God never promised that He would bless every world leader and cause them to lead according to divine will, but He does command us to pray for them. The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, “First of all then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all those who are in authority” (1 Timothy 2:1-2, CSB). While there is nothing wrong with short, focused prayer, praying for world leaders is more than just a “bless ‘em” prayer. It is a focused, fervent, and fixated prayer.
How Then, Shall We Pray?
While the world continues its non-godly ways, we wonder if our prayers are having any effect at all. However, we do not always see what God is doing. Since God works beyond our vision, we must continue to pray. The question then concerns what we pray. In other areas of life, it serves us well, when we do not know what to pray, to turn to Scripture and pray as it directs. So here are some things that the Bible leads us to pray for world leaders. But first, let’s affirm that no leader or nation should be left out of our intercessions.
In Jeremiah 25:1, Jeremiah said that God spoke to him, “This is the word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah.” Then in that same chapter, he named “all the people of Judah.” Then verse 26, Jeremiah refers to “all the kingdoms of the world throughout the earth” (Jeremiah 25:26). Jeremiah must surely have disliked some of these nations and their leaders, and struggled to pray for them, even while delivering God’s message to them. So are we sometimes hesitant to pray for some world leaders, but pray we must, since every world leader and nation stands in need of a touch from God. One thing more: we are reminded that prayer is not a political or military weapon, but rather a spiritual way to plead with God to accomplish His will in the world.
Here are a few Scripture passages that mention certain qualities that, if possessed, would make world leaders godlier:
- A Prayer for Lasting Peace – “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace” (John 16:33).
- A Prayer for Peace – “If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18).
- A Prayer for Unity – “Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, that there be no divisions among you, and that you be united with the same understanding and the same conviction” (1 Corinthians 1:10).
- A Prayer for Humility – “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3).
- A Prayer for Wisdom – “Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).
- A Prayer for godly wisdom – “The wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without pretense” (James 3:17).
- A Prayer for Strength and Courage – “Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).
- A Prayer for Refuge – “God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble” (Psalm 46:1).
- A Prayer for Protection – “For He will give His angels orders concerning you, to protect you in all your ways” (Psalm 91:11).
- A Prayer for Harmony – “How delightfully good when brothers live together in harmony” (Psalm 133:1).
- A Prayer for Knowledge and Understanding – “The LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:6).
- A Prayer for Guidance – “It is by me that kings reign and rulers enact just law” (Proverbs 8:15).
- A Prayer for Integrity – “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the perversity of the treacherous destroys them” (Proverbs 11:3).
- A Prayer for Strength – “Those who trust in the LORD will renew their strength. (Isaiah 40:31).
Structuring Your Prayer Time
How do we pray for world leaders? If we are praying as a part of a group, there will be group accountability. However, much of our prayers for world leaders will be done as a part of our private prayer time. This involves discipline. Here are five disciplines that are needed in private prayer.
Perhaps the most important discipline is that of time. Set a specific time to pray. Close the office door. Silence the cell phone. Tell those who would interrupt that you have an appointment, that you are in a meeting — with God. Also important is the discipline of place. You may not have a spare room to convert into a prayer room, but something as simple as a chair that you only sit in to pray. That place becomes “holy ground,” because you meet God there. There is also discipline of the mind. The more focused you are, the less your prayer will be interrupted, and the less you will lose your train of thought. Then there is the discipline of continuation. If saying “Amen” means “Good-bye,” or “Over and out,” or that you are logging off, then don’t say “Amen.” Since prayer is two-way communication, God may not be finished yet. Take time to sit quietly and expectantly wait for God to communicate as He will. Finally, there is the discipline of organization. Keep a prayer list, notebook, or log. Pray with a world map or with a list of world leaders and pray for them by name.
As we pray these suggestions and others for world leaders, remember what was in the prayer that Jesus taught His disciples to pray (Matthew 6:9-14). He encouraged prayer that not only asks God to accomplish His will among the nations, but also prayer that draws us closer to God and to our part in global relationships. Through your ongoing prayer, remain open to how God is prompting you to take part in His Great Commission, perhaps by going personally to the nations, and certainly by giving so others can “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:20, CSB).
