Pray for Your Country
In light of the growing animosity and frustration we see boiling over in our streets these days, I was reminded of how important it is for us to pray. As you know, God has instructed us in 1 Timothy 2:1–2 to do the following: “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” Notice four parts to this call to prayer:
We should pray with the right priority (v. 1a: “first of all”). Prayer must be a priority in every disciple’s life because we always need supernatural help and God is our supreme helper.
We should pray with the right variety (v. 1b: “entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings”). Paul used four different words to highlight all the various needs for prayer.
We should pray with the right humanity (v. 1c-2a: “on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority”). Two groups of people need prayer: those under authority (“all men”) and those in authority (“kings and all who are in authority”). We tend to neglect those in authority (national, state, local government leaders, first responders, military, employers, faith leaders).
We should pray with the right prosperity (v. 2b-4: “so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”). Two benefits are identified: the serenity benefit (pray for peace and calm), and the salvation benefit (pray for lives to be transformed by the gospel).
Notice that God isn’t calling for a political revolution, but a prayer revolution.
Here are two stories that show our need to pray for our nation and government authorities:
Franklin Graham sent out an urgent call on X for the church to seek the Lord this past Wednesday (Jan 14 @ noon ET) to confess our sins, ask for forgiveness, and repent as a nation who has turned its back on God. He wrote, “Ask God to use His Church to be His instruments of peace in this time of great uncertainty…Let’s humble ourselves. Let’s give God the glory for this great nation and thank Him for His hand of blessing, protection, and mercy.” Even though Wednesday, January 14, has passed, we can all still take time to pray for God’s merciful intervention on behalf of our country and leaders.
The lead pastor at Christ the King Church in Stillwater, Minnesota, (about a half hour from the Twin Cities—Minneapolis and St. Paul) decided to pray this prayer last Sunday:
“The government authority we are praying for today is ICE—our country’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Father, please enable the government authorities who work for ICE to accomplish their lawful and moral mission: to “protect America through criminal investigations and enforcing immigration laws to preserve national security and public safety.” In particular, thank you for the ICE officers who are bravely and honorably doing their job here in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. Please protect the ICE officers from wicked government officials like our state’s governor, Tim Walz, and the mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey, who are inciting violent lawbreaking. Please protect the ICE officers from wicked men and women who are violent lawbreakers.”
We pray with the psalmist in *Psalm 58: “Break the teeth [of the wicked] in their mouths, O God; LORD, tear out the fangs of those lions! Let them vanish like water that flows away; when they draw the bow, let their arrows fall short. May they be like a slug that melts away as it moves along, like a stillborn child that never sees the sun.”
Father, the people of Minnesota don’t deserve your kindness. Our magistrates have sinned with a high hand.
They have empowered people to murder babies in the wombs of their mothers.
They have enforced policies that encourage transgenderism and that punish those who respect your good design for men and women.
They have granted sanctuary to citizens of other countries who are trespassing, and they have stolen billions of tax dollars from hardworking citizens.
They have encouraged protesters to obstruct the good and responsible work of law enforcement and to riot when they don’t get their way.
They have used rhetoric and empowered policies that endanger honorable law enforcement, such as our fellow member who serves as an officer.
We don’t deserve your kindness. But we plead for it. Please be merciful and gracious to us, Father. Please accomplish much good through all this evil. Please empower our fellow member who is an officer, along with other law enforcement officers, to be skilled and just. Help them faithfully serve our society as your servants who are a terror to bad conduct. Please protect them when they are in dangerous situations. And please encourage them and enable them to be righteous avengers who carry out your wrath on wrongdoers (Rom 13:3–4).
We ask all this so that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way (1 Tim 2:1–2). And we ask all this in the name of Christ the King. Amen.
May God use each one of us to cry out to Him for His powerful and merciful intervention. He is able and we know and see and feel the need.
Pastor Jeff
*New Testament believers may use the imprecatory psalms in prayer, not to express personal vengeance, but to appeal to God’s justice, uphold His holiness, and long for the final defeat of evil, all while submitting to Christ’s command to love enemies.
FOUNDATIONAL FAITH STATEMENT #16. Will God allow our disobedience to go unpunished?
No, every sin is against the sovereignty, holiness, goodness, and righteous law of God. God is righteously angry with our sins and will punish them in His just judgment both in this life, and in the life to come (Ephesians 5:5–6).