Prayers for Leaders
The last few months the political world has been all over the place in America. We’ve seen accusations made & heard so many promises that if we vote for a particular candidate, they will do this or that. Politics often reveals our selfish nature. We want what is best for us regardless of how it affects others. It also causes us to feel anxious, bitter, betrayed, even hatred when OUR candidate isn’t elected. There is something every believer in Christ should remember. We need to know (1) that regardless of who is in charge of government on Earth God is still on the throne & He holds ultimate control over all. And (2) it was no accident or scheme that brought this person to the position of power; it was by the will of God.
In the book of Romans, the apostle Paul wrote “Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.” (Romans 13:1 NLT)
God’s Word tells us that the reason these people are in positions of authority is because it is part of God’s perfect plan. We might not fully understand why they hold this power because we are not aware of all the details. We could feel like they should NOT be there for one reason or another. How should we treat these governing authorities in high positions? We should treat them with respect. Given their political beliefs & policies that can be a hard pill to swallow but it is God’s will for them to have this seat in government.
The apostle Paul also instructs us to be in prayer for these governing authorities. That’s the scripture we are going to be studying. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 says, ““First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.”
What’s Paul telling us here?
Paul began with what he considered to be most important: prayer. There is little distinction in the terms petitions, prayers, & intercessors. He probably used them to build on one another to show the importance of prayer in the church. He included thanksgiving in this list because it should always have a prominent place in the church’s prayer life.
The church is to pray for everyone; especially the leaders of the civil government. Paul didn’t go into the nature of the prayers to be offered but almost certainly he was suggesting the prayers should be made for the salvation of the people & the governors. Salvation is essential for all but especially for those who make decisions for the direction of the government because these decisions will affect many people. Those in government need the guidance of the Holy Spirit & discernment of God. Both of which come after we become a follower of Christ.
Although God is all-powerful & all-knowing, He has chosen to let us be involved through prayer in how He is changing the world. How this works is a mystery because of our limited knowledge & understanding but it is a truth. While political differences bring up anger, resentment, & distrust, our top priority should be to pray for those in authority who were chosen to be the leaders of the land. We should pray that they will govern justly & equitably & that they will place full trust in Christ to lead them in the decisions they make.
Paul based his instructions about prayer for all people on the conviction that God’s invitation for salvation was given equally to all people whether they had the same political principles or not. God did not say He loved some people & not others. His love was extended to every “whosoever”.
Given political differences & beliefs it can be very hard to pray for someone in a high position we believe should not be there. Paul knew exactly how hard that can be when he wrote this verse. Paul’s command to pray for kings is astounding considering Nero, a viciously cruel ruler, was emperor of Rome at this time. When Paul wrote these verses persecution of believers was growing in the land. Later when Nero needed someone to blame for the fire that devastated Rome, he blamed the Roman Christians to take the focus off of himself. Not only were Christians severely persecuted & denied basic privileges of life but some were butchered, burned, & fed to the animals! Imagine how hard it would be to pray for people who did that! Could you?
Sometimes our prayers reveal our fear because we are facing a terrifying unknown. We wonder what this person will do after they are in the position of power. There is nothing wrong with being concerned like this & praying for courage, asking God to encourage us through His presence. Let each child of God determine to keep the focus of our prayers, supplications, intercessions & thanksgivings to the glory of Christ our Savior.
The call Paul issues is a universal call—Christians are to pray for all people. However, having presented the necessity of evangelistic praying, the Apostle makes a point of stressing the necessity of praying especially for those in high positions. There is a tendency to neglect powerful individuals when we evangelize. Powerful people—presidents, senators, governors & notable individuals are often ignored when we present the Gospel; seldom do we pray for individuals such as these; especially when their political views differ from ours. God’s people seldom pray for those who shape culture to such a great degree. We tend to place these individuals in categories allowing us to ignore their most basic need—the need to know Christ as Master & Savior. We are more likely to criticize or praise such people, asking for an autograph, or standing in awe of them than we are to ask of their relationship to the Risen Savior!
His message can be a challenge. A challenge intensified by changing social & political conditions. The message is a challenge to examine our prayers, which in turn reflect our own attitudes & our relationship to the One True & Living God. We might question if others respect & deserve our prayers because they oppose our faith. This leads us back to Paul’s desire to pray for them for their salvation. It is obvious that praying for people who oppose you because of your faith do not merit your prayers. However, your prayers reflect the transformed character that results from the presence of the Spirit of God who lives in you.
Having established that we Christians are to pray for those in authority, it is worthwhile to consider why we should pray for those who govern. In the broadest possible sense, prayers for those who govern are pleasing to God. There are 2 notable reasons why these prayers are pleasing to God. They are pleasing because we want to live quiet and peaceful lives & because we want to evangelize the lost without hindrance. God wants both of these as well. Those who lead should do so under the authority of God Almighty. Praying for them will improve the odds that their decisions will be based on their understanding of the will of God & His desires.
Paul also tells us what our prayers for kings & those in authority will result in. He tells us to pray for those in positions of authority “so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.”
What is a tranquil & quiet life in all godliness & dignity & why would we want that?
Quiet refers to the absence of external disturbances; tranquil refers to the absence of internal ones. While it remains uncompromising in its commitment to the truth of the gospel, the church should not agitate or disrupt the national life. When it manifests love & goodness to all & prays passionately for the lost, including rulers, the church will experience a certain amount of religious freedom. Godliness is a key word in this, indicating that there needs to be a call back to holy living, which had been negatively affected by the false doctrine. Godliness refers to having the proper attitude and conduct before God in everything; dignity can be translated “moral sincerity,” and refers to moral dignity & holy behavior of men. These things please God & bring honor to His name.
When man forgets his true place in the grand scheme of things he forgets that the Lord is the reason people are chosen to be in positions of high authority & he fights against governing authorities instead of praying for them. When someone we didn’t vote for is the victor of the election, we are disappointed, sad, angry, confused, & many other negative emotions. If we want to bring honor to God, we need to trust His decisions on who He has put in these high positions & be in prayer for them daily regardless of our views of them.
