Questions & Answers (1):

Q: Does The Bible Provide Any Insight About Praying For Our Leaders ?

A: First Timothy 2:1-2 tells us we should pray and give thanks for all our leaders, so that we might live in peace : “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.” According to Romans 13:1, our leaders are ordained of God: “Let every soul be subjected unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.” Verse 4 says they are ministers for our good, but they don’t manifest that ordination any more than they do because of our lack of prayer on their behalf.

You see, if by prayer we will invite God into our governments, He’ll take control of those in positions of authority. As Proverbs 21:1 says: “The king’s heart is in the hands of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.” God has reserved the right to override the will of a nation’s leader, if need be, to see that His people are governed according to His will. What’s more, God will hear the prayer of any government leader, even if he’s the worst reprobate in the whole world. He heard the prayer of King Nebuchadnezzar, despite his status as a heathen king of a heathen nation. God intervened repeatedly in his life and heard him when he finally cried out for help, because he had God’s people under his control.

That same principle still holds true today. If we’ll open the way through prayer, God will deal with our leaders! He’ll turn the hearts of everyone from the White House **on down to make sure His children are governed justly. In fact, if we’d just be obedient to 1 Timothy 2:1-2, there’s no council of any kind on earth, no king, no president, no congress, not anyone who could overthrow God’s purpose for His people. As believers, we have total authority over the powers of Satan. We have been given a Name that is above every name, and at the Name of Jesus every knee shall bow in heaven, in earth and under the earth (Philippians 2:9-10 ).

Jesus said in Matthew 18:18, “Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on the earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Jesus was referring to the heavens, or atmosphere, surrounding this planet where wicked spirits operate and attempt to rule the nations to which they’ve been assigned. But God has given us power to bind the wicked spirits in heavenly places and to loose the angelic powers of God to work in our behalf.

We can take authority, in the Name of Jesus, and pull down the strongholds of evil spirits that are trying to destroy this nation ( 2 Corinthians 10:4 ). Since the day Jesus gave us the Great Commission, the life or death of the world has been in the hands of the Church. We are the ones whose prayers can change every office of authority in this land. If we want a nation of “godliness and honesty,” it’s up to us to begin to intercede right now and use the power God has given us. [Courtesy : Kenneth Copeland,BVOV, VOL. 28 NO. 11, DECEMBER 2000 ].

** Put the name of the seat of government in the country in which you live here!