Pray for Him? Pray For Them?

       I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—  for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time. And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles. I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing. (I Timothy 2:1-8)

 

          Oh, no. Politics. Do we have to? Doesn’t the Constitution say something about separation of Church and State? The reality is that the Constitution does have something to say about the separation of Church and State, but what it says is the opposite of what people claim today. It says that the State may not establish a state religion or interfere with the practice of any religion. This means that what the Bible says in this passage is entirely acceptable: we have the right to fulfill our Biblical responsibility to pray for our leaders. We should pray for their salvation, their sanctification; their physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual well-being, their wisdom, their endurance, their safety, and anything else that would enable those leaders to guide us in a way that allows us to live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. It doesn’t matter that I didn’t like Mr. Obama or that I’m not fond of Mr. Trump, or how you felt or feel about them. It also doesn’t matter what we think of Congress, the Supreme Court, or the various branches of our state and local governments. We are to pray that they will be good leaders.

          God’s goal isn’t for us to have heaven on earth. God’s goal is for all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. He sent Joseph to teach Pharaoh. He sent Moses to another Pharaoh. He sent Jonah to the Ninevites. He sent Daniel to the Medes and Persians and to the Babylonians. He sent Esther to Xerxes. He doesn’t put His people in charge. He puts other people in charge, and then sends His people to work for them. More often than not, those He sends diligently worked for the well-being of their employers/masters. Perhaps that is one of the reasons that Jesus told his disciples that if anyone wants to be first, he must be last, the servant of all. (Mark 9:35)