First Timothy 2: Prayer for Our Government
In the 1960s, my father was the executive director of the South Carolina Republican Party and our family moved to the Washington, D.C., area after President Richard Nixon was elected in 1968. My dad was a Christian and spent the rest of his career working for our federal government. Today, I lead the church we first attended when we moved to the District metro area. It’s actually located in Virginia, about 15 miles west of the White House.
Like my father, many solid believers feel called to serve the Lord by serving in the government. The prophet Daniel held high positions in the pagan governments of both Babylon and Persia. He was God’s man in some very ungodly administrations. In a similar way, God often raises up modern Daniels to serve in various political environments. These people need our prayer support.
Complaining about the government has almost become a national epidemic. Anger only brings more anxiety and frustration, but prayer calms our spirits and moves the heart of God. The Bible teaches us to pray for those in power so they can receive the Lord’s guidance. Because we have His ear, effective prayer remains our privilege as God’s children on earth. The apostle Paul gave us the following, very clear instructions concerning prayer for government.
First Timothy 2:2-3 (TPT): “And pray for every political leader and representative, so that we would be able to live tranquil, undisturbed lives, as we worship the awe-inspiring God with pure hearts. It is pleasing to our Savior-God to pray for them.”
He encouraged us to pray for “every political leader and representative.” The word “every” includes those we didn’t vote for and even those we don’t like. They all need the Lord, and they need His guidance toward making godly decisions. This is true for those who work in every level of government. We pray because, “it is pleasing to our Savior-God to pray for them,” and because our prayers, unlike our complaining, can actually make a difference.
Friends, many of us are discouraged with decisions being made by some of our government leaders. But our real adversaries are spiritual and not political. The principalities and powers behind the scenes can only be defeated with spiritual weapons. Prayer is one of our greatest weapons. It must be Holy Spirit-led and not driven by emotion. We can’t let news cycles or the internet direct our prayer lives.
Our eyes must remain fixed on Jesus as we pray for His will to be done on earth. We’re asking Him to bring revival, repentance and salvation throughout every branch of our federal, state and local governments. We’re seeking for the Lord’s mercy, justice and wisdom to flow. If we pray, God can influence our leaders for our collective blessings. The Lord is more than capable of guiding our leaders, and He will if we humble ourselves and pray. {eoa}
Pitts and Mary Evans met at the University of South Carolina and have been married since 1981. They have three adult children, a daughter in-law, a son in-law and eight grandchildren. Pitts first attended Whole Word Fellowship with his parents in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He was later called to full-time ministry and currently serves as the senior pastor of WWF and the Northern Virginia House of Prayer. He is the voice of our weekday The Whole Word Podcast. Pastor Pitts also directs our international ministry, overseeing humanitarian efforts, combating human trafficking, ministering in pastor’s conferences, Bible schools and seminaries in other nations. His primary calling is for recruiting and equipping the bride of Christ through Bible teaching and preaching. His new book, The Wife of God, is available from Amazon.
