From the Pulpit – Praying for those in authority

There’s a story about a little bird who didn’t fly south soon enough for the winter. It wound up on the ground, slowly freezing to death. When things looked really dim, a cow happened by and dropped a big warm cow pie on the little bird. The warmth of the cow pie revived the little bird, who felt so good he stuck his head out and began to sing. A fox coming by heard the singing and snatched the little bird up and swallowed him.

The moral of the story is that everyone who dumps on you isn’t necessarily your enemy, and everyone who pulls you out of a crappy situation isn’t necessarily your friend.

In the Apostle Paul’s first letter to Timothy, Paul wrote that the one of the first priorities in our fulfillment of our civic duties is to pray. “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. As you make your requests, plead for God's mercy upon them, and give thanks. Pray this way for kings and all others who are in authority, so that we can live in peace and quietness, in godliness and dignity.” (1 Timothy 2:1-2 NIV)

We are urged to pray for all men and women, and then we are told specifically to pray for kings and for all in authority. Why are we told specifically to pray for those in authority? Probably because the common person tends to mistrust those who are in authority.

Coming under authority and showing respect isn't always easy. Very few people want to be told what to do or how to do it. In reality, most of us would rather just tell those in authority what we think.

Yet, we are not only told to pray for them, we are told to submit to their authority (Romans 13:1).

That doesn't mean we have to agree with every one of their decisions, but it does mean we need to show respect for the position, and by extension, the person who is in the position.

So, how do we submit to and show respect for the authority God has placed over us when we don't agree? And, how do we keep a good attitude while we're doing it?

There is no magic pill that can make us feel good about having to submit to authority—any authority. But there is prayer. Know that when we make the conscious effort to do what God says, regardless of how it feels, we are planting a wonderful seed that will produce a harvest in our life.

We really need to pray for those in authority, but who does that mean we should be praying for? The answer is simple:
1) Pray for those that rule over us.
2) Pray for those that we rule over.
3) Pray for those that are ruling around us.
4) Pray for those being ruled by someone other than us.

If you think about it, this just about covers everybody on the planet!

We are reminded of the importance of praying for all people. Every person whom we know, every person whom we see, and every person whom we hear of; we should pray for. We all need prayer. Prayer is how we communicate with God and participate in His works. Prayer changes things. Intercessory prayer has the power to change the place where we live. It is time that we took back our communities and our nation for the sake of God's Kingdom and covered them and our leaders with our prayers.