After we elect a new president, governor, mayor, or whomever, we Christians tend to remind ourselves to pray for our rulers.
Sometimes enthusiastically, ’cause our candidate got elected. And if we’re the really partisan sort, we’ll even rub this fact in other people’s faces. “The patriotic thing to do is to close ranks and back our new leader for the good of the country. So bury that disappointment and pray for your new leader—that’s right, your new leader.” Every so often, the Christian preaching this attempts a sympathetic tone—“Hey, I know it’s rough; I’ve had to do this when your guy won”—but most of the time they’re too happy to care. Or about 12 seconds of the message is sympathy, and the rest is a victory lap. Hey, I’ve been on both sides of it.
And there’s mournfully, ’cause our candidate lost. The candidates have been demonizing one another throughout the election, so when partisans lose they’re convinced the End Times have arrived. Hence the prayers for our rulers aren’t for God to bless them. Not really. They’re for God to mitigate their evil. Keep ’em from ruining our land. Stop ’em from destroying lives. Maybe Jesus could make a Damascus-Road-style appearance and radically transform them into someone who’d vote our way. Wouldn’t that be great?
Sometimes sarcastically; they immediately dive for Psalm 109.
Psalm 109.6-13 KWL - 6 Place a wicked person over him, with Satan standing at his right.
- 7 May those judging him return an evil verdict, and his prayers be offensive.
- 8 May his days be few, and another ruler supervise him.
- 9 May his children become fatherless, and his woman a widow.
- 10 May his children wander, wander, begging, digging through people’s trash.
- 11 May debt seize everything he owns, and strangers steal his labor.
- 12 May he never find love; his fatherless children never be given grace.
- 13 May his generation be the last one, and his family name be wiped out.
Yeah, King David wished some hateful stuff on his enemies. And when people start praying
Okay, so where do the scriptures instruct us to pray for our rulers? Well, most of the time we point to Paul’s instructions to Timothy: Paul wanted Timothy and his church to pray for everybody—plus kings and rulers.
1 Timothy 2.1-4 KWL - 1 So I encourage everyone to first make thankful, intercessory prayer requests for all the people.
- 2 Like for kings, and everyone who holds authority.
- This way we can go through life in peace and quiet,
- applying religion and dignity to all.
- 3 This is good and pleasing to God our savior,
- 4 who wants all people to be saved, and come to a knowledge of truth.
Note why: So we Christians can follow Jesus in peace and quiet. And not persecution.