I have heard many people say they are praying for the president. Usually this refers to a general prayer for his health and wisdom in leading the country. Those are good things to pray for. As Christians we are commanded to pray for our leaders. We are told to pray for them so that we “can live quiet and peaceful lives, godly and dignified in every way.” (1 Tim. 2:1-3) If our leaders are ruling well, there will be peace and prosperity in the land that goes beyond the physical well-being of a country to the spiritual health of its citizens as well. Unfortunately, most of our country’s leaders have rejected the guidance of Scripture and so it should be no surprise that our land is far from the peace and quiet that is possible to those who submit their lives to God.
As Christians we need to pray for our leaders in the specific ways that Scripture encourages us to. We are not just praying for the physical health and general wisdom of the president, we are praying for him on a spiritual level as well because we know that is where prayer is most needed. In keeping with that theme I have put together a list of ways to pray for political leaders from a Biblical perspective.
Repentance: This may come as a shock to some, but we need to pray for the president to repent of his sin. Father Robert Morey of Saint Anthony Catholic Church in Florence South Carolina would agree with me on this particular point because he is the one who withheld communion from the president last year. He said, “any public figure who advocates for abortion places himself or herself outside of Church teaching.”
Salvation: Repentance and conversion go hand in hand so we should also pray that the president would confess his sin and submit his life to Jesus Christ. This is appropriate to pray for all our leaders because we know that God does not want any to perish, “but that all should reach repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)
Justice: Our country is confused about justice today because people are allowing it to be defined by humans instead of by God. We need to join King Solomon’s powerful refrain in Psalm 7, “Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the royal son! May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice.”
Expose Corruption: The 2020 election had more allegations of voter fraud than any other election in recent history. As Christians we need to pray against all forms of political corruption. Ephesians 5:11 says, “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.” We need to pray that the president will call for an end to election fraud and all other forms of political corruption.
Expose Hypocrisy: The president used his inaugural address to call the nation to unity. He then went to the White House and signed a divisive executive order on sexual orientation. We need to pray that he would recognize the hypocrisy of these actions and make decisions that reflect his call for unity. The Bible gives a vivid description of hypocrisy as “whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and uncleanness.” (Mt. 23:27)
Family: We need to pray for him as he leads his wife and influences his grown children and grandchildren. Ephesians 5:25 says, “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” That is a high calling for Christians husbands and one that helps us know how to pray for all husbands. We also need to pray for the first lady because she is under an immense amount of pressure with the responsibilities that come with serving as a leader of the nation.
