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| The 46th President of these United States (and the 48th Vice President) |
election, I recall what my sister said to me after her candidate did not get elected president: "He ain't my President. I'm moving to Canada." (For the record, she never made good on her promise and as far as I know continued to pay her taxes to the federal government and obey the law.) And life went on for both of us.
In the aftermath of our most recent presidential election, while we haven't talked about it I'm pretty sure she's happy about the results. That being said, I am not and I just so happen to be friends with lots (and lots) of people who feel the same way as I do (but have no interest in moving to Canada). I guess she'd say the shoe's on the other foot this time.
On account of it being President's Day, I've invited the folks of the fellowship I pastor as well as many others that I know in the area to join me in praying for President Biden and Vice President Harris today. Yes, I didn't vote for the team that won nor do I believe the direction they want to steer the country is a good one. But all the same I know they need my prayers. And so I'm rolling up my sleeves and seeking to get with the program. For anyone who may be feeling the same way but struggling to reach for the "want to", here's a few reasons to pray for those we didn't vote for (and may not like that they are now in office):
• We are urged to do so:
1 Timothy 2:1-4, NIV:
“1 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”
1 Timothy 2:1-4, The Message:
2 1-3 "The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live."
4 "He wants not only us but everyone saved, you know, everyone to get to know the truth we’ve learned..."
Paul says its in our own best interests to have leaders who govern well so we can get on with living our lives, loving our neighbors and looking for opportunities to share the love of God. These are reasons enough to pray for those in office, even if we didn't vote for them!
• We are to acknowledge that God has set them in place for this particular season:
Daniel 2:20-21, NIV
20 “Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
wisdom and power are his.
21 He changes times and seasons;
he deposes kings and raises up others.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to the discerning.”
I'm pretty sure Nebuchadnezzar wasn't Daniel's choice for a boss let alone a ruler. I'm sure he resented the fact that he had been carted off to Babylon against his will and then groomed for government service. But the king's strange dream (Daniel 2:1) changed all that and as Daniel committed the matter to prayer God spoke to him about his greater purposes in world history - and Nebuchadnezzar's kingship became a touchpoint of praise:
So we are called to praise God for setting these elected officials in place!
• We know they need wisdom to govern wisely:
Psalm 2:10-11, NLT
“10 Now then, you kings, act wisely!
Be warned, you rulers of the earth!
11 Serve the Lord with reverent fear,
and rejoice with trembling.”
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| Okay, nowadays they wear a tie but the need remains the same |
Proverbs 11:14, NLT:
“Without wise leadership, a nation falls;
there is safety in having many advisers.”
Let's admit the fact that it's very easy for all of us to sit back and criticize from the comfort of our living room. Things seem so very simple from our perspective, don't they? But the complexities all administrations face must be overwhelming.
So we need to pray that God gives them wisdom from heaven (even if they think it's coming from another source!)
• Nations rise and fall because of God's sovereign work through history (see Daniel 2)
Job 12:13-25, NIV
“To God belong wisdom and power;
counsel and understanding are his.
14 What he tears down cannot be rebuilt;
those he imprisons cannot be released.
15 If he holds back the waters, there is drought;
if he lets them loose, they devastate the land.
16 To him belong strength and insight;
both deceived and deceiver are his.
17 He leads rulers away stripped
and makes fools of judges.
18 He takes off the shackles put on by kings
and ties a loincloth around their waist.
19 He leads priests away stripped
and overthrows officials long established.
20 He silences the lips of trusted advisers
and takes away the discernment of elders.
21 He pours contempt on nobles
and disarms the mighty.
22 He reveals the deep things of darkness
and brings utter darkness into the light.
23 He makes nations great, and destroys them;
he enlarges nations, and disperses them.
24 He deprives the leaders of the earth of their reason;
he makes them wander in a trackless waste.
25 They grope in darkness with no light;
he makes them stagger like drunkards.”
We who know our Bibles should know this: nothing lasts forever. Kingdoms rise and fall. Leaders come and go. The Reich that was supposed to last for a thousand years barely sees twelve (and that was way too long).
So we need to pray that the President and the Vice President administrate with humility and as individuals who one day will have to give an account for the policies they enact.
These are reasons enough, I think we'd all agree, to pray for our leaders. Who knows but perhaps another Daniel 4 or Daniel 6 story is being written even as we speak? But even if it isn't, as citizens of a kingdom coming greater than any other that's ever been, we need to pray that in the interim God give grace and mercy to the chief executive (and his second) of the present kingdom we call home.
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