Praying for Our Country and Our Leaders

As our nation approaches her 250th Birthday, let us consider how we can pray for our country and for all of our leaders. The United States of America is a great nation but we are far from perfect. And our leaders are not perfect either. Whether or not you agree with the politics of the leaders in charge at any period of time, as followers of Jesus we are instructed to pray for our leaders.

1 Timothy 2:1-4

First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, ² for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. ³ This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, ⁴ who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Pray for people with many types of prayers. There are four types of prayers mentioned in 1 Timothy 2:1.

• We petition God, in the way that a person would bring a petition before a judge. This is an amazing privilege, that the Almighty God of the universe invites us to petition Him.
• We offer prayers to God, talking and listening to our Heavenly Father who cares what we say to Him.
• We intercede on behalf of others, asking God to reveal Himself to them and meet their every need.
• We give thanks to God for people, for all the ways they are a blessing.

Pray for all of those in authority. The Bible tells us that all of those who are in authority are there because of the sovereign hand of God. Every leader is accountable to God, from the local level all the way up to the national level. And the Bible tells us that God can turn the heart of a ruler any way that He wants.

Our job is to pray for them. 1 Timothy 2:2 tells us to pray for them. Pray that if they don’t know the Lord that they will believe in Jesus’ death as the atoning sacrifice for their sins and believe that God raised Him from the dead. Pray that they will be saved by His grace. Pray that they will follow Jesus closely. Pray that God will lead and guide them. Pray that they will make decisions, laws, and judgments in line with God’s Word.

Pray for God’s will to be done. In 1 Timothy 2:2-4, we learn to pray several things.

• Pray that the decisions of our leaders allow us to live in peace and tranquility.
• Pray that we can live lives of godliness and dignity.
• Pray that people will come to faith in Jesus. Pray for another Great Awakening in our nation, and for many people to be saved!
• Pray for people to come to a knowledge of the truth.

Jesus did not come to establish an earthly kingdom. He established an eternal one. He is not concerned about expanding earthly empires. He wants us to join Him in His work of expanding His eternal, spiritual kingdom.

If you study church history, you will see that during times of the most intense persecutions, that is when Christ’s kingdom has expanded the greatest. We do not know what all will happen in our nation in the days, weeks, and years ahead, but we do know how to pray. 1 Timothy 2:1-4 instructs us and Jesus teaches us. Let us join Him in praying, “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

And we do not lose heart, because we have Christ in us, the hope of glory.