A Call to Pray For Our President

Christians are called and commanded to pray for their nation’s leader and government officials. Some Christians see this as a burden to bear, because it is expected of Christians, but it is a very important thing to do. Whoever governs a nation will undoubtedly impact the country. That is why it is vital to pray for our leaders or presidents. Imagine if the president came to know Jesus and became His follower. It would certainly make a significant impact.

Here is a simple prayer you can pray for your president:

Heavenly Father, I pray for our president that he will encounter You, Jesus, and that he will believe the Gospel and repent from his life of sin. No one is too far from Your grace, Lord. I pray that You open his spiritually blinded eyes so that he may see and receive the Gospel. I pray for any Christian in the government sector to have an opportunity to share the Gospel with the president. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Where in the Bible does it say to pray for our president?

Of course, you will never find the word “president” in the Bible. However, some verses command us to pray for our nation’s leader, whether he is a king, president, or prime minister. 

In the Old Testament, God commanded the Israelites who was exiled to Babylon to pray for Babylon, as written in Jeremiah 29:7. The exiled Israelites in Babylon were told to pray for the welfare of Babylon because their welfare also depended on it. In the New Testament, Paul writes to Timothy about prayers, supplications, intercessions, and thanksgiving to be made not just for people, but for kings and people in high positions. It was also written that doing so (praying for those people) is pleasing in the eyes of God.

Jeremiah 29:7

And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.

How do you pray for our leaders?

Ultimately, it is their salvation for which we should always pray. However, there are other things that we should pray for as well. Coming from 1 Timothy 2:1–4, we can and should pray supplications to God. One example is for governmental leaders or the president to encounter Christ and follow Him. That is only something that we can ask God to do because He is the only one capable of changing people’s hardened hearts. We can also pray prayers of intercession. For example, if a bill is being passed or an executive order is moving forward that is not pleasing in the eyes of God, we can intercede for the president to veto the bill. There are also thanksgiving prayers that we can pray. One example is once a bill is enacted, provided it is not evil in the sight of God and would greatly benefit the people.

1 Timothy 2:1–4

 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;

2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

Here is one of the ways you can pray for the things mentioned above:

Heavenly Father, You are sovereign over everything. I pray that You cause and move our president to abolish policies or veto any bill that is evil in Your sight. I pray that he will have the opportunity to hear the Gospel and that You will turn his heart of stone to a heart of flesh, so that He may place his faith in Christ. I intercede for our president as he makes choices for our country. I pray that You give him the wisdom he needs, and I pray that the decisions he makes honor You. I pray that he will serve the nation with selflessness and compassion for the people. I thank You for all the good things our president has done, even if his leadership was not perfect. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

What does the Bible say about obeying the government?

The Bible clearly states that we should obey and submit to our governments. The government or the leaders over us do not have to be Christian, good, or perfect as a prerequisite for submitting to them. When the apostle Paul wrote to the church in Rome about submitting to governmental authorities, the Roman empire was persecuting them and causing them great suffering. That is why we still ought to pay our taxes and obey the laws even if we don’t like our president or government.

1 Peter 2:13-17

13 Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;

14 Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.

15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:

16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.

17 Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.

Romans 13:1-7

Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:

4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.

6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.

7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.

However, this obedience and submission to the government are not absolute. By all means, obey every law that the government has, except for laws that cause you to sin in the sight of God. For example, if there is a law that prohibits the preaching of the Gospel to other people, it is in those cases where we ought to obey God, rather than men.

Acts 5:29

Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

That is why it is important to pray for your country’s legislation and for the president to veto them if ungodly bills get passed. Here is one of the ways you can pray for this:

Heavenly Father, I pray for my nation’s legislative body to always be guided by godly principles. I pray that You give them the grace to never make or pass any bill that would condone things that are sins in your eyes. If indeed it gets passed, I pray that you give grace to our president to do what is right and veto the bill. Give our president the conviction to never condone anything evil in your sight. I pray that no bill prohibiting the practice of my faith shall be passed and that we shall always be free in my country to practice Christianity without any prejudice. May the rights of Christians always be protected in my nation. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

The president has a significant influence over the country. They can make or break the nation they are leading. The job of being a president is not all glamor and speeches. There are also heavy responsibilities that a president must carry. This is why praying for our president is an important task. Praying for our president affects the welfare of our nation, in which our welfare is also affected. It is our job to regularly pray for our president, whether we like him or not.