“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions 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. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God, our savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
-1 Timothy 2:1–4
Oh, so many things, people and the world in all kinds of positions that we can pray for, that we must pray for, based on God’s Word to us in 1 Timothy 2. I mean it says, “Supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving be made for all people,” well, that pretty much covers it. You got 7 billion people in the world. Like we need to be praying for people all around us, people all around the world.
1 Timothy 2:1–4 Desires All to Be Saved
Then specifically, there’s obviously an emphasis here in verse two on kings, “and all who are in high positions” that we should intercede for leaders in the world with thanksgiving, for God sets up leaders, the design of God in setting up leaders, this is Romans 13 and really all throughout the Bible when we think about God setting up kings in the Old Testament, the design of God was for the good of His people, to set up good authority for His people in ways that lead to good for all people. So we have a responsibility before God to pray like this, knowing that God is the savior who desires all people, including kings and all who are in high positions to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
1 Timothy 2:1–4 Prays for Our Leaders
So I want to lead us to pray for different leaders in this way and, hopefully, this time will prompt you to pray for other leaders when you think about other people that come to your mind, amidst the all people that 1 Timothy 2 is referring to in the world.
Oh, God, we praise you for the privilege of intercession, for the privilege of coming before you right now, and you’re hearing us, as we stand in the gap for other people and specifically even leaders. I pray, we pray, for those of us who are in the United States for the president who’s in the highest position in my country. We pray for President Biden, for Vice President Harris, for senators and congressmen and congresswomen, and for Supreme Court justices and many other judges, God, for governors, for state and local leaders.
1 Timothy 2:1–4 Prays for God’s Mercy
God, we pray for your mercy on all of them. We pray for your salvation of all of them. God, we know you desire them all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. So, God, we pray for that. We ask for that. We want to be faithful to intercede for their salvation. God, we pray that you would help them to lead in ways that are good for all people, such that we may lead peaceful and quiet lives, godly and dignified in every way. God, please bless their leadership toward that end.
And God, not just in our country for those of us who live in the United States. We pray for leaders of other countries. God, specifically, we pray in light of the news we see every day, we pray for President Zelensky and Ukraine. We pray for Vladimir Putin in Russia. God, we pray for your mercy on both of those leaders.
Reminded that Our Leaders Need You
Oh, God, world leaders like these need you. They need your grace and your wisdom. They need you to do in their hearts and their minds, which is good for others. God, we pray for your mercy on those whom they lead. We pray for your mercy across Ukraine, for your mercy across Russia, for your mercy across surrounding countries, God, for your wisdom, for all kinds of world leaders in light of these situations.
God, we pray for your help on behalf of these leaders. On behalf of the people they lead, all the people who are affected by so many decisions that leaders make. We take our place interceding for these leaders and for all the people they lead. God, for your grace, for your mercy and all of this for the spread of your salvation.
We know you desire all people, every single person in Ukraine, every single person in Russia. Every single person in the United States, every single person in Yemen and Saudi Arabia and Qatar and Bhutan and Nepal. You desire all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Praying for the Spread of the Gospel
So God, we pray for the spread of the gospel to all people, to all people groups. God, we pray for the spread of the gospel to the people of East Asia who’ve never heard the gospel. Please, God, cause them and 7,000 other people groups with 3 billion people in them to be reached with the good news of your salvation. God, we ask for that. We pray that you would help us to take our rightful place. Offering supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving for all people and specifically for kings and all who are in high positions.
God help us to be faithful to pray for all kinds of people around us. Especially leaders you have put over us and you have put in high positions around the world. Thank you, God, for this privilege to come before you in this way in Jesus’ name. 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.
