God Wants You Praying for Leaders

Why should we pray? We should pray because God has given us great and glorious promises and when we pray and ask for things that are in accordance with His will , He will give us what we ask for (1John 5:14-15).

The idea of praying for leaders is not new, the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 2:1-4, “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people; for kings, and all those I authority, that we may live quiet and peaceful lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

Peace and Prosperity
God told the Israelites living in exile to pray for Babylon: “Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper” (Jer. 29:7).

Think about that for a moment! God has reserved the right to override the will of leaders, if needs be, to ensure that His people are governed according to His will. What’s more, God will hear the prayer of any government leader; even if he is the worst reprobate in the whole world. He heard the prayer of king Nebuchadnezzar; and believe me, that mean He will listen to any leader.

God pleads with Leaders
You see, Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylon. He was an ungodly ruler of an ungodly nation. However, he had taken captives from the land of Judah, and had some of God’s people under his authority; so, God began to deal with him.

Again and again, God warned him, “Nebuchadnezzar, you’re going to lose your mind if you don’t straighten up.” And sure enough, he went just as crazy as could be. He stayed that way for years too. Then one day he cried out to God and God heard him.

Despite his status as a heathen king of a heathen nation, God intervened repeatedly in Nebuchadnezzar’s life and heard him when he finally cried out for help. Why? Because he had God’s people under his rule! That same principle still holds true today. If we’ll open the way through prayer, God will deal with our leaders.

How to Pray for our Leaders 
First, if we’re uncertain that they know Jesus, we should pray for their salvation. But whether or not our leaders are Christians, we should pray that God would guide them as they serve us. We should pray that they be wise and discerning, and surrounded by helpful advisers.

We know that God has placed our leaders in authority over us (Rom. 13:1), and we can ask Him to use them to perform His will. Romans 13:1 say “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.”

We should also pray for their protection. When praying for pastors or ministry leaders, we can pray for them to have strength in the midst of spiritual warfare and to remain encouraged in the Lord. We can pray for their families, who often feel scrutinized and bear an extra load.

Pray God’s Will
Let us not have selfish motives as we pray for our leaders, but pray so that our leaders can affect the conditions we live in and have an impact on our families, our churches, our workplaces, our cities, and our countries. When those in authority are obeying the will of God, it is easier to “live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness” (1 Tim. 2:2).

If we’ll humble ourselves in unity and pray, God can change the injustice and corruption that exist in our country, or any country for that matter. He’ll change the hearts of everyone to ensure that His children are governed justly, and prosper in every area of our lives. Rise up and be a Prayer!