Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:1-4).

If we live in a country with a good government, our lives move along peacefully and quietly, making it difficult to remember to pray for those in authority. We take good government for granted. But we should pray for those at the top—whether we agree with them or not, whether we voted for them or not. In this way, we Christians can make a difference in the course of our nation. We should also pray for world leaders so that other cultures will be open to the gospel. Pray for your leaders, not just in times of national crisis, but every day—thousands of decisions are made daily that affect everyone. Also, beyond praying for those decisions that will affect you, also pray for the conversion of your leaders.

In our efforts to maintain a prayer life to include everyone, we must not overlook the “hot spots” around us. Do you pray for leaders of both parties in government? Do you pray for the leaders of the Gay Rights movement or other proponents of issues you oppose? Do you pray for local government and educational leaders? The threats of evil may be close or distant, but they ought to receive our concentrated efforts of prayer.

Paul based his instructions about prayer for everyone on his conviction that God’s invitation for salvation extends equally to all people. The word everyone itself captures the universal/particular nature of the gospel. The world that God loves includes every person (John 3:16). He loves us as individuals whom he knows intimately (Psalm 139:13-18).

God loves every person we will meet today. When we lack compassion for those who have not yet responded to the gospel, we show that we do not highly value the salvation God has given us. When we really pray for others, we will find ourselves telling them the truth.

Roland Ledoux is Pastor of the outreach Ministry, Oasis Bible Ministry, specializing in Teaching, Encouragement and Intercession (both prayer and needs) since the early 1990s. He and his wife Sue, live in Delta, Colorado and have been married for over 50 years. They enjoy two adult sons, a grandson and a great grandson. He has been ordained since 1986. Fundamental Full-Gospel, Non-denominational. To learn more about Roland visit his website.

Featured Image by Ben Kerckx from Pixabay