Praying for our leaders?
Why do we often neglect praying for our leaders, especially when we disagree with their policies/decisions? That is precisely the time we should be praying for them.
10 Comments »
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Comment by Debbie
There are good reasons and bad reasons for leaving a local church organization. Since I managed to go through four of them before God placed me in the correct body, I realize that many in the leadership were never really called to that. I never left for reasons like “I don’t like the carpet color in the nursery,” but always when Scriptural dispute arose; such as being told, “You are not tithing enough;” such as legalisms like “We must read KJV only,” such as the Pastor or protector of the flock allowing false teaching in the body like universal salvation and not refuting it because that would not be loving. I pray daily for these folks that God would reveal their true calling, because it is not the pastor of a flock. I pray especially for my pastor now because he has verified his gift and calling to me via the Holy Spirit. I pray for our president, legislators and judges as well as our military. Just because I don’t agree with them does not mean I cannot pray for them…God ordains it. What our leaders do, particularly our spiritual leaders sometimes affect where people will spend their eternal life. I am not talking about tithing or women pastors, but the very core doctrines of the gospel message. Prayer should always be a most effective weapon in the Christian soldier’s arsenal. (EPH 6:18)
MARANATHA -
Comment by Vee Davis
That is true, I leave out our government leaders in prayer. I don’t purposely do it. I put more emphasis when I pray for family, friends, my church and community. Their health and spiritual growth. God can work through our government leaders, and yes prayer is needed!
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Comment by bruce
satan is strong and comes in many disguises deny him and see what happens. once again clarity and freedom. AMEN
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Comment by Mimi
I believe that the reason we often neglect praying for our leaders, is because we have so much on our mind with the responsibilities of our personal lives. We tend to pray for those we love, those that have asked for prayer, those we see that need prayer and we pray for our needs. WE forget to look further and if we did we would be praying for the unborn much more than we do and we would pray about terrorism & seeing it come to an end and many many other things, as well as praying for our leaders, especially when they have different political and moral beliefs….that require our prayers.
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Comment by Edith Jane
Hmm.. I’ve heard “pray for our leaders, pray for our country.” I know Christ said it but my question is this:
Why? I know there’s no harm in it and I do it, but if the Bible has already for told what WILL happen (not might) our prayers won’t make too much difference… or will they? -
Comment by alvin
One way to pray for those who lead is setting aside regular time for it.
But another way to increase the coverage of your prayers is guidance.
A sentence came to me quite a while back- “there is no living person who crosses your mind who could not use an instant of prayer”.
If you pray for someone, and they still continue to come to your mind, it may be simply memory or thoughts relating similar subjects together in your mind. Rarely, God will call those who pray this way to “seasons of prayer” in times of special needs.
And you do not need to know all the details to place someone or some circumstance in Gods’ hands. Thinking or speaking the Lords prayer will sometimes guide you in how to pray as you are drawn to one or more of the petitions in that short model. -
Comment by Debbie
Hi Edith Jane,
Remember when Abraham begged God to spare Sodom and Gomorrah? How many times did He repent and say, “OK, for 50….40….yea even 10 righteous men I will spare them.” God knows what He knows, but He still wants us to ask. “Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.” (JAMES 4:2)
MARANATHA -
Comment by Mimi
A Prayer for Our Leaders
by Sue Hess
Sunday, November 23, 2003A friend of my sons named Terry Mercer wrote this prayer and my son asked if I would post it for him. They are incarcerated in the Missouri State Prison in Jefferson City Missouri and have no access to computers.
Heavenly Father, I thank you for our country, our Constitution, and our leaders. I pray for our President and for every elected and appointed official who serves with him.
I pray that You will build a spiritual wall of protection around the marriage and family of every national, state and local official.
I pray the You will rebuke Satan for the deception of his lie that we can be “as gods” in deciding for ourselves what is right or wrong.
O Lord, may our leaders cast down every law, policy and personal example which weakens marriages, families, or Your moral standards.
O Lord, I pray that You would protect and guide the men and women of the armed forces that are fighting in foreign lands to uphold the sanctity of the founding of this country.
I pray that our leaders will understand and follow the principle of Your Word. May they realize that all authority comes from You, not the voters, and that one day they will stand before You to give an account of the power You gave them.
I base this prayer on the promise of Your Word, that if I will humble myself, pray, seek Your face, and turn from my wicked ways, then You will hear from heaven, forgive my sin and heal my land.
In the name and through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen -
Comment by Mimi
Edith Jane,
Here is some Scripture that may help. I hope someone else will come along and answer you question too. God Bless YOU.
of no advantage to you.1 Timothy 2 (New International Version, ©2010)
1 Timothy 2
Instructions on Worship
1 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. 7 And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles.8 Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing. 9 I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, 10 but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.
11 A woman[a] should learn in quietness and full submission. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man;[b] she must be quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. 15 But women[c] will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety
I posted this whole Verse because I felt conviction when I read the later verses and I see how it can be used for an earlier BLOG “What does the Bible say about women in ministry?”.
Daniel 2:21 (King James Version)
21And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:
aiah 45:1-6 (King James Version)
Isaiah 45
1Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;
2I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:
3And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.
4For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.
5I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:
6That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.
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Comment by Mimi
Edith Jane…
No I wasn’t drinking ^ above…I wrotea Scripture Verse and deleted it, but now I see I did not delete it all. please do not pay attention to “of no advantage to you.” IT was suppose to have been deleted, with the rest of the Scripture Verse.
God Bless -
Comment by Michael James Stone
The tragedy of our faith is the little confidence we have in God.
Dare we not pray for those we assume are wrong, or right for that matter?
C.H. Spurgeon once said the strength of a nation is in it’s people who pray and I can say right now there are more action oriented people neglecting the most potent force for change in the Universe: God, than those of us who neglected to tell the people who march, protest and “are” at unrest, that the greatest test your faith is do you do what God said to do because you prayed and got ans answer, or do we go and do what we want because we can find the answer we want to justify our actions in scripture?
Any foolish person can be a critic, but only a godly man knows to pray for all leadership because it is a man (or a woman) and God loves them. Period.
Murray said, “the excuse for no prayer is no excuse.”
