5 Positive Prayers to Pray for the Government

January 6, 2017 Year A

Psalm 72:1-20

In this psalm, we have a positive prayer for the leader of Israel. We see that David prayed for the new king Solomon. David had spent the latter part of his kingship and life preparing his son Solomon to take the throne. Here, we see that David prays for the success of Solomon’s reign.

What an amazing idea. Pray for the government’s success. I know that the United State government is in gridlock. Democrats and Republicans can hardly agree on anything. They throw mud and sling accusations at each. They obstruct and prevent legislation that is favored from the other side from being enacted. There is very little bipartisanship or cooperation.

But the real issue is how we think about our government. Do you pray for your leaders as we are called to do as Christians?  Do you think highly of the present President Obama? Or do you think highly of the new President-Elect Trump? Because if you are bitter or upset and wish the failure of your president (no matter what party affiliation) then you really are revealing a dangerous sin in your life. We are called to obey our leaders and pray for them.

We don’t pray vindictive prayers for our leaders hoping for their failure. Instead, we are expected to pray for their success. Because the success of any government will help make you successful, no matter what the agenda of the party in power.

As the present leader, David is establishing an environment for Solomon’s leadership to flourish (Psalm 72:3-5). In the same way, as Christians, we want the same for our leaders. The psalm lists five different positive prayers that one can pray for our leaders:

FIVE POSITIVE PRAYERS ONE CAN PRAY FOR OUR LEADERS

1. The leader will lead in the right direction (Psalm 72:1-4)

The word “righteousness” is listed three times in the first three verses. One result of leading by righteousness is that the leader vindicates the least of the community. A leader should favor the poor rather than the rich, for this leads in the right direction.

2. The leader will prosper (Psalm 72:5-11)

If the leader is leading in the right direction, then we should see that the leader will prosper. While leaders will make mistakes, they should lead forward. That is why we should pray for their prosperity. We should pray that they flourish (Psalm 72:5-7), that they expand their influence (Psalm 72:8-11).

3. The leader will look out for everyone (Psalm 72:12-14)

If the leader leads in the right direction, and if he prospers, then he should also look out for others. This is the prayer that I can pray for my leader. I can pray that he will look out for the “least of these.”

4. The leader will leave a legacy (Psalm 72:15-17)

As a leader looks out for the good of the entire country, then he will leave a legacy. His life will be long and his name will last longer. He will be a blessing to other nations and they will bless him. A leader can leave a positive legacy for everyone he influences.

5. The leader will praise God (Psalm 72:18-20)

This is the ultimate result of great and positive leadership. A leader who leads well should give the credit and glory to God. A leader who leads the people well will point people to God.

No leader is perfect. All leaders need our support. Most importantly, they need our prayers. So when you pray for the government, pray a positive prayer to encourage their work along.

Photo provided by Brandon Day courtesy of Unsplash.com