Why is it important to pray for our leaders? How should we pray for leaders?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Praying for leaders benefits them, us, and glorifies our heavenly Father. The Bible indicates that we should be subject to the authorities God has put in place (Romans 13:1) unless they tell us to do something not aligned with God’s will (Acts 5:29). Praying for leaders is also done to benefit believers. Paul wrote to Timothy that we should pray for our leaders so that “we may lead a peaceful and quiet life” (1 Timothy 2:1–4). Our prayers for our leaders also help us to identify our true enemies, which are not “flesh and blood,” but dark spiritual forces who seek to destroy us and lead us astray (Ephesians 6:12). We must be on the alert and pray “at all times” (Ephesians 6:18–20). Even when leaders sin, we can pray for their welfare, as Moses did for Miriam in Numbers 12:13. Besides governing authorities, pastoral staff have a heavy weight to carry in leadership (James 3:1), and their roles often shape the culture of a church. As such, we should ask God to guide us in wisdom as we pray for them (James 1:5).

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• The prayers of the prophets recorded in the Old Testament point toward the Israelite people as a whole. However, in Numbers 12:13, Moses prays to God to heal his sister, Miriam, from a sudden case of leprosy that was inflicted on her by God as a consequence of her egregious sin.
• Moses also prayed to God for a leader to replace him: “Moses spoke to the LORD, saying, ‘Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation’” (Numbers 27:15–16). God chose Joshua.
• Psalm 72 is a beautiful plea to God that the king He has appointed over His people (Solomon) be just and righteous, a man who fears God.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Romans 13:1 tells us governing authorities are established by God. We are expected to honor them. In part, we can honor them by praying for their well-being.
• The apostle Paul acknowledged that human beings—even evil leaders—are not our real enemies; dark, spiritual forces are what we should guard against: "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12).
• Many leaders in our lives are not part of the government. For example, we should be praying for those who lead us in the church (Ephesians 6:18–20). Leaders of every kind need God's support and guidance.
• First Timothy 2:1–4 makes it clear that we should be praying for everyone, but particularly those who are in high places of leadership.
• Leaders in the church have an extra amount of stress and responsibility. The apostle James warns us, “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness” (James 3:1). We honor our leaders who teach and demonstrate gratitude by lifting them up in prayer.
• When we pray for any of our leaders, we can ask God to grant them direction, discernment, and wisdom (James 1:5). We can pray that our leaders come to know Jesus as their Savior and that their decisions will honor Him and draw others to Him.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

While we may certainly hope our leaders are praying for wisdom for themselves, as Solomon did (1 Kings 3), we know that not all of our leaders acknowledge and follow God. And even when they do, adding our prayers to theirs is beneficial. God can and has chosen unbelievers to lead governments, and we should pray that our governing authorities will know God and will have His wisdom to carry out the duties of their positions.

With that being said, it is easier to pray for a leader with whom we naturally agree or who we think is leading well. However, we are called to pray for our leaders regardless of our personal feelings toward them. We can ask God to help us respect and honor our leaders as we do so. The Bible gives us specific commands to pray for our leaders. We can also pray for the well-being of family members of our leaders and that they have godly friends who support and encourage them. If we are unsure on how to pray for those over us in leadership, we can look to James 1:5: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” This wisdom will help us lean on God’s direction as we pray for their specific needs.

UNDERSTAND

• God is the ultimate authority, and praying for leaders recognizes this.
• Praying for leaders brings peace and spiritual clarity for God’s people.
• We should pray for all leaders—governmental and spiritual.

REFLECT

• How do you pray for your leaders?
• What challenges have you faced in praying for governing authorities?
• How has praying for your leaders changed your heart toward them and situations?

ENGAGE

• What should believers pray for regarding leaders?
• How can Christians pray for leaders while also acknowledging the evil or difficulty in this world, including what leaders are involved with?
• How can Christians use prayer for leaders to engage a culture that is so divided on politics?