HOW TO PRAY FOR OUR NATION'S LEADERS

Throughout Scripture, we see God’s people turning to Him in times of difficulty to seek assurance and guidance. Reading and studying prayers in the Bible equips us to pray for our country, our world, and our leaders.

Nehemiah called the people to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem after a time of exile and destruction.

Study Nehemiah’s prayer in Nehemiah 1:5-11 (ESV):

"O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father’s house have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses. Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.’ They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand. O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” 

  1. Give a short label to each part of this prayer, dividing it into sections.

  2. Can you discover any elements in Nehemiah’s prayer that you might find useful as a model for your own prayer life? If so, what are they and how might you incorporate them?

  3. List everything you observe from Nehemiah 1:5-11 about the character of God.

  4. Read through the whole book of Nehemiah, noticing how often he prays. One of the most striking characteristics of Nehemiah was his recourse to prayer throughout the book. Those who are the boldest for God have the greatest need to be in prayer.

PRAYING FOR OUR NATION’S LEADERS

  • Pray that followers of Jesus in leadership positions would lead with integrity. Titus 2:7,8

  • Pray for those who protect and serve our leaders and country. Jeremiah 29:7

*Daily Discipleship taken from The Navigator’s and adapted from Ezra and Nehemiah, LifeChange Series, with permission of NavPress.

Amy Ogle