from now on to judge by the standard of Your Word instead. In Jesus’ name.
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another” (John 13:34, NASB).
Love each other just as Jesus loves us. That means all “one anothers”—every color and every race.
Lord, thank You for Your great love; enough love to suffer and die in my place. Remind me that You died for everyone: every nation, every race and every color, and help me to love all others just as You demonstrated throughout Your ministry. In Jesus’ name.
“Here are some more sayings that make good sense: When you judge, you must be fair” (Prov. 24:23, CEV).
We are to judge, but we are to judge everyone and everything with complete fairness instead of any other human quality such as race or color or nationality.
Lord, forgive me for judging things in the past by my own standard instead of the standard of Holy Truth in Your Word. Help me to see all things from now on in light of Your commands and truths and examples. In Jesus’ name, amen.
“After these things I saw a large crowd from every nation, tribe, people, and language. No one was able to count how many people there were. They were standing in front of the throne and the lamb. They were wearing white robes, holding palm branches in their hands” (Rev. 7:9, GWT).
Remember that heaven will be a place of unity for all races, so why not start now?
Lord, I look forward to the day I join You in eternity; not only because I will be with You forever, but also because it will mean total and complete unity and harmony for all the races on the earth. May that day come soon, Lord, and help me to set an example for others in today’s world! In Jesus’ name.
“And I saw another angel flying through the sky, carrying the eternal Good News to proclaim to the people who belong to this world—to every nation, tribe, language, and people” (Rev. 14:6, NLT).
God’s good news is eternal and intended for every nationality, tribe, people, language and skin color, so how can we act differently in the here and now?
Lord, I praise You for creating angels who serve You and have delivered messages to all mankind throughout the generations of people of many different colors, races and backgrounds. I look forward to the day when I will stand in Your presence along with people from every race and nationality to praise You in eternity. In Jesus’ name.
“For God judges all people in the same way” (Rom. 2:11, NCV).
God judges everyone, and God judges everyone equally. He is totally without favoritism.
Lord, You are the one I serve, and You are the impartial judge. Forgive me for trying to please the world in the past. Now I focus on pleasing You instead. In Jesus’ name.
“That Scripture says ‘anyone’ because there is no difference between those who are Jews and those who are not. The same Lord is the Lord of all and gives many blessings to all who trust in him” (Rom. 10:12, NCV).
All Jews and gentiles are equal. God blesses all people of all colors who trust Him. He is Lord of all races.
Lord, thank You for adopting Jews and gentiles into Your family through Jesus Christ. Thank You for the unity and equality we can have together in Jesus; for bringing all races together in one place: the church. In Jesus’ name.
“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19, NLT).
When Jesus says “go,” He means to go to all people of all races all over the earth. Could it be any clearer? All Christians are to go, and they are to go to all colors of peoples.
Lord, forgive me for the lack of focus I’ve had for most of my life on Your Great Commission and on enlarging Your kingdom instead of focusing on my own. And forgive me too, Lord, for only focusing on people with my ethnic background or for thinking baptism is only available to the “elite.” Bring us all together In Jesus’ name.
“Peter began to speak: ‘I really understand now that to God every person is the same. In every country God accepts anyone who worships him and does what is right” (Acts 10:34-35, NCV).
To God, every single person is the same in every country and every race of every color, and He accepts all who worship Him and do what is right.
Lord, thank You for looking at every race equally, for Your impartial and just judgment of men based on character and deeds and not on skin color. Thank you for your servant Martin Luther King Jr. and for his life lived promoting such a world. Thank You, also, for accepting any and all who fear and obey You, no matter their nation or race. In Jesus’ name.
In light of these Scriptures, let me suggest that part of your personal, spiritual warfare battle plan might be to ask God how He wants you to join the movement for racial unity with grace and truth that comes from God.
Keep praying because prayer works.
Listen to this episode of Battle Plan on Charisma Podcast Network here. {eoa}
Steve Hemphill is an author, speaker, teacher and host of Battle Plan on Charisma Podcast Network. His books include My Search for the Real Heaven, My Search for Prayers Satan Hates, What Are the Stakes and God’s Power for Our Daily Battles. Learn more at active-faith.org.
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