
“I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.” – 1 Timothy 2:1-4.
Politics has always been somewhat divisive within our country and our relationships with others. But despite that, God calls us to pray for our country, current political leaders, and the candidates for office. As followers of Christ, we need to pray for our leaders both in and out of the election season. With the election a matter of a few weeks away, we want to take the Scriptures seriously and pray for the leadership of our country, no matter how easy or challenging that may feel.
There is no better time to renew our commitment to pray for our leaders. After a divisive campaign, the next president will face enormous challenges and problems. Whoever wins the election needs our prayers and we should give them freely and eagerly no matter how we may have voted.
How should we pray for those in authority? First, we should pray for wisdom and discernment for those who lead. Solomon prayed exactly in that way. He asked: “How can I judge this great people?” He prayed to the Lord, “Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?” (1 Kings 3:9).
Solomon recognized the enormity of the task. He wisely understood that he didn’t have all the answers but that God gave wisdom liberally to those who ask. Whoever governs our divided nation will need wisdom. That person will also need an understanding of how to deal with hostile powers worldwide. We should pray that God grants our leaders a good understanding of the problems and fixes for our country’s issues. We should also pray that whoever is elected president will be surrounded by godly, thoughtful, and wise people. Every elected official needs the encouragement and direction of Godly people.
Our next president has a difficult job. Let us be faithful to pray as God directs. But our hope for our nation’s future—as always—remains in Christ alone.
Discussion Questions:
- Do you pray for our elected officials?