Pray for Our Governments World-Wide

By Marjorie Foerster Eddington

All we need to do is turn on the TV, listen to the radio, or pick up a newspaper to see that the governments of nations throughout the world need our prayers. There's a lot of change going on right now. Some changes we may like; some we may not. It's easy to get into political discussions that end up bashing certain ideas and political figures more than supporting them. These discussions don't help the situations and can even create unnecessary strife.

So what can we do to make a difference in the government of nations, our own and others? We can pray. We read in I Timothy:

• “The first thing I want you to do is pray.
• Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.
• Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation.” (format adapted from The Message, I Tim. 2:1, 2)

With this in mind, let's make specific time, say 10-30 minutes each day, this month to pray for our leaders in our own government and around the world.

Praying for our leaders requires that we stay above opinions. We're not proving that we truly believe that God is in control if we're complaining or arguing with a friend about the lack of control in a certain region of the world or how some leader botched up a particular situation. These are not prayerful states of thought. We read:

Refuse to get involved in inane discussions; they always end up in fights. God's servant must not be argumentative, but a gentle listener and a teacher who keeps cool." (The Message, II Tim. 2:24)

In order to serve our own country and the countries of the world, we must keep cool at all times. Above all, we must listen to God.

Listening is the most important state of consciousness in prayer.

• If we’re arguing or complaining, we’re not listening.
• And if we’re not listening to God, we’re not able to hear what God has to tell us about His creation.
• And if we can’t hear what God’s saying, we’re not praying.

The word "gentle" stands out as a way to listen, to pray.

• If we’re gently listening to God, then we are listening (without any opinions) to what He has to say.
• We are also willing to trust His answer, even if it’s the opposite of what we’d like to hear.

This gentle, humble, un-opinionated, and trusting state is the attitude we must have as we pray for the leaders in governments around the world.

As we pray for the leaders, we can know that:

• they are listening to and will follow God’s direction within the context of their offices;
• they will do what’s ethical and moral, not what’s expedient and beneficial only to themselves;
• they will be kept safe;
• they will make decisions that will bless humanity, even if these decisions are hard to make;
• they can work well together with others, even if they disagree with them politically;
• they will not let partisan politics divide them but will find ways to unite.

What about leaders who tyrannize their people?

• They need our prayers, too.
• Often leaders think that they are doing something because God told them to do it. Throughout history and even today, we have seen that people do evil in the name of religion or “God.” So it’s vitally important to understand that God is indeed more powerful than any human leader and that God, who is Love (I John 4:8), would never harm His children.
• If a leader is doing harm, we can know that the right people will be led to do the right thing at the right time to right the wrong.
• Good does prevail, no matter what anyone else or anything else may try to prove to the contrary. We have to have faith in this!

The leaders of the world need our prayers. Prayer -- more than arguments or opinions -- changes the world.