Lynette Hagin
One thing that has been rolling over in my mind and spirit concerning prayer is the fact that we’ve been instructed to pray for those in authority. First Timothy 2:1 and 2 says, “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.”
I remember reading this passage several times during the corporate prayer meetings we held prior to the elections in our country. But it just seems good to read them again. Let’s look at this passage from The Living Bible, because it makes our instructions even more clear.
1 TIMOTHY 2:1–2 (The Living Bible)
1 Here are my directions. Pray much for others. Plead for God’s mercy upon them. Give thanks for all He is going to do for them. Praying this way for kings, and all others who are in authority over us, or in places of high responsibility, so that we can live in peace and quietness spending our time in godly living and thinking much about the Lord.
2 This is good and pleases God our Savior. For He longs for all to be saved and to understand this truth.
Verse 1 says to pray for “kings,” but our nation is not a monarchy, so we are to pray for the President and other government officials. I know many Christians read this passage of Scripture before the election. Many used it as a basis for praying for the election, for government officials, and for everyone in authority.
It is a good thing that we prayed before the election. We even prayed a lot immediately after the election—praying that the ballots would be counted properly. But I wonder how many Christians, happy or disappointed about certain election results, stopped praying after the election season was over. Even though it is now months after the election, this is no time to stop praying for our President and for those who are in authority over us.
The Lord has reminded me that we do not need to slack off in our prayers for those who are in authority. We should pray regularly for each and every elected official on the local, state, and national levels. We should pray for those in political positions, for our judges, and for our law enforcement officers.
We all know that every vote counts. And every vote in the Senate and the House of Representatives counts. A senator or state representative can choose at any moment to change his or her party affiliation. He or she can choose to vote one way or another on any given piece of legislation. Each decision made can make a difference in the way our government is run and can also affect our daily lives. That’s why it’s so important that we continue to pray!
Someone might say, “Many of our politicians might not even be saved. What good is praying for them going to do?” But that’s even more reason to pray for them!
I firmly believe that the people in our government are elected in order to represent the people of this nation. Politicians aren’t supposed to advance their own agenda when it comes to making policies, but are to represent the will of the people. As voters, we expect our elected officials to vote certain ways when it comes time to vote. And if we want our elected officials to vote in line with God’s Word and in line with biblical values, we must pray for them—even after the elections are over.
I encourage you to continually pray for our President and his Cabinet and for all of our elected officials. Pray daily that they will make right and godly decisions that will be for our benefit.
According to the Word of God, if we want to lead a quiet and peaceable life, living a lifestyle of godliness and honesty, it’s imperative we pray for our President and for all those in authority.
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