A photo in the New York Times the other day showed world leaders sitting around a table as if it were family dinnertime. President Obama sat chatting to David Cameron, the Prime Minister of Great Britain. Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, and Francois Hollande, the French President sat on either side of them.
With the world’s political and economic powers munching caesar salad together, what did they talk about, I wonder? Surely, by being at one table they could bring about life-changing decisions to make our world a better place. If only it were that simple.
The Bible urges us to pray for all those in authority.
When was the last time you prayed for a world leader? Me, I can’t remember.
My excuse is that I can’t imagine my minuscule prayers make a big difference on the global scale—that what I ask in my small corner of the world will influence what happens at the table of world leaders.
The world’s problems can seem overwhelming. But, God rules over all the nations.
We need to direct our focus on our sovereign God and look to what he can do.
If we pray for those in authority, the Bible says we will live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. Isn’t that what we all want?
With the threats we face from terrorists and global warming, with the devastation caused by wars, then the chance to live peaceful and quiet lives is appealing, not only for ourselves but for people suffering from the impact of leaders’ poor decisions.
Prayer infuses God’s power at the table of world leaders. Prayer makes the world a better and more peaceful place.
How often, I wonder, do people pray for Kurbanguly (or Gurbanguly) Berdymukhamedov (I found two spellings of his name), President of Turkmenistan? Or, the Islamic State of Mauritania on the west coast of Africa and it’s leader Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz. Mauritania is seen as an important western ally in the fight against Islamist militancy.
Pray for Salva Kiir Mayardit, the President of the newly-formed and fragile country of South Sudan. I ask for prayer for this man as I will be introducing you to my friend, Yar Ayuel, from South Sudan in the next few weeks.
So, will you join me in praying for those who rule our countries?
Commit to praying for one of the above names each day for one week. Or better still, let’s pray for all three leaders for the next seven days.
Here are three prayers you can use:
Sovereign God, give Turkmenistan’s leader the courage to embrace his top level officials in his government. Amen. Read more.
Sovereign God, we ask you to soften the hearts of Mauritania’s leaders to overrule the death sentence for a condemned blogger. Amen. Read more.
Sovereign God, help South Sudan’s leaders maintain a spirit of cooperation as they begin the work of reversing the years of destruction the conflict has brought upon the people of South Sudan. Amen.
Read more
Can’t wait to see what God will do.
Because prayer changes the world.
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Linking up with Crystal Storms at #IntentionalTuestday, Jaime Weibel at #SittingAmongFriends and Holly Barrett at #TestimonyTuesday