Well, the 2016 Presidential election in the United States is over. Now what? Every four years we have a stark reminder of the great divide in our nation. We don’t pretend this is new or unusual. In the past I have said that when you get two Christians alone in a room together you get three different opinions. What makes us think that people with all sorts of ideologies and beliefs could get along any better?
We need to pray for Donald Trump. Donald Trump will be the next President of the United States whether we like that idea or hate it. The same thing would have applied to us if Hillary Clinton would have won as well. Scripture commands us to pray for our leaders.
1 Timothy 2:1-4, “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.”
We need to pray for President Elect Trump during this time of transition. We should pray for wisdom. We should pray that he surrounds himself with good advisors. We should continue to pray for his faith. That if he does not now, he would trust in Christ alone for salvation and not on any works of man. We should pray that he would repent from any sin in his life. We should pray that he would be wise with the responsibility that he has been given, not only by the American people, but most importantly by God.
We also need to pray for Hillary Clinton. We pray for her faith. We pray that even in the defeat of an election, God would use this to draw her closer to Himself. We pray that she would not give in to any bitterness. We pray that God would work in her life, in her husband’s life, and in the lives of all of those around her. While there is nothing wrong with praying for justice to be done, and that any potential guilt in a person’s life be exposed; we do that not from a perspective of vengeance, but with the idea that God is just. We should desire to see repentance from sin in all people. So yes, we do pray that deeds done in darkness would be brought into light (any potential criminal activity), but we pray most of all for a great repentance in the lives of Bill and Hillary Clinton.
We also need to pray for President Obama. We pray for his faith. We pray that he would be drawn closer to Christ and that there would be evidence of repentance in his life. We pray for a smooth transition of power over the next several months.
I don’t know about you, but I sure don’t pray for my leaders enough. I may be the biggest cheerleader when corruption is exposed in the news, but do I take glee in the downfall of another? Or does my heart ache, and do I wish that repentance would result from the exposure?
Why does Paul tell Timothy to pray for “kings and all who are in high positions?” 1) That we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 2) So that people will be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth.
May we be more concerned with the salvation of our leaders and the propagation of the Gospel in our nation than we are with our own comforts or our own ideology being passed in the halls of Government. May our desire not be for the success of the kingdom of man but for the kingdom of God. Remember that God can use fallen, sinful, America and fallen and sinful leaders for His purposes. May we pray that He gets all the glory, and that through even this election of new leaders more people come to a knowledge of the truth.