Do you struggle with the why and how to pray for those in authority when you disagree with them? It can be easy to pray for leaders when we agree with them. We will pray provision and blessing on them and honor them in their position. However, when we disagree, it can present a challenge that we may find ourselves aligned against God rather than with God.
Our first challenge is that Romans 13:1 states, “Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.” (NLT)
When we believe that God did not place or allow someone in a position of authority, we diminish His dominion and power over the situation.
When leadership is ungodly, it is difficult to believe God allowed them to be in a position of authority. In those moments, we wondered if our prayers had any value. As I pondered this over the past year, I sat down with James 5. James begins by speaking about the power of prayer. He declares, “Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray.” Scripture does not say we become anxious, in fact, Philippians 4:6 commands us not to be anxious. There is no place in your life for fear or anxiety, no matter what is happening in the world around you.
1 Timothy 2:1-4 reminds us that we must pray for those in authority. Why? Because those prayers can turn their hearts which will result in a “peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.”
Jeremiah delivers a word to the captives exiled in Babylon about their position in a time of captivity. How they managed their season of captivity would impact the nation that was holding them captive and their very lives. To learn more about this powerful Scripture click here to listen to Real Truth with Ruth – The Power of Praying for Those in Authority.
The deeper I dive in, the more I realize that the way we pray for our leaders and our nations directly impacts us. What would happen if the body of Christ stopped cursing their leaders and began to offer up a fervent prayer? What would happen if we began to pray for our leaders to have Godly wisdom and revelation? What would change if we prayed for our leaders to have an encounter with Jesus Christ? What would happen if we prayed a blessing on our leaders? We do not have to agree with them, but we must pray for them. Think of a leader with who you disagree and begin to pray for them. Remember, nothing is impossible with our God, including changing the heart of a leader.
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