Intercession for our Leaders

With President-Elect Biden being sworn in as President Biden today, it will be appropriate to include him in our prayers this Sunday.

The prayer of the church will include numerous intercessions and petitions which will also allow the congregation to assent to each one with their, "Hear us, good Lord," "Hear our prayer," and "Amen."

Among the intercessions, we will include prayers for our newly inaugurated president, Joe Biden, the governor of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer, the mayor of Novi, Bob Gatt, and all governing officials, we will pray as follows:

M:    Preserve our nation in justice and honor, that we may lead peaceable lives of integrity.  Grant health and favor to all who bear office in our land, especially to President Biden, Governor Whitmer, Bob Gatt the mayor of Novi, and all those who make, administer, and judge our laws, and help them serve all citizens according to your holy will.

Cong:    Hear us, good Lord.

Such prayers are in obedience to the Scriptures which encourage this: "First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.  This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,  who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2:1-4)

Christians ought to recognize what we pray for and what we do not.  There are some policy positions we would pray fervently against, such as the support and defense of abortion.  In fact, we will pray against that on the very same Sunday.  Such a prayer is not a personal attack on our leaders, but a plea that God would protect and defend the sanctity of life despite the opinions of our leaders--such an opinion that we consider abominable and a blatant sin against the 5th Commandment.  However, we do not seek the death of anyone.  We have been convinced by the Holy Spirit to agree with our God to be obedient to those in authority (Romans 13:1-7), to bless all who would oppose us (Matthew 5:11), and to willing suffer for doing good if we must (1 Peter 3:13-17).  

While we cherish the freedoms we have in our nation, our greatest good is not the kingdom of the United States but the kingdom of God.  If these should come into great conflict with each other, we will stand firm in the kingdom of God and still pray for our nation and its leaders as we have been directed by the King of heaven and earth.

While not everyone will be in agreement with the policies and positions of every politician, all Christians can be in agreement with the specific intercession, "help them serve all citizens according to your holy will."  When wouldn't we pray for that????