“First of all, then I urge that supplications, prayers, intersessions and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.”
– 1 Timothy 2:1–2
1 Timothy 2:1–2 is a clear command, call from God for us to pray for all kinds of people. Specifically to pray for kings, and leaders who are in high positions. So I just want to lead us to do that.
I know that many people, maybe most people who listen to this podcast live in the United States. So I want to lead us to intercede for leaders in the United States and not just in the United States though. It doesn’t just say pray for kings and those who are in high positions in your country. I want us to pray for leaders of other countries and as we do to know we are not just obeying 1 Timothy 2:1–2, but participating with God and what He is doing among leaders’ lives in the world.
1 Timothy 2:1–2 Teaches Us to Pray for Those in Authority
We are commanded in God’s Word to pray for those in authority. Lord, help us to obey in this way.
It’s an awesome privilege and responsibility that we have been given to join with God through prayer right now for what He is doing in the White House or what He is doing in this or that leader’s life in this or that part of the world that you and I get to be a part of. So let’s pray right now. God, we want to obey 1 Timothy 2:1–2. And we want to join with You and Your work in leaders’ lives around us, around the world.
This Verse Leads Us to Pray for American Leaders
So we pray right now for President Trump and Vice President Pence. God, we pray that You would give these leaders wisdom based on Your word, that You would guide them to lead in a way that is good and just and right that promotes good according to Romans 13 and works against evil. God, we pray that You would help them to lead with integrity of heart. We pray that You would help them to lead in ways that lead to good, peaceful, quiet lives for those who they lead, for the flourishing of those whom they lead made in Your image.
God, we pray knowing after 1 Timothy 2:1–2, the chapter talks about how You desire all people to know Your love in Christ. So we pray for these two leaders and leaders around them, for Speaker Pelosi, for Chief Justice Roberts, for Secretaries Pompeo, Mnuchin, Esper, Barr, Bernhardt, Perdue, Ross, Scalia, Azar, Carson, Chao, Perry, DeVos, Wilkie and Wolf. We pray for Senators McConnell and Schumer.
We pray for all of these leaders and others whom they represent, other congressmen and congresswomen, other senators, governors in different states around us. Also, we pray that all of these leaders would have grace from You, mercy from You to lead well and that ultimately they would know Your grace and mercy in Jesus. And we pray that they would know you, that they would walk with You, that they would see themselves before You, that they would have a fear of You, an honor for You, that they would lead according to Your good word in ways that promote good for all those whom they lead. God, we pray for these leaders in the United States.
1 Timothy 2:1–2 Leads Us to Pray for Foreign Leaders
We pray for leaders in countries like Bolivia and Venezuela and Haiti and countries that are really struggling in this way or that way right now, politically and so much unrest and suffering. God, we pray for peace in those countries. We pray for leaders there. We pray for leaders all across the world, whether it’s in Syria or Russia, Germany or Indonesia and Morocco and Libya. God, we pray for leaders in Chad and Niger. We pray for leaders in the United Kingdom and in China and North Korea. God, we pray for these leaders in the world.
We know You hold them in the palm of Your hand and God, we pray that You would draw leaders to Yourself, to Christ, to the truth that is found in Your love and Your grace, Your word and ultimately Your God. We think about Psalm, chapter two. May leaders of the nations fear You. May they kiss the Son. And may they know what it means to walk in humility before You, in integrity before You and may they lead in such a way that promotes good and promotes peace.
This Verse Leads Us to Trust God
God, we ask for these things and we trust that as we do, we are doing exactly what You’ve told us to do in Your word, that You hear us and that You answer. God, we pray please answer. Show Your mercy, Your wisdom, Your grace in these leaders’ lives for their good and for the good of all those whom they lead. We pray this and we pray that You would help us to continue to pray this.
Teach us to pray more and more and more for our leaders. Teach us to not gossip about our leaders. And teach us to as we discuss what’s going on in our country to always do so in ways that lead us to intercede for those who are leading our country. Keep us, we pray, from spending all this time looking on news apps and reading this or that and not stopping to pray for what we are reading. Make us a people who not only obey but join with You according to 1 Timothy, chapter two and what You are doing in the world around us, specifically in the lives of those who lead us. In Jesus’ name, we pray, amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
