We’re looking at some passages of Scripture that can guide us as we pray for those in leadership roles in our community. We looked at three sets of passages yesterday. Today we’ll consider three more. Our excerpt from If Men Will Pray can be found on pages 20 and 21:
“Psalm 68.18 (cf. Eph. 4.8); Matthew 5.43-48; Romans 13.1-5: Give thanks to God for the gifts He gives even unbelieving people, that they might use them for His good purposes and become mindful that all their abilities and accomplishments are ultimately from Him. And let them know that you thank God for them.
“Psalm 72; Matthew 6.10, 33; Revelation 11.15: Pray that God’s Kingdom would come on earth as it is in heaven even through the works of unbelieving leaders, and in spite of their efforts to build, not the City of God but the City of Man.
“1 Corinthians 16.9; Ephesians 6.19, 20; Ephesians 5.15-17: Pray for yourself, and all believers, that we might recognize open doors of opportunity for bearing witness to others, and that we might be bold to go through those doors, making the most of every opportunity for proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom.
“Beyond this, try contacting as many of these people as you can, tell them you pray for them regularly, and ask if they have any requests. Who knows? Such a gesture might begin in them a change of mind and heartwhich could have eternal as well as temporal consequences.”
For reflection or discussion
1. Does having a plan to pray for community leaders make sense to you? Why or why not?
2. What will be the likely result if Christians fail to pray for those in leadership roles?
We all need to improve our prayer lives. So it makes sense, as we do so, to understand what the Scriptures teach about how to pray, whom to pray for, and when to pray for them. If we pray according to the guidance of God’s Word, we can be sure we’ll have His blessings as well. Share today’s podcast with a friend, then get together to discuss it and to pray. You can order If Men Will Pray from The Ailbe Bookstore.
T. M. Moore
