Ten Ways to Pray for the President *(or your country leader)
Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 1 Timothy 2:1-2
In the verse above, we are told to pray for our leaders. However, much of our government today has rejected God and the foundational, biblical principles that made our country great and prosperous. This gives us all the more reason to pray. We must not give up. To pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17) means not to give up or lose heart, as Jesus told His disciples in Luke 18:1.
Furthermore, nothing can unify us more than prayer. We can pray in agreement that we want good for our country, even if we disagree on who can get us there. Let’s agree that God is the only one who can get us there – through prayer!
Whether we are in favor of them or not, let’s pray for a mighty move of God in the president and vice president and throughout our government. God told Jeremiah:
Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. (Jeremiah 29:7, emphasis mine)
So here are some ways we can pray for our president and vice president:
- Personal needs: health, family, safety
- Spiritual needs: for their faith and the fear of the God they profess to believe in; repentance where needed (1 John 1:9
- Pray for God’s will (Matthew 6:10), and that they would not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of their minds, that by testing they may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
- God’s guidance and wise counselors (Proverbs 11:14). That they would seek the Lord above all else (Proverbs 8:14, Matthew 6:33).
- For courage to do what is right; that they would hate what is evil and cling to what is good (Romans 12:9); that they would not call evil good and good evil, put darkness for light or light for darkness, bitter for sweet… (Isaiah 5:20).
- Justice and humility – that they would know what God requires of them: To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God” (Micah 6:8). That they would not pervert justice; not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge people fairly” (Leviticus 19:15).
- To know they are accountable to God (Romans 14:12). To not use their freedom (or position) to do wrong (1 Peter 2:16).
- For them to honor Israel (Genesis 12:3), to allow us religious freedom (Galatians 5:1), and be for life (Exodus 20:13).
- To do good for our nation and to seek peace (Psalm 34:14), and help us to be a shining city on a hill to the nations (Matthew 5:14-16).
- Help them to fulfill their oath of office – to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and protect our nation from all enemies, foreign and domestic (Numbers 30:2), and for any corruption to be exposed (Proverbs 2:22).
We may feel powerless against the people running our government, but we have something that is more powerful than anyone in Washington – prayer!
Finally, let’s pray that the citizens of this great country would return to God, that we would truly “humble ourselves and pray and seek God’s face and turn from our wicked ways” so God may “hear from heaven, forgive our sins, and heal our land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). Let’s pray for revival!
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. Psalm 33:12
by Penny Cooke
used by permission
FURTHER READING
How to Pray for our Leaders by Sylvia Gunter