Praying for Leaders: A Call for Gratitude and Grace
November is traditionally the month we work hard to remind ourselves of all we have to be grateful for. Then the day after Thanksgiving the world goes into a frenzy to make out shopping and wish lists of things we may or may not need. Personally, every day I am trying to focus on one thing, tangible or intangible to thank God for providing. It is a painful truth that in all of our gratitude, we still find a reason to grumble.
I am exceedingly aware that about 50% of this country will be disappointed in the election results (not to mention the World series). No matter the outcome, I must remind myself that God is still the King of Kings; He is still sovereign and ruler of my heart and my destiny.
The fact remains that God has appointed the rulers, and He has given us a very specific reminder to pray for them.
I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth”
I Timothy 2:1-3
We are actually told to not just pray for them but to give thanks for them. Ouch! How can we do that? Well, we can give thanks for them because, having ‘them’ in leadership gives us an opportunity to pray more. It gives us the opportunity to show more grace than we can without divine intervention. It gives us the opportunity to put our faith in God not in man.
And why are we asked to pray for ‘kings and all who are in authority? So we can live peaceful and quiet lives, marked by godliness and dignity. Sadly, godliness and dignity are two things sorely missing in our politicians who are running for office. Maybe we need to pick up the pace in our prayers a bit.
I encourage you, every time you see a political add, billboard, or yard sign, send up a quick prayer for that person. They need wisdom and guidance. They need grace with accountability. They need the Way the Truth and the Life.
Lord Jesus, Please help us know how to pray for our leaders. Please give them wisdom and guidance in leading our cities, counties, states, and our country. Please remove any selfish ambition and replace it with humble responsibility to the people of our land and to You. Please help them to rule in a way that brings about a peaceful and quiet life. In Your Precious Name, Amen
My name is Keri Willis. I am a semi-retired educator. I spent a great deal of my career working with adults with developmental disabilities and many years in elementary education, in the classroom and as an administrator. My main ministry now is coordinating the women’s ministry for our church in San Diego, CA. I have been married thirty-four years and have two grown and married children. I now have a head of full grey hair and good ideas. I believe we are created to use our gifts and to be creative. That comes in many forms for me. I love to woodwork and use power tools, design, decorate, garden, and create new recipes. And I love to write. One major lesson I have learned in my writing journey is that I need to be still and listen to hear God’s voice before I am prepared to put into words the message he has instilled in my heart. This has been much easier since I am no longer working full time, but it is so easy to get distracted and not listen, which almost always ends with an empty page in the form of writer’s block. While I have written many articles for newsletters and local newspapers, I did not consider myself a writer until I self-published my first book, Teapots and Power Tools. https://www.amazon.com/Teapot.../dp/1466458763/ref=sr_1_3... The idea emerged as I was working on a project in my garage. I had worship music playing, power tools out and saw dust flying. I glanced up and saw my delicate teapot sitting on my router table. The message was clear. Sometimes we are using the power tools God gives us and sometimes he just wants us to be still and have tea with him. The book became the foundation for a women’s retreat, and then my amazing niece helped me work through publishing it on Create Space (now KDP). At least five other projects are in different stages of production. I joined hope*writers to help motivate me and keep me focused and accountable. I am still trying to figure out the whole website and blog thing. That is my next goal for myself; that and finish writing at least one of my projects! Teapots and Power Tools: Effectively using the tools God has equipped you with, while taking time to “Be Still and Know That He is God” View more posts
