Pray for our Leaders

0:00 Ralph: Have you ever felt frustrated? Angry or hopeless when looking at the actions of leaders who blatantly disregards God's ways. What can we, as Christians do to honor God when our leaders don't seem to be honoring him. This is a question I got from one of my listeners the other day, we're going to talk about that on today's show.

0:47 Welcome to our spiritual Sunday show. I'm so glad you chose to join us. I just want to thank you for listening and supporting the program. I can feel the support folks and thank you for. Being a listener and thank you for being engaged with the program. Today, we're diving into a difficult but important topic. And that's how do we honor God by praying for our leaders? Even when they seem to oppose his commandments. And if you live in today's society, you can tell that sometimes leaders we have don't necessarily follow God's law. Well, the truth is as Christians, we're called to pray for our leaders. We're going to look at first Timothy chapter two here in a few moments, and it says to pray for all people, for Kings and all who are in high positions.

1:30 But what about when our leaders champion policies that seem to contradict biblical values? How do we reconcile lifting them up in prayer with our frustration over their actions? It's a tension that many believers struggle with, including myself. I certainly don't have all the answers, but by God's grace, I hope this episode equips us. to approach this issue in a way that ultimately brings glory to him. And that's really our goal. Well it's Sunday here on the farm. And we're basking on the glow of love of Christ. If you know him, praise him. If you don't know him, I encourage you to attend a local church and learn more about building a relationship with Christ. If you want to talk about making that decision, please feel free to email me.

2:10 You can do that at ralph@askralph.com. And I'll point you in the direction of some great resources to start your walk with Christ. We all need to be on that walk. Don't forget to subscribe to the show in June our email list to do that at askralphpodcast.com . You don't want to miss tomorrow's show. Tomorrow, we're going to be talking about the financial impact of co-signing for someone. There are some definite things you need to know about. So you don't want to miss tomorrow show. Let's jump right into our relevant Bible verse for today. And we talked about this. This is from the book of first Timothy chapter two verses one and two, it says I urge then first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and Thanksgiving be made for all people. For Kings and for all those in authority, That we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness well that's certainly there's something we can all work to.

3:00 So there are three main action steps I want to highlight today. And at first one action, step number one is pray for their hearts, not just their policies. Our instinct is often to pray for God to change a leader's unbiblical policies or voting records, but while their actions matter, What matters most is the state of their heart. First Samuel chapter 16, verse seven reminds us that man looks out the outward appearance. But the Lord looks at their heart. So we need to pray for God to move in our leaders. Hearts. To surround them with wise counsel and to ultimately draw them into a relationship with him. Pray for their protection from temptation.

3:40 And attacks from the enemy. Listen, folks, if people are in the public light, they are being tempted. They're being attacked by the enemy. The truth is politics is a downstream from culture. So pray for cultural influences like media and entertainment that shapes leaders perspectives. Let's look at acts and step number two. And this one's something we can all do. Pray for unity. Pray for wisdom. And pray for a blessing over our nation. Rather than getting tied up in lamenting bad policies, direct your, prayers towards blessing your nation as a whole. Pray for unity that leaders from different parties and perspectives will come together to promote the common good.

4:21 Pray for wisdom. pray that leaders would make decisions based on truth. Justice. And compassions. And listen, folks, pray for blessings over our land for protection. For prosperity and most importantly, spiritual renewal. Awakening and revival. God can move in mighty ways when his people pray for their nation. Even in times of tension and boy, we are in times of tension these days. Let's look at action. Step number three, and that's an easy one to examine your own heart. As you pray for leaders also pray for your own heart to grow in love. It's so easy to vilify those who we disagree with, but remember that God loved us, even when we were dead in our sin.

5:05 And opposed to him. We were his enemies folks and he still loved us. So pray for eyes to see leaders as human beings in need of God's grace, not just political enemies, they're human beings. They're just like us. Ask God to cleanse your heart of any bitterness, any judgment or self-righteousness. Our goal should be drawing people to Christ, not just winning political debates. As Matthew chapter five verse 44 says, pray for those who persecute you and speak ill of you. This honors God and my friends. That is a hard one. Let's read that again. As Matthew chapter 5 44 says, pray for those who persecute you. And speak ill of you.

5:46 This honors God. Before we wrap up, I want to remind all of our listeners to visit our podcast page. You do that at askralphpodcast.com . There you can leave a review, share your thoughts, or even send us a message with questions for future episodes. As you know, we like getting those calls and those messages, so continue to send them and we'll address your issues on the show while you're there. Make sure you join our email list. And that way we can give you a daily email letting you know what's going on on the program. And if you find yourself in need, you can also schedule a consultation, the right there on the website. And here's a special ask. Please do me a favor and share this episode to anyone who's willing to listen to a message, which is not about division. But rather focused on truth and biblical unity.

6:29 We can all do our part by praying and sharing the good news. So let's pray. Father God, we lift up our leaders to you today. We pray that you would move powerfully in their hearts, drawing them close to you. Surround them with wise counsel and protect them from temptation. Bring unity. Wisdom justice and blessing over our nation. As we seek to honor you. Cleanse our own hearts of bitterness and fill us with supernatural love. Help us trust in your mighty power and sovereign plan over all earthly, rulers and authorities. We pray this all in the powerful name of Jesus. Amen. Praying for our leaders we disagree with is difficult.

7:10 But it's a key way. We can honor God amidst, challenging times. Focus your prayers on their heart more than just their policies. Pray blessings over our nation for unity and wisdom. And examine your own heart, asking God to cleanse it and help you see others through his eyes of love. Again, visit, askralphpodcast.com for more episodes on aligning all areas of your life, including politics. With our Christian faith. And as I always say, folks, stay financially savvy out there and God bless you and enjoy your Sunday.