Praying for Leaders
I have been thinking a great deal about prayer lately. Part of it has to do with the fact that I am studying the book of 1st Timothy in my own personal time in the Bible. 1st Timothy 2:1-5 says this in the English Standard Version, “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way”. It states quite clearly that we are to pray for everyone, but especially for those who rule over us, those who are our leaders.
I have to admit something to you. My husband had to unsubscribe to satellite TV because I had such a difficult time watching the news during the last two presidential elections! I would find myself actually yelling at the news commentators and the politicians I disagreed with! Ger would tell me “deb, they can’t hear you!”. It became very obvious to both of us that I was not being very godly in my responses to politics!! So, for awhile, we didn’t have satellite TV until I could learn to better control my outbursts!!
I have come to understand, however, that it isn’t just a case of self control (which, by the way is a fruit of the Spirit-one I was obviously lacking at least in this arena). It is a bigger issue than that as I am discovering in studying 1st Timothy.
To set the stage for that bigger issue, let me share with you how I go about studying a book in the Bible. First, I read it every day in its entirety for a couple of weeks, maybe a month. As I read, I write down thoughts, key points, questions and comments about what I am reading. My next step is to read all the footnotes in my study Bible and make note of things that are new to me or which clarify some verse or concept. After the footnotes, I look at each chapter in as many different translations as I can find. Following the comparison of translations, I finally go to a number of commentaries to see what someone else much more knowledgeable than me has to say. You can see why it takes me so long to actually get through a book of the Bible!
It was during this final phase of studying-this commentary phase-that I came across a comment by Matthew Henry that got me thinking about prayer and leaders. He indicated the reason we should pray for leaders is so that we will, under them, be able to live quiet and peaceful lives!! There is a direct benefit to me when I pray for my leaders! I get to live a quiet and peaceful life under their rule! Believe me; I had not been living that kind of life over these last few years, at least not in the political arena! Rather, I have been living in open and hostile disagreement with several current leaders. I have taken it upon myself to actually yell at them, write letters to them and make nasty comments about them to others. During this whole time, I failed to consistently pray for them as commanded in Scripture!!
I have come to the realization that there is a better way to deal with struggles with leadership. I am to do things God’s way because He is GOD and He knows best. He says I am to pray for my leaders and that is what I have determined to do. Here in a nutshell is my application of 1 Timothy 2:1-5: Whenever I am tempted to say something negative about leaders-any of my leaders, be they national, state, local, church or even the leader in my home (hubby, you are going to like this!), I intend to pray for them instead! I am going to make a conscious effort to consistently PRAY instead of SAY-to intentionally talk to the LORD about my leaders. I will ask the LORD to guide their actions, to move their hearts to do right and to save those who are lost.
I wonder what would happen if all of us believers would choose to follow this Scriptural mandate to pray for our leaders wherever we find them? According to this Scripture, the result would be quiet and peaceful lives. That sounds like it would be a good thing, wouldn’t you agree?