Pray For Our
Leaders (July
4th weekend 2017)
In such a land of freedom, in a nation of
choice, there may be among us some who oppose the position of current
leadership and stand firmly against their rule. To these brothers and sisters,
fellow believers, and fellow citizens, I challenge us all in times of
disagreement with human governments to obey the commands of the LORD given by
the Holy Spirit to Paul when he wrote: “Let everyone be subject to the
governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has
established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently,
whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has
instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.” (Romans
13:1,2) If still you find it difficult to pray for those in power, and see
those who hold positions of power as enemies, opposite of your own values, then
consider the very words of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who told is
disciples to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew
5:44)
Whether in genuine love or in obedience to
God, how then should we pray?
We begin by
praying that leaders will be men and women who serve with humility. Individuals who serve as leaders in
our country are citizens the same as you and I. They have been elected or
appointed to positions higher than we currently hold, but positions that we
too, given the desire and opportunity, may hold ourselves. It is after all a
government “of the people, by the people, for the people.” (Abraham Lincoln)
Leaders today should head the commission of Paul to the church of Philippi when
he wrote: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in
humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but
each of you to the interests of the others.” (Philippians 2:3,4) Pray also that
our leaders will follow the words and example of Jesus so that “whoever wants
to become great among you must be a servant.” (Matthew 20:26)
Next, let us
pray that our leaders find and use wisdom. Ben Franklin once stated that “Life’s
tragedy is that we get old too fast and wise too late.” Passionately pray that
God will give wisdom to our leaders and with equal passion, let us pray they
receive it. Pray that our decision makers are listening to wisdom and that
their actions are protected from error and consequences. The book of Proverbs
tells us “Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she
will watch over you.” (Proverbs 4:6). Wisdom is a gift that God desires for all
to have. Our act of petition and prayer activates it. His word tells us: “If
any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all
without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” (James 1:5) This wisdom is
different than the collected thoughts of man - “the wisdom that comes from
heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full
of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” (James 3:17) Great leaders of
the past valued wisdom. Abraham Lincoln once remarked that he does “not think much
of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday.”
Pray that
our leaders who find wisdom will be men and women of peace. Thomas Jefferson was a bit
pessimistic about this quality in man. He is quoted as saying “An association
of men who will not quarrel with one another is a thing which has never yet
existed, from the greatest confederacy of nations down to a town meeting.” Despite
the late president’s reservations, the bible tells us that we should “make
every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.” (Romans
14:19) We should seek goodness and happiness for our leaders as they carry out
their burden of leadership and Proverbs 12:20 promises “those who promote peace
have joy.” So let us pray for our leaders to be people of peace.
Pray that
our leaders never grow weary of doing good. (Galatians 6:9) Our first president, George
Washington, appealed to this notion when he wrote “Let your heart feel for the
afflictions and distress of everyone, and let your hand give in proportion to
your purse.” We need to pray that our leaders will “always strive to do what is
good for each other and for everyone else.” (1 Thessalonians 5:15). Pray that
they are good in deed and word, guiding their speech following the profound yet
simple rule that “a gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up
anger.” (Proverbs 15:1)
Only God is all knowing, and the issues and
situations presented to our leadership is complex and challenging always. Pray
then that our leaders will be open to advice and instruction, and that their
advisors be true and pure in their intent. I believe Ben Franklin comments
on the failure to heed instruction when he wrote “We are all born ignorant, but
one must work hard to remain stupid.” The author of Proverbs warns about the
outcome of a country whose leadership does not seek advice when he wrote: “For
lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers.”
(Proverbs 11:14) Pray that our leaders’ pride will not limit them, and that
they will avoid conflict, for it is written “Where there is strife, there is
pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.” (Proverbs 13:10).
It takes humility and wisdom to accept the advice
of others, but the gain of information and knowledge is immeasurable. Again, we
turn to the insight of Ben Franklin who stated: “An investment in knowledge
pays the best interest.” Pray that our leaders gain from the knowledge of
others surrounding them.
Abraham Lincoln once told a story that a man
who “watched his pear tree day after day, impatient for the ripening of the
fruit. Any attempt to force the process and he would spoil both the fruit and
the tree. But he waited patiently and the ripe pear at the right time fell into
his lap.” Patience is a virtue whose only teacher is time. So, let us petition God Almighty, the Alpha and Omega, beginning and
end, to give our leaders patience and perseverance. Pray that our leaders
become “completely humble and gentle; patient, bearing with one another in love.”
(Ephesians 4:2) We seek leaders who display wisdom and knowledge, and the Bible
tells us that “Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is
quick-tempered displays folly.” (Proverbs 14:29) Thus we pray for leaders to
display wisdom and understanding through patience rather than the folly of
impatient and impulsive words. Proverbs warns us “A hot-tempered person stirs
up conflict,” but it gives hope that “the one who is patient calms a quarrel.”
(Proverbs 15:18) When issues and passions collide, there are sure to be times of
friction, so let us pray that our leaders hear and submit to the teachings of
Solomon who states: “The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and
patience is better than pride.” (Ecclesiastes 7:8) At times the tasks at hand
seem too much, but pray that our current leadership takes the advice of former
president, John Quincy Adams – “Patience and perseverance have a magical effect
before which difficulties and obstacles vanish.”
What right have we, the general masses, the
vagabond sinner, to petition the Creator and Sustainer of the universe on
behalf of men and women whom many hold to higher esteem than common man? We who
have Christ are able to stand and make such petitions because we are made
righteous in him alone, and once being made righteous, are promised that the
“prayers of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16) At the
1984 National Day of Prayer, then president Ronald Reagan, commented on this
effective tool: “We all in this room, I know, and we know millions more everywhere,
turn to God in prayer, believing in the power and spirit of prayer. So often we
direct our prayers to those problems that are immediate to us, knowing that He
has promised his help to us when we turn to him. And yet in a world today that
is so torn with strife… I wonder if we have ever thought about the greatest
tool that we have – the power of prayer and God’s help.”
President Reagan was not wrong to challenge
the American people to invoke the privilege of prayer. James wrote some two
thousand years ago that “You desire but do not have... You covet but you cannot
get what you want... You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask,
you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives.” (James 4:2,3)
We seek and ask God for intervention on behalf
of our leaders.
We seek and ask God with right motives, pure
in heart and intention.
We pray for leadership so that “we may live peaceful and quiet lives
in all godliness and holiness.”
We pray for leadership because we are commanded
“be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that
which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by
God.”
We pray and petition, not because we have
authority, but because we are joined with the one who does! We are made
righteous by him, the Savior, the Messiah, the truth, the life, and the way –
Jesus the Christ! And by that gifted righteousness we pray and ask to intervene
for leaders in this nation.
In closing, I want to encourage us all to never
stop praying. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not with the next change in
administration. Rather though, keep praying without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and we should
“be sober-minded; be watchful. [Our] adversary the devil prowls around like a
roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) It would give the devil
no small joy to devour our leaders, to mislead our leaders, and destroy them.
We who are believers, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without
wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23) Take hold of the
command by Paul to “be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be
strong.” (1 Corinthians 16:13) President Kennedy at the 1963 National Day of
Prayer breakfast stated it this way: “This morning we pray together; this
evening apart. But each morning and each evening, let us remember the advice of
my fellow Bostonian, the Reverend Phillip Brooks: ‘Do not pray for easy lives.
Pray to be stronger men! Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for
powers equal to your tasks.’”
Praise God, we know the one from whom all answers
flow! Let us all pray!
