Pray for our leaders!
In today’s America it is so easy for us to get frustrated and upset with our nation’s leaders. And rightfully so considering some of the unacceptable decisions that are being made at the upper levels of our government which are in direct contradiction to God’s Holy Word. We should be speaking out, as citizens of these United States, when we see such flagrant actions taking place within our system of government. For us to make a bold stand against those things that are deemed to be acts of disobedience in the eyes of the Lord, is a noble and faithful response.
Yet, with all that being said, the Lord also calls us to pray for those individuals who have been placed into offices of authority. God, speaking through His servant the Apostle Paul, tells us in 1 Timothy 2:1-4, “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. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
I can tell you from my point of view, it is always easier to be mad at our country’s leadership and complain about what they are doing wrong, than to pray for them with a deep concern for their spiritual well-being. Many times, especially when I get disheartened with our nation’s dire situation, I seem to be one who is more apt to condemn, than to lift-up those leading us. My complaining and venting may cause me to feel as if I am creating an atmosphere for change, but I am guessing it is doing little in the way of making a positive and God-pleasing difference.
As children of God, you and I need to be people who are willing to get on our knees in prayer for those whom God, at least for the meantime, has allowed to be in power within our land. Pray does truly change hearts and lives in a way nothing else can. When we call on God to get involved, to intervene, in a way only He can, then real and positive change begins to happen. Not from the outside but from the inside of a person.
Jesus was the perfect example of one who prayed to His Father for others. If we are called to be His disciples, then maybe we should be doing as the Master did. Jesus even made it a point to pray for those leaders who were in charge of putting Him on the cross, when He cried out, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do”. If He can have an attitude of care and concern for the leaders of His day, who were in opposition to His saving work, I think we can pray for those individuals in our nation’s government we are in opposition with! Pastor McCarty