Best Thing You Can Do

JFK called on Americans in the 60s of the 20th century to ask what you could do for your country. What is the best thing you could do? The Apostle Paul, in the 60s of the 1st century wrote: “Therefore I exhort first of all supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence” [1 Timothy 2:1-2 NKJV]. The best thing you can do for your country is pray, especially for your leaders.

I find that we probably criticize more and pray less for our leaders. Paul taught that the opposite should be true. How should we pray for our leaders? I ran across an article written by Richard Land just prior to President Obama’s inauguration that gives some good guidelines on how to effectively pray for him as well as all other government leaders on every level. I adapted it for my Sunday message yesterday. I used the president as the primary example, but these guidelines could be used for the governor, mayor, etc.

 Pray for the safety of President Obama and his family
 Pray that he and other national leaders will look to God for His wisdom
 Pray that Christ would be glorified in the decisions made in the White House and in every level of government [national, state, local]
 Pray for policies and laws to be passed that will encourage moral behavior and justice for all Americans, especially the most vulnerable of us [unborn, children, the elderly, even the 'stranger']
 Pray that our leaders display exemplary character, good decision making, and will work together for the common good

But it’s not enough for the church to pray the above. Paul goes on to call on Christians to pray for the salvation of all people. He reminds us in verses 3-6 of 1Timothy 2 that God wants all people to be saved and sent His Son Jesus to die for all people. Our nation is not going to change with just good political decisions. Real change won’t happen until the hearts of Americans change. True change doesn’t happen without Christ.

I believe the real change America needs won’t happen from the White House, the Capitol, or the chambers of the Supreme Court. The real change America needs will happen at the altar and in the prayer closet as we cry out to God on behalf of our leaders and as we pray for the salvation of all people.

Praying this way is ‘good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior’ [1 Timothy 2:3].