November 10

1 Timothy 2

Public worship should include intercession for our nation’s leaders.

INSIGHT

Praying for our state, national, and world leaders is a biblical responsibility and should be a part of our regular public worship. The ultimate focus of our prayers for our country and its leaders is evangelism. Paul teaches that we are first to pray that “we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence” (v. 2). In a free and peaceful setting, our love for God should flow easily and, therefore, evangelism should be a natural result. God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (v. 4). Is this your greatest desire as well?

PRAYER

Because we live in a land where we can freely worship God, we praise Him:
Sing to the Lord, all the earth;
Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.
Declare His glory among the nations,
His wonders among all peoples.
For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised;
He is also to be feared above all gods (1 Chronicles 16:23-25).

Pause for praise and thanksgiving.

Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle?
Who may dwell in Your holy hill?
He who walks uprightly,
And works righteousness,
And speaks the truth in his heart;
He who does not backbite with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend…
He honors those who fear the Lord…
He who does these things shall never be moved (Psalm 15:1-5).

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The words of the Lord are pure words,
Like silver tried in a furnace of earth,
Purified seven times.
You shall keep them, O Lord,
You shall preserve them from this generation forever (Psalm 12:6-7).

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:

• Non-Christian friends with whom to share Christ
• Integrity among our national and world leaders
• Whatever else is on your heart

Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;
But we will remember the name of the Lord our God (Psalm 20:7).