“Jerusalem and all the cities of Judah, its kings and officials, to make them a desolation and a waste, a hissing, and a curse, as at this day; pharaoh king of Egypt, his servants, his officials, all his people and all the mixed tribes among them; all the kings of the land of Uz and all the Kings of the land of the Philistines, Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod; Edom, Moab, and the sons of Ammon, all the kings of Tyre, all the kings of Sidon, and the kings of the coastlands across the sea; Dedan, Tema, Buz, and all who cut the corners of their hair; all the kings of Arabia and all the kings of the mixed tribes who dwell in the desert; all the kings of Zimri, all the kings of Elam and all the kings of Media, all the kings of the north, far and near, one after another, and all the kingdoms of the world that are on the face of the earth. And after them, the king of Babylon shall drink.”
– Jeremiah 25:17–26
This is a bit of a longer passage, but… Well, you’ll see why I want to lead us to pray according to it. Jeremiah says, “So I took the cup from the Lord’s hand and made all the nations to whom the Lord sent me drink it:
This is a list of nations and tribes and their leaders whom God has said, “Take my cup of wrath and judgment and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it.” It says in verse 16, right before this, “They shall drink and stagger and be crazed because of the sword that I’m sending among them.”
Jeremiah 25:17–26 Reminds Us that Leaders Need God’s Mercy
The reason I read this long list of kings and people groups and nations and tribes is because it’s a clear reminder to us that every leader in the world, every nation in the world needs the mercy of God. Every leader in the world will one day stand before God as judge and ruler and ultimate Lord and king. They will give an account to him. There is nothing we see happening in the world right now that will not one day be judged by God, which means every single one of these leaders, every single one of these nations and tribes and people groups needs mercy from God because all of them are sinful before God. They all need a savior.
Jeremiah 25:17–26 Leads Us to Pray for the Nations
This is why we pray for the nations, why we pray for the peoples, why we pray for leaders of nations, that they would receive God’s mercy. Let’s do that now, and let’s do it specifically. God, we pray for your mercy on the nations. You are the sovereign ruler over all of them. We pray that you would bring more and more leaders and nations and peoples and tribes to fear your name and to experience your mercy, your salvation. God, we pray for this. We pray for leaders all across the world: leaders of North Korea, Iran, Syria, across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, across the Americas. God, we pray for Vladimir Putin of Russia. God, we pray for Prime Minister Modi in India.
Praying for World Leaders Around the Globe
We pray for presidents, leaders, rulers of nations. God, we pray for President Biden in the United States. We pray for all of these leaders that they would fear you, God, that He would’ve mercy upon them; God, that you would hear our cries for them and show your mercy to them.
You would give them an awareness of you as Lord and king and judge, God, that you would open their eyes to the reality that you are Lord, and you are king, and you are judge. They will stand before you. They need your mercy. God, they will be held accountable for how they lead their nations. God, we pray for your mercy upon the nations. We pray that you’d help us in light of your… Command to us, in 1 Timothy 2, to faithfully pray on their behalf, on behalf of leaders of nations, and on behalf of the nations, all who are in high positions.
You would help us to be faithful. To pray for leaders of nations, for all who are in high positions, and for the people they lead. God, help us to be faithful intercessors for the nations, tribes, and people. For the leaders of nations, tribes, and peoples in the world according to your Word in Jeremiah 25. In Jesus’ name, we pray for them. 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.
