Christians know that the Bible tells us to pray for our leaders: Pray…for kings and all others who are in authority over us, or are in places of high responsibility, so that we can live in peace and quietness, spending our time in godly living and thinking much about the Lord. This is good and pleases God our Savior, for He longs for all to be saved… I Timothy 2:2-4.
Clearly, God wants everyone to be saved, and it is always right and good to pray for salvation for everyone. I cringe, however, when I hear Christians pray for God to bless ungodly leaders. When people are being blessed, they almost never change their lives or their actions. Do we really want the ungodly to continue in positions where they rule over us and continue to do those things that dishonor God and bring us suffering?
The United States of America is the most unique country in the history of the world. God has given us a form of government that is superior to any other, and our Constitution guarantees us many rights so that we can live without fear of falling victim to various practices that are common among governments of other countries. Part of the uniqueness of this country is that we were among the first that allowed its ordinary citizens to elect those who govern us. We have never been subject to a king who recognizes no authority other than his own. From the beginning we have elected our leaders. This is a privilege that carries with it great responsibility, but when it is done right, the results are that we are able to live in peace and quietness, spending our time in godly living and thinking much about the lord.
Psalms 125:2-5 says, Just as the mountains surround and protect Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds and protects His people. For the wicked shall not rule the godly, lest the godly be forced to do wrong. O Lord, do good to those who are good, whose hearts are right with the Lord…. And let Israel have quietness and peace.
This sounds harsh to our politically correct ears, but we can learn much about how to pray for our leaders by reading God’s Word. It is true that when the wicked rule the godly, the result is that the godly are treated brutally. Certainly, we have the current examples of Christians being imprisoned in middle-eastern countries solely because they are Christians. They are tortured and, sometimes, executed simply because they refuse to deny Christ. It is not God’s will for His people to be subject to His enemies because in those circumstances the godly are often forced to make the choice of whether to suffer and even die for their faith or to do wrong.
When praying for our leaders remember these points:
- First, we live in a country where it is both our duty and our privilege to vote. Therefore, even as we pray, we must make a commitment to vote for the best candidates. Sometimes voting for the best candidates is as simple as voting against candidates who have proven themselves to be the wrong choices.
- Second, we must pray that God will remove from office all of those who do not honor Him and govern according to His precepts.
- Third, we must pray that God will give us men and women who will do exactly what he has put them in office to do and that He will give them wisdom and good judgment.
- Fourth, we must pray that our nation will return to God and become the country that He created us to be.
- Fifth, we must pray that we will be able to live in quietness and peace.
- Sixth, we must pray that God will grant quietness and peace to Israel.
We have only a few more days until the election. I hope that all of you will join me in praying daily for our nation and for our leaders so that we can live in peace and quietness, spending our time in godly living and thinking much about the Lord.
Read Joyce's new novel The Chosen free on Kindle October 3rd through October 7th.
Joyce Swann is a nationally-known author and speaker. Her own story of teaching her ten children from the first grade through master’s degrees before their seventeenth birthdays is retold in her book, Looking Backward: My Twenty-Five Years as a Homeschooling Mother Her newest novel, The Chosen, is available on Kindle and will be available in paperback October 1. For more information visit her website at http://www.frontier2000.net/ or like her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/frontier2000mediagroup
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