How to Pray with a Godly Perspective for Our Leaders
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LaGuardia airport in New York City is the closest airport to our apartment. A few weeks ago, as my husband and I reviewed the date and time of our upcoming flight, we realized our error in thinking it would be a quick journey to the airport by Uber. The morning of our flight was also the first day the General Assembly was in session at the United Nations Headquarters.
We made slow progress in the traffic. Streets were closed and police directed cars, buses, taxis, and our Uber away from the surrounding streets of the UN complex. Police boats installed with machine guns patrolled the East River waterway into the area as heads of state and government from around the world engaged in talks. President Biden, Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron, Britain’s new prime minister, Keir Starmer, and Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu to name a few, sat in session.
I had to wonder at that time, how many people were praying for these leaders as they discussed and made decisions on important challenges and ongoing conflicts that are impacting our world?
My mind was preoccupied with the disrupted journey and the immediate need of a plane to catch. But since then, I challenge myself, and I ask you the same question, are we praying for the leaders of our countries as the Bible directs us to?
“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people — for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness” (1 Timothy 2:1-2).
To help us understand how to pray, we must first ask what does the Bible teach us about praying for our leaders?
Paul in his letter “urges” Timothy to make prayer a priority for those in power. Four different types of prayers are mentioned — petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving — again emphasizing the significance of prayer in all its variety.
If we are honest with ourselves, it can be difficult to pray for those in power. All sorts of emotions are stirred when we think about those who lead and the decisions they make in our lives, communities, towns, cities, country and beyond. Often our prayers for those in power can be biased. We are swayed by political opinion, personal experience, and information given to us by news channels, social media, and hearsay. Being impartial in our prayers, especially with thanksgiving, for a leader whom we did not vote into office can be hard.
So, how do we pray for those in authority? Here are two things to keep in mind.
We Pray with the Right Perspective about God
Jesus gave us a model for prayer, and that prayer begins “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name” (Matthew 6:9).
“Our” means we pray in unity. This is not being united in our opinions, because the truth is we are not in harmony or agreement. We are united and joined together with other people because of who God is. He is “Father,” one in whom we are in relationship with, and with each other, through Jesus Christ.
The word Pater in Greek and Abba in Aramaic is a term used by children. It implies a relationship that is intimate and personal. So it is through Jesus and what he has done for us that we are invited to call God Abba. At the same time, “in heaven” makes us aware that “Our Father” is above and beyond that which is ordinary and human. “Heaven” should not be understood that God is distant; we have just established He is not. Instead, “in heaven” talks to His greatness and His sovereign power over the world.
He is transcendent: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” says Genesis 1:1.
He is the giver of life: “This is what God the Lord says — the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it” (Isaiah 42:5).
He is the source of all wisdom: “He makes the magicians look ridiculous and turns fortunetellers into jokes. He makes the experts look trivial and their latest knowledge look silly” says Isaiah 44:25 in The Message translation.
He decides all things through his words: “But he backs the word of his servant and confirms the counsel of his messengers. He says to Jerusalem, ‘Be inhabited,’ and to the cities of Judah, ‘Be rebuilt,’ and to the ruins, ‘I raise you up.’ He says to Ocean, ‘Dry up. I’m drying up your rivers.’ He says to Cyrus, ‘My shepherd — everything I want, you’ll do it.’ He says to Jerusalem, ‘Be built,’ and to the Temple, ‘Be established,’” continues Isaiah 44:26-28 in The Message.
When we pray, we would be wise to remember the privilege and honor we share of coming into our sovereign God’s presence and making requests of Him. We would be prudent to not forget our frailness in comparison to His strength, our fallenness in comparison to His holiness and perfection, His power and authority compared to our helplessness, His goodness in contrast to our corruptness and evildoing.
“Our Father in Heaven” puts who we are in perspective to who He is.
Not only should who God is be at the forefront of our minds when we pray for our leaders, but what God wills and His purposes should also be foremost.
We Pray with the Right Perspective about Ourselves
Our prayers are always about what God desires and purposes, whether it is to meet our personal needs or wider issues such as placing governments in power around the world.
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven, continued Jesus in His prayer example in Matthew 6:10 (emphasis mine).
Praying for specific leaders and governments in power is not about what we want, but about God’s Kingdom and His will, just as these verses speak of God’s authority:
“The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all” (Psalm 103:19).
“He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others” (Daniel 2:21).
“The Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of people” (Daniel 4:17).
“With my great power and outstretched arm I made the earth and its people and the animals that are on it, and I give it to anyone I please” (Jeremiah 27:5).
To pray for God’s will and not our own will can be hard. We know this from Jesus’ struggle in the Garden of Gethsemane. We can always pray “Father, if you are willing…” and include our desires, but we must also pray “not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42).
We can also think, if God is sovereign and puts in power and removes from power whoever He desires, what is the point of pleading for particular leaders and policies to be put in place? We can wonder, with respect, what God’s purposes are, especially when we see innocent people suffering under corrupt and oppressive governments, or actions that are not God-honoring. Yet, we are to respect God’s decisions. More than that, we are to be actively dutiful, paying more than lip-service to those God has put in power.
As Romans 13:1 instructs “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.” So, we put aside our wants, wishes, and demands when we pray for those in authority and ask for God’s will to be done.
A wonderful thing happens when we have the right perspective about God and ourselves, when we trust God, when we are dependent on Him — we please Him and we know peace in our lives.
“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people — for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior” (1 Timothy 2:1-2, emphasis mine).
This reminds us of another of Paul’s encouragements regarding prayer and the resulting peace we are promised to receive: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).
Let us pray.
Our Father in heaven, we praise your name. Wisdom, power, and dominion belong to You. Lord God, you know all things and you ordain all things. We come before you in humility and reverence.
We are thankful that you have authority over those who lead our communities, cities, and countries. We ask you to give our leaders the wisdom to govern well, with justice, honesty, and compassion. But most of all give them hearts and minds to seek you as they lead. May we see your Kingdom on earth. As your will is done, may we always honor you in our words and actions as we accept the authority of those you put into power.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/gorodenkoff
