Praying for Leaders
“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.” (1 Timothy 2:1-2)
To pray is to ask God to help you. To make intercession is to ask God to help someone else. Our verse says to make intercessions “For kings, and for all that are in authority;” We are to pray for leaders. Pray for our president and vice-president, senators, reps in Congress, state and local leaders. If you don’t know the names of your leaders, learn them. Pray for them.
Leaders are human beings with personal lives. They have spouses, kids, grandkids, friends. Some jobs are tough on family life. Police work can be. So can politics. Police families have hardships that most families don’t. So do political families. Pray for leaders’ personal lives.
Leaders also have power and can be tempted to use it wickedly. Satan is called “the tempter.” “And when the tempter came to him [Jesus], he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.” (Matthew 4:3) In Exodus 1, Satan tempted Pharaoh to have Hebrew baby boys killed. In Daniel 3, Satan tempted Nebuchadnezzar to order people to bow to his giant statue or be thrown into a furnace. Three Hebrews refused and were thrown in, but God kept them safe. The Bible has many instances of people in power using their power wickedly.
God’s Word says to pray so that “…we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” Christians are to tell people how to receive Jesus as Saviour. Jesus said, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15) Preachers are also to speak out against sinful behaviors, such as alcohol, gambling, pornography, and sexual sin.
Of course, no one wants to hear he’s a sinner headed for hell, or to hear his sin criticized. Yet we must speak the truth in love. We must tell how Jesus died for sins, was buried, and rose again; and how He forgives sins, saves souls, and changes lives. We must speak against sin and let our “…light so shine before men,” (Matthew 5:16) in this spiritually dark, sinful world. 2 Thessalonians 3:1 also says, “Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course,” Pray for leaders not to use their power to hinder the preaching of God’s Word.
Finally, leaders have souls. They are people whom Jesus loves and for whom He died and rose again. Pray for leaders to receive Jesus as Saviour. Pray also for leaders who have received Jesus as Saviour for God’s grace to serve Him in their lives and careers.
Cops and leaders have one interesting thing in common: both are easy targets for criticism from people who have never done their job. Please pray for leaders. If you want to see how to receive Jesus as your personal Saviour, please go to www.clevelandbaptist.org, click “Helpful Links,” then “How Do I Go to Heaven?”
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Welcome to Cleveland baptist Church Sundays at 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 6:00 PMWednesdays at 7:00 PM Watch Live Prayer…
Brian Miller 7/28/2021
Cleveland Baptist Church 4431 Tiedeman Road, Brooklyn, Ohio 44144 216/671-2822