“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” (1 Timothy 2:1-2)
Some people really love to fight about who should be the next President and who should have been the last one. I mean, I know it matters. I want good leaders running the show. But no matter who gets the most votes, about half the people end up unhappy every four years.
So what should we do about it? For starters, Paul said we should pray for the winners, either way, and he doesn’t seem to care whether we approve of them or not.
Just for the record, Paul’s government leaned toward being truly evil. Still, he urged Timothy (and us) to ask God to help our leaders, to ask him to intervene in their lives, and to tell him thank you for them. Why? So we can live more holy, more godly lives in peace and quiet.
Think: Have you ever prayed for your president or senators or governor or mayor that God would use their decisions to help you live a more godly and holy life?
Pray: Ask God to give the President—and all the government leaders—wisdom to know which decisions are best and the courage to make the best decisions. Also, thank him for the leaders he has installed in your government.
Do: Ask a friend you know who is a mature Christian and passionate about politics for ideas about how you can pray for the President.