Pray for Our Next President

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.” (2 Timothy 2: 1-6, ESV)

I don’t like really talking politics on Soul Deep. I never want to use this site as a manipulation tool or a soapbox. From its founding, I wanted to build a site and a ministry that pushed people towards Jesus and revealed deep truths about Him. I pray that I have used my very small platform to help you see moreof God’s character and His love for you. I pray that I’ve never come across as a teacher that pushes her own agenda over the God-breathed word. I would never want my own political ideology to come through stronger than the standard of God’s heart.

That being said, I didn’t feel right ignoring the politically charged current events today, not when I see so many people in fear and anxiety over what the future might hold. Yes, over the weekend, Joe Biden became the “projected winner” of last weeks election for the presidency of our country. And today, I don’t even want to talk about the drama that follows that outcome or the division that stirs up between friends, colleagues, and family members. 

I want to speak to the Christian that worries about their future. Maybe you’re like me, and you wonder what our projected President might do regarding the spiritual freedoms we have as Americans. Or maybe, you just have no idea what to do now that we’re all standing in the aftermath of corrupt campaigns, deception, and the deep division between sides. What does Jesus want from us now? 

The answer is, He wants what He’s always wanted from us, and maybe now more than ever it is our absolute mission to uphold it. The answer is prayer. Worship. Buckling down and fanning our spiritual apathy into passion again. I’m not talking about wimpy prayers, I’m talking full-on intercession– for the nation, the next president, the controversy emerging from the election, and for our communities as a whole. Because at this point, the disunity that we have allowed to run rampant, exasperated by social media and cancel culture, is eroding away the institution of the church.

We have to pray. We have to stir ourselves up again. And we can’t just pray for ourselves or the people we love. We have to pray for our country. Yes, we have to pray for the president, even if you didn’t vote for the man that eventually fills the role. 

Pray for the President and the people that surround him. Pray that he develops a heart for the church and that he allows us to worship with the freedom we were given centuries ago. Pray that he is filled with wisdom and that he reveres the Lord. Pray that he is successful in bringing unity back to our country; that we would remember to love one another in spite of a differing world-view.

Don’t like that? That’s kind of too bad. Because no matter who you voted for, God put the person who was ordained from birth to be the 46th President into office. It was already done before you cast your ballot. “Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you.” (Romans 13:1-4, NLT)

What does that mean? It means that kings, presidents, prime ministers, leaders, and any other office in between, received their authority directly from God. They were placed in power by God to carry out what only God knows. It is our role, as a follower of God, to respect that authority, because to rebel against that leader is to rebel against the will of God. 

Does that mean that if a leader curses God, we should endorse that? Of course not. God is above all powers. He is King of kings and Lord of lords. What it does mean is that we don’t have the right to just say someone is “not my President.” We are not absolved of our duty to pray for those placed in high powers. If Jesus is our King of kings, then His word is the one we should follow. Can a manager stand against the CEO of a company? No. In just the same way, the President of the United States cannot stand against God. If he does, God will deal with him, so let God be God.

Because really, God is the only one who can heal the deep fissures that divide us all. God is the only one who can conquer this virus that has forced us all into our homes. God is the only one who can save a country that has grown so comfortable with its own darkness. And there is only one mediator between the broken and the One who can bring us all back together: Jesus.

The only real thing we can do is fan the flame of our passion for God and the things that delight Him. We can intercede for our nation and our neighbors. We can pray for the Church and our leaders. We can worship God for being who He is and live unashamed for Him. 

And if you’re sitting there, reading this, and you honestly believe your prayers can’t change the tide of current events, then consider this: You were one vote in a slew of other voters, but you still cast a ballot, didn’t you? So why do you put more faith in a ballot that was most likely lost in a mountain of other votes in a system where a slight majority turns a whole state red or blue, when your prayers go straight to God’s ear? One man can pray for the mercy of a city. One believer can turn the grace of our Father. 

And the world needs your prayers today more than it ever has before. You need more of Jesus today more than you ever have before, and you have a direct line to the only one who can bring everything back together. His will is still being done, no matter who is the President, and it’s being done with purpose.