Why Pray for our Leaders?
Do you ever look at world or civic government leaders and despair that things will never change?
The Bible instructs us to pray for our leaders, but do we? And if so, do we have any hope it’ll make a difference?
God can influence leaders, even those who don’t know Him. Scripture gives us some examples:
- Pharaoh Neco of Egypt brought his armies near the territory of Judah, claiming he was on a mission from God to fight another nation. King Josiah, a godly man, didn’t believe him, fought him, and died. (Read the account in 2 Chronicles 35:20-23 including verse 22, which begins “But Josiah refused to listen to Neco, to whom God had indeed spoken.”)
- Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon saw God’s power protecting the prophet Daniel as well as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (fiery furnace) but then he got distracted by his own sense of greatness. God sent him into madness until he could realize the truth—and then brought him to his senses. (Daniel 4 tells the story.)
- King Cyrus of Babylon is mentioned in prophecy as the restorer of the Temple over 100 years in advance (Isaiah 45:13, before Jeremiah even prophesied the 70 years of exile). The Book of Ezra says God put it in Cyrus’ heart to do this, and then moved the hearts of the Babylonian citizens, and then of the exiled Israelites themselves, to support the work.
These stories encourage me to pray regularly for our leaders (as the Bible urges), and to pray with more confidence that God can and may influence them. If He doesn’t, we can trust Him to work in and through the situations, however bad they may be.
Our job is to pray. (tweetable)
For world leaders, national, local, even down to leaders in business, education and health care. Instead of getting cynical or hopeless, we can make a difference by inviting God into the mess.
If God can change the heart of a heathen king and use him for His purposes, how much more scope will He have to work in the hearts of leaders if we’re praying for them?
Other related posts:
Praying for Governments
Supplications for Governing Authorities
Prayers for Governing Authorities
Thanksgiving for Governing Authorities
Janet Sketchley
Janet writes about the tenacity of God. Her novel, Heaven’s Prey, releases November 1, 2013 from Choose NOW Publishing. You can find her on her website, Janet Sketchley.
This ties in so well to a request an author made to me just before I this post. I did not like the title of his book and told him that in good conscience I could not support his book or website because I have respect for the office of the President of the US. Regardless of who occupies that position, and whatever their views are, I choose not to endorse a book whose title contains a president’s name alongside unflattering nouns. I am intrigued that God has placed the same thoughts of praying for and resppecting leadership in all three of us – Janet for writing it, Jan for determining when to post it, and me for the stand I took earlier. Timely indeed and this will make my journal today. Blessings, Susan
God’s timing is interesting indeed, Susan! We may not always like or approve of the one(s) in power, but our prayers can make a difference. Our griping only diminishes us.
What an encouraging post about praying for our leaders! To just think that God moved on the heart of a heathen king to do the Lord’s work. Pretty amazing.
Janis
Janis, it amazes me that God can and did do this — and it encourages me to keep praying!