By the time you read this article, July 4th is upon us. The day is a great reminder of our freedoms that we enjoy in this nation. For that, we should give thanks to God. I also recognize that there are among Americans various opinions about who our leaders should be, the values that they should promote, and the issues of our day that they should address. This article is not about those things
As the title suggests, my purpose in writing this article is to encourage all Christians to obey a very important biblical command found in 1 Timothy 2:1-2. As the Apostle Paul was instructing Timothy regarding his pastoral duties, we find this command for all of us in the church to pray for all kinds of people. Then Paul gets specific. He instructs us to pray for kings and all of those in positions of authority. One of the reasons we are called to pray for them is because God desires people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. That is what verse four states of this same chapter.
There is another reason given by Paul that provides something very personal for us. We pray for our leaders so that we Christians can live a peaceful and quiet life marked by godliness and dignity. To press this even further, Paul states that God is pleased with these prayers for our leaders. How many times in the Bible are we instructed to pray for something specific and then we get told that God is pleased with that prayer? There are not that many instances.
What we all can agree upon regardless of our political persuasions is that one day all of our leaders will stand before God and give an account for not only their lives but also the way they led. Even Christians are warned to not rush into being a teacher because teachers will be held to a stricter judgment. Think about what that great day will be like for the leader of nations, states, counties, and cities. Consider the weight of responsibility that you and I do not bear in leading great numbers of people and being responsible for their well-being. Hopefully, that helps us understand that as Christians, we not only should but must pray for our leaders.
What should our prayers sound like for our leaders? The text tells us that we should desire a peaceful and quiet life marked by godliness and dignity. We should desire the same things for our leaders. Our leaders make decisions that affect many people positively and negatively. Our national leaders have to determine when our young men and women of the military are sent into harm性视界传媒檚 way. That is a heavy burden. They have to make fiscal and budgetary decisions that may not be good for everyone. They have to walk a fine line between doing what they believe is right and then getting reelected. Many have special interest groups lobbying them for their vote. There are great temptations to compromise their convictions. I am certain there are aspects of their job that I know nothing about.
Here are some things you and I should be praying for. First, as Christians, we want everyone to know Jesus as Lord and Savior. Pray that our leaders would indeed believe upon the Lord Jesus and be saved. Second, pray for the Lord to give them great wisdom as they navigate the often troubled waters of leading this nation. King Solomon asked the Lord for this type of wisdom. We should ask the same for our leaders. Third, we should pray for their protection. We just recently saw the assassination of an elected official and their spouse. Finally, we should pray for our nation. That alone could encompass another article. May the Lord bless our nation and help our leaders.
