I admit it may be odd to have a post like this on a website geared toward teenage girls. So why post it? Well, with the political upheaval and turmoil presently running rampant in our country, that praying for our leaders proves an important topic to discuss. Trust me, as a teenager, politics wasn’t really on my radar;  I couldn’t even vote; however, decisions being made now will affect our country for years to come.

Despite your take on our new president and his decisions, he, the VP, the Cabinet, all the way down to local law enforcement need our prayers.

A few days ago, I received a prayer guide in the mail yesterday from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association that walks through how to biblically pray for our leaders, and I would like to share it with you in this post. Our leaders, and our country, need our prayers.

What the Bible says about Leaders

The Bible discusses in places about submitting to earthly leaders. The most straightforward verse is 1 Peter 2:13-17 (NIV)which states:

¹³ Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, ¹⁴ or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. ¹⁵ For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— ¹⁶ as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. ¹⁷ Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

We are called to respect our governing authorities, even if we do not agree with what the decisions they make. We are blessed in the United States to be able to vote for our leaders; we should exercise that right in every local, state, and national election.

How to Pray for Our Leaders

Regardless of your political leanings, as Christians, we must pray for our leaders and those in authority.

As Christians, we must pray for our leaders and those in authority. Click To Tweet

1 Timothy 2:1-3 says: 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.

Here is a breakdown:

Petitions– means to ask. God urges us to ask, and He is pleased when we do so.
Prayer– means talking to God, anywhere, anytime, in any way.
Intercession– is praying for someone else. The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ constantly intercedes for us (Romans 8:34 and Hebrews 7:25), so it is pleasing to God when we intercede for someone else- including heads of state adn others in authority- because we are doing what Christ does.
Thanksgiving- always pleases God, and the Bible specifically tells us to include thanksgiving when praying for those in authority.

Specific Prayers for Leaders

We need to be doing this when we pray for our leaders. After the breakdown, the prayer guide gave specific prayers we could pray:

• Open the heart of [name] to hear and respond to the Gospel message if he/she does not know you. (Acts 16:14; Luke 24:45)
• Help [name] to accept wise counsel. (Proverbs 11:14; 15:22)
• Teach [name] to trust in You. (Psalm 21:7)
• Protect [name] from the influences of the evil one. (2 Thessalonians 3:3)
• Give [name] discretion, foresight, and understanding in making decisions. (1 Chronicles 22:12)
• Deliver [name] from opinions contrary to Your Word. (Psalm 119:105)
• Guard [name] from harm, and bless and protect his/her family. (Psalm 21:11; Ezra 6:10)
• Enable [name] to carry out his/her duties with humility toward You and toward others. (1 Peter 5:5)
• Give [name] the courage to do the right thing even when urged to do the wrong thing. (Proverbs 2:11-15)
• Grant [name] a heart of compassion toward those he/she leads and serves. (Colossians 3:12)

On the back of the guide, it has a list of government leaders that make decision for us including: President, Vice President, Cabinet members, Senator, Congressional representatives, Supreme Court, Military leaders, Governors, State Legislators, Mayor, Police Chief, and Sheriff.

In Closing

Our country and our leaders need our daily prayers. Prayer is what changes things. Protests and marches seem to accomplish very little today, but prayer can change a heart. The Bible says in James 5:16, “…The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” Never forget the power of our prayers and never stop praying.

Love to all,

-Sarah

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