Pray for Those Who Lead the Nation

“I gave the same message to Zedekiah king of Judah. I said, “Bow your neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon; serve him and his people, and you will live.”

Jeremiah 27:12

Jeremiah 27 is a most unusual chapter in the Bible.

We find God speaking through His prophet to the nation of Judah these words:

“...serve the King of Babylon and you will live.”

Babylon was a conquering nation who had no fear or respect for the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Nonetheless God required Judah (and many ‘pagan’ nations for that matter) to serve King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, even going so far as to refer to him as “my servant.”

Could it be that the King, though pagan, better served the purposes of God than the King of Judah or Israel even if he did so unwittingly?

Could God use leaders who unlike David – do not have a heart after Him?

Of course He can and of course He does.

The Kings heart is in His hands.

We must pray for our leaders.

We are not commanded to pray for them only when we agree with their actions or only if they are serving the Lord wholeheartedly.

We must always be praying for them.

It is so very, very easy to criticize or to be angry with a President, a Prime Minister or some other leader of a country.

But we are commanded to pray for them.

We must not fall prey to the enemy’s tactic of divisiveness and protest.  

Pray for you leaders today!