Ruth Popov - United States

God Rules
by Ruth Popov
(Originally published in DOHI’s 1983 magazine)

Day after day, as I read the letters that come to us from concerned Christians in the Free World and from persecuted Christians in communist countries, I am reminded that we are engaged in a great spiritual battle. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age …” (Ephesians 6:12).

Over the years I have become convinced that believing prayer is our most powerful resource in this intense spiritual battle. Someone has said, “More things are accomplished by prayer than this world dreams of.” Time and time again, when we have faced impossible circumstances and immovable governments, persistent prayer has changed the circumstances and moved governments.

In this ministry, you and I are always up against human authorities that seem to be all-powerful. But, thanks be to God, the final authority is in His hands. Three times in the fourth chapter of Daniel, God reminded King Nebuchadnezzar that “the Most High rules in the kingdom of men” (Daniel 4:17, 25, 32).

In everything … the Most High rules.

Years ago, when my husband, Haralan Popov, was imprisoned with fourteen other Bulgarian pastors, all of the wives tried to take baskets of food and clean underwear to our husbands. We went to the prison where we had last seen them, but they had been moved. No one knew where they were. We were told to take our food and go home.

But we had prayed that God would move on the hearts of the authorities—and He did.

The guard did not dare to tell us where the pastors were. But each time we asked, he turned his head to the left, looking down the street toward the headquarters of the KGB. Finally, we realized that he was showing us where they were. We went down the street and were finally permitted to leave our food baskets.

The Bulgarian authorities had determined to keep the information from us. But the Most High intervened. He used a tough communist guard to answer the united prayer of fifteen women.

And God will surely intervene again if we ask Him in faith. He will prove that the Most High does rule in the kingdom of men.

As we pray for prisoners and their families, as we pray for the Church in China, and for the much-needed Spoken Bible and other projects, God will show Himself strong. “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him” (2 Chronicles 16:9). He will move men and nations as we pray in faith.

While we wrestle “against the rulers of the darkness of this age,” we do not battle in our own strength, but “in the power of His might.” We will not be victorious because we deserve the victory, but because Christ has already won the victory.

We are told to pray “without ceasing,” and to pray “with the spirit” and “with the understanding” (1 Corinthians 14:15). This kind of prayer is a constant attitude of prayer. Our words may be few. Sometimes our sighs can be the prayers of the Spirit. Often when Haralan was in prison, I could only ask, “Remember … please.” But that is often a prayer that is deeper than all our fancy words.

I urge you to unite in prayer with Christians throughout the world. Allow God to use you to bring about His rule in the darkest of the kingdoms of men.

May God bless you in this partnership in prayer.