Praying for Godly Leaders (2 Samuel 23:3–4)

The God of Israel has spoken; the Rock of Israel has said to me: When one rules justly over men, ruling in the fear of God, he dawns on them like the morning light, like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning, like rain that makes grass to sprout from the earth.
—2 Samuel 23:3–4

What a picture! This chapter starts by saying, “These are the last words of David”—this king who ruled among God’s people. And in verse 3, David says how God has spoken and declared that when a ruler, a leader, is just and leads in the fear of God, “he dawns on them like the morning light,” like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning. Just picture it: like the bright, shining sun in the sky, like rain that causes grass to sprout from the earth. It is good to be led by people who are just and who fear God.

2 Samuel 23:3–4 shows how godly leaders bless those they lead.

So let’s pray, based on 2 Samuel 23:3–4, for leaders like this in our lives—and for all of us who are in any position of leadership at all in our homes, churches, workplaces, and communities—that God would help us to lead in a way that bears fruit and brings a blessing like this.

Oh God, we pray for leaders like this in our lives. As we look to authorities in our lives, we pray for just authorities. We pray for people who lead in the fear of you. God, as you have commanded us to pray for leaders in all kinds of high positions, we pray for presidents, prime ministers, kings, and queens. God, we pray for legislators and judges. We pray that they would rule and lead justly, that they would have fear of you, and that they would lead out of the overflow of fearing and revering you—with knowledge of accountability before you for the good of those they lead.

God, we pray for all of us in positions of leadership. As we think about leading marriages, leading homes, leading in your church in different capacities, and leading in different ways in our workplaces, God, we pray that you would help all of us to lead well, justly, and in the fear of you. Help us to lead with awe and reverence before you, with a sober sense of our accountability before you, to lead people in a way that reflects you.

2 Samuel 23:3–4 points us to God’s kingdom and perfect rule.

God, we pray for this kind of blessing to flow from our leadership, and this kind of blessing to flow in our lives under the leadership of others—like grass sprouting from the earth and the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning.

God, as we pray for these things, we are so thankful. We praise you. You are the perfect leader, and you are just in all your ways. We are so glad that you are our ultimate authority, and we worship you as our leader. We pray that your name would be hallowed as the Lord and leader of all in all the earth, that your glory would spread, that your kingdom would come, and that your will would be done on earth as it is in heaven.

A Prayer for the Jeng People

Among all the nations, among the Jeng people of Laos, may they know you, Jesus, as the Lord and leader of all—as the good, just, and merciful leader you are. Cause your name, Jesus, to be known among the Jeng people of Laos.

Oh Lord, we praise you as the just ruler of all the nations, and we gladly submit our lives to your rule and leadership today. We know that your leadership is like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning, like rain that causes grass to sprout from the earth.

In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.