“By the blessing of the upright, the city is exalted.” Proverbs 11:11
In a recent article by Apostle Joseph Mattera he made the following statement (paraphrased)
“The City you build is determined by the God you serve and worship….
The City of Man relies on coercion, control and political machinery.
The City of God advances through prayer, sacrifice and spiritual authority.
This is why revival leading to an awakening and societal reformation is the primary engine of lasting transformation.
The future will not be served by those who shout the loudest in the public square, but by those who are most aligned to the City of God through the crucible of enduring faith, love and sacrifice.”
This worldview, particularly influenced by St. Augustine’s concept of the “City of God” and the “City of Man” proposes that the kind of society (“city”) people build is shaped by the ultimate object of their loyalty and worship.
Human-centred systems that rely primarily on power, politics, control, coercion, and worldly authority reflect the worship of and loyalty to a worldview devoid of God and centred on the invincibility of man – his self-reliance, pride, and independence of God. Basically, foolishness.
In stark contrast, when Christians submit to God’s Kingdom ways, advancement is through spiritual means such as prayer, sacrificial love, faithfulness, holiness, and dependence on God’s authority rather than human power. Basically, wisdom.
As Kingdom minded and Kingdom motivated men and women across our nation traverse the often-treacherous pathways of building a City of God, our confidence is in the knowledge that the necessary building blocks, tools and capacity are already in our hands. God’s provision goes before us and is unlocked through prayer, sacrifice and the activation of spiritual authority.
I reflect on the early days of Tom Tate’s Mayoralty on the Gold Coast. Elected as Mayor in March 2012 and still the incumbent Mayor today, 2026, Tom had a sense of calling from the Lord into leadership. That call was affirmed in my meeting with Tom in January 2012 two months prior to his election win and has been supported through successive victories. It is no small thing to receive the “YES” from the majority of city residents to bring leadership affecting everyday life and the adage “you can please some of the people some of the time but not all of the people all of the time” certainly rings true. Stepping into the public square as a professed Christian adds compounding pressure of expectations and scrutiny.
In his newly begun role as Mayor, Tom visited Churches and met many Pastors, leaders and congregation members. A question asked of Tom was, “What was your first prayer when you became Mayor?” Apparently, the frequency of this question led Tom to think that people were being primed to ask or that this was the kind of question that Christians always ask of people in public life, and because of its impact, the memory sticks with him today.
His answer?? Tom’s first prayer was that the city of the Gold Coast be awakened spiritually, that Pastors would unite in close, accountable, trusting relationships with each other, and this collaboration across Churches would permeate into civic and community spaces, culminating in revival and transformation. The pathway forward was set in motion through the prayer of a man whose heart had been shaped and stirred by the Spirit of God.
Considering Joseph Materra’s insight we can come to the following conclusions around building a City of God rather than a City of Man:
Spiritual authority triumphs over political power – genuine change arises from transformed hearts rather than external control.
Sacrifice rather than coercion- the Kingdom of God advances through love, service, and faithfulness, the opposite Spirit to the spirit of the world.
Long-term influence – the future belongs not necessarily to the loudest voices but to those whose lives reflect God’s character.
These three Kingdom realities form the crux of prayer echoed in the heart of Mayor Tom Tate and supported by the many prayer warriors God has called to the city.
I conclude with these thoughts summed up in one of my favourite photos of Mayor Tom.
Mayor – City of Gold Coast, Tom Tate
Lasting cultural and societal change comes not primarily through political power or public influence, but through people whose lives are transformed by God’s presence and who embody faith, love, prayer, and sacrificial service.
