Sermon snippet – Praying for the President
INTRODUCTION – I Timothy 2:1-4 is a specific command from God to pray for the leader of our nation. When Paul wrote these words, the Roman emperor was the twisted and crazed Nero. Certainly we must pray for the President. Even if we were not so clearly directed to pray, we would want to, for we love our nation.
- WE SHOULD PRAY FOR THE RESTORATION OF THE PRESIDENT’S MIND
It is not a criticism of the President to observe that he is obviously cognitively impaired. It is a simple fact of life that, if we live long enough, we will all suffer at least some mental decline. I know that when that time comes for me, my wife will take one of those big vaudeville canes and pull me off the platform! Of course she will, because she loves me. There is Biblical precedent to pray for the restoration of a leader’s mind. In Daniel 4:28-37, we find Nebuchadnezzar suffering so badly from boanthropy, a relatively rare affliction that completely clouded his mind, that he could not rule. A miracle was needed, and one was provided. Surely God’s people, including Daniel (Daniel 6:10), were praying. Because even a good man cannot govern well if he cannot think clearly, we must pray for a strengthening of the President’s mind. In so doing, we are also praying for his overall health (Ezekiel 33:11).
- WE SHOULD PRAY FOR THE SOFTENING OF THE PRESIDENT’S HEART
Again, this is not a criticism; without Jesus, all of us have a hard and haughty heart. There are obvious manifestations of this hardness in the President, including in his unabashed zest for abortion (Exodus 21:22-23; Matthew 18:5-6) and venality (the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil – I Timothy 6:10). Our prayer is consistent with Proverbs 21:1. Once again, we are praying for a miracle – a miracle that the President must decide if he wants. Really, we are praying for his eternal salvation through a personal faith in Jesus Christ, God the Son. We are praying for the greatest miracle of all.
- WE SHOULD PRAY FOR THE ORDERING OF THE PRESIDENT’S STEPS
If the President’s heart is transformed, he will be “a good man” whose “steps will be “ordered by the LORD” (Psalm 37:23). Unfortunately, many leaders – most of them, actually – have a tendency to totalitarianism because of their opposition to God, for as II Corinthians 3:17b says, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” Those who oppose God will always limit freedom.
CONCLUSION – Matthew 5:44 states that we must pray for evil men, those who “hate” and “persecute” us; the hope is that they will turn to Jesus and learn to “love” so that they will no longer be His “enemies.” As we pray, remember Jeremiah 5:1, which tells us that if even one righteous person had been found in the capital city, the entire nation would have been saved from destruction. There is no indication that anyone in power in the White House or in the leadership of the House of Representatives or the Senate will bother to pray. Some claim to, but Jesus in Matthew 7:20 said, “By their fruits ye shall know them.” Who should we trust, powerful people or Jesus ? I Corinthians 1:26 reminds us that “not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.” Returning to I Timothy 2:1-4, we find that the greatest goal of prayer is that all “be saved” through “the knowledge of the truth.” Verse 5 clarifies that it is faith in “Christ Jesus” that guarantees eternal salvation. May each one of us listen to Jesus and trust Him as Savior.