On Sunday, the 16 November, Romania held its run-off election for President. Contrary to all the polls, Iohannis Klaus – the Mayor of Sibiu City, and a staunch evangelical Christian – easily beat Victor Ponta, the current Prime Minister, who is the representative of the left and extremist parties. Klaus represents the Christian Liberal Alliance. Under his leadership Sibiu was brought up from bankruptcy to one of the most prosperous and civilized cities in the country. He is an Evangelical Lutheran believer. He has a personal relationship with God and the Bible is the most important book for him. Mr Johannis has a clear message about the future of the nation. ‘Jesus Christ is Lord of our nation!’
Soft-spoken and even-tempered, Iohannis proposes a presidency free of scandals or upsets that might discourage investment in Romania: “We need a sort of politics with less noise and more involvement in the current problems, a sort of politics with less empty show and with many more solutions for Romania and for Romanians.” The president-elect’s fluency in German and English is a considerable asset in his foreign policy role. Romania’s head of state is powerful in other ways as well, naming not only the prime minister but also judges and prosecutors, and has a considerable consultative voice in setting government policy in the European Union’s second poorest member.
Twenty five years after the bloody overthrow of Ceacescu’s communist regime, the Lord is giving the Romanian people a new start. Mr Iohannis started the election day worshipping the Lord in
his local church in Sibiu.
What hasn’t been told is that a very strange thing happened on election day: around 3:00 pm the people started to vote in huge numbers for Mr Klaus until the end of the legal time, when polls still suggested victory for his rival. But he eventually won by a margin of over 8% to become the 5th President of Romania. This was considered as an answer to the prayers of His people and God’s intervention in the nation.
Ioan Peia, the Central Eastern Europe coordinator for the International Prayer Council, calls the outcome an answer to prayer and God’s intervention in his nation. “Ponta is the most corrupt
person we have ever had as a leader of our government. The people he represents destroy our nation’s future.” Iohannis… is a different kind of person,” says Peia. “Under his leadership the city of Sibiu was brought from bankruptcy to one of the most prosperous and civilised cities in the country. He is an Evangelical Lutheran believer who cultivates a personal relationship with God.”
Source: Joel News International; Prayer Alert; Euronews
BIBLE STUDY: Psalm 5:11-12
PRAISE God for giving Romania the chance of having an upright man in leadership. PRAY for the wisdom of God to rest powerfully on Iohannis, and that Romanians may seek the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.