I’m just going to jump right in to today’s topic and not beat around the bush. In 2016, when Donald Trump entered the political scene and announced his candidacy for president of the United States, Satan released a spirit of hate for this man. There is no other explanation for the hatred that infiltrated the media, the country, the world, and the church. I never saw anything like it. But the sad reality is that MANY Christians fell into Satan’s trap. Whole Christian Universities proclaimed their hatred. It reminds me of the power that Satan wields and that it’s really easy to get caught up in his snare.
When Paul wrote to Timothy about the importance of praying for ALL leaders, he was writing at a time when there were some ruthless leaders governing in Rome. They were hunting down Christians and killing them. They were enacting laws contrary to the Word of God and if people didn’t abide by them, they were imprisoned or killed. It was a difficult time for Christian leaders and pastors. But Paul says… Listen, we are to intercede for them and give thanks for them.
Here’s the thing… I may not agree with every decision President Trump has made and I may not like everything he says. Sometimes I say out loud… Really? Is it necessary to speak that way? But then again, I have to remember that he has done a lot of good for our country, for the world, for the church, and for Israel. For this, I’m very thankful. Here’s another thing we need to keep in mind… Paul says in Romans 13:1 that “those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.”
I believe that our country would not be in the predicament that it’s in if we would just obey this mandate… to pray for our leaders. Of course, it is our responsibility to vote but it is also our responsibility to pray for those in leadership… ALL leaders. So, let’s do just that. I’m going to encourage you to pray for three different leaders…
National government leaders! Pray for your president, your senate and house leaders, and Christians who are on the front lines fighting this grueling war. Pray for wisdom and guidance from the hand of God. Pray that God would give them strength in the face of huge giants and that God would bring godly people to stand beside them and give them counsel. Pray that God would pour out His blessings and that many would come to know Jesus as their Lord.
Local government leaders! Pray for your local government leaders the way you do for national leaders. Name them by name.
Church leaders! We have no idea how difficult it is to be a pastor or leader in the church these days. We are witnessing many leaders fall into temptation. We have no idea of the pressures our pastors are under. Pray for your pastor, your elders, your leaders in your church. Pray that God would continue to guide them, give them strength and courage in the face of temptation, and keep them from drifting from the truth of the gospel. Pray that God would expose the wolves in sheep’s clothing… the many who are pretending to be true ambassadors, but they are fake.
Let me encourage you to make a list (I’m going to do that today) of names in government and the church you will commit to pray for. Write down who you will pray for them. And be sure to thank the Lord for their leadership. I hope this encourages you today.