PRAY FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN AUTHORITY

PRAY FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN AUTHORITY

Michael W. Niva

"I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. As you make your requests, plead for God's mercy upon them, and give thanks. Pray this way for kings and all others who are in authority, so that we can live in peace and quietness, in godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, for he wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth." (1 Timothy 2:1-4 NLT)

"Gazing intently at the high council, Paul began: 'Brothers, I have always lived before God in all good conscience!' Instantly Ananias the high priest commanded those close to Paul to slap him on the mouth. But Paul said to him, 'God will slap you, you whitewashed wall! What kind of judge are you to break the law yourself by ordering me struck like that?' Those standing near Paul said to him, 'Is that the way to talk to God's high priest?' 'I'm sorry, brothers. I didn't realize he was the high priest, ' Paul replied, 'for the Scriptures say, 'Do not speak evil of anyone who rules over you.'" (Acts 23:1-5 NLT)

OUR ATTITUDE TOWARD THOSE WHO RULE

I want to draw your attention in particular to two phrases pulled from the above passages, both spoken by the Apostle Paul: " . . . pray this way for kings and all others who are in authority . . . " and " . . . the Scriptures say, 'Do not speak evil of anyone who rules over you." Paul goes further to make it abundantly clear that praying for (not at or against) the people in authority over our lives " . . . is good and pleases God our Savior . . . " One can safely surmise then that it must be very displeasing to God when His own people; 1.) fail to pray for the authority figures in their lives, or worse yet, pray against them, and 2.) feel they have complete freedom to speak evil about those who rule over their lives in any arena; governmental, judicially, spiritually, in family structures, etc.

SO YOU THINK WE HAVE IT TOUGH?

Christian tradition teaches us that Paul died at Rome, most likely during the early reign of Nero. Nero was then one of those people in authority in Paul's life and the life of the churches to whom Paul wrote at the time. He was one of the leaders whom Paul instructed the church of the day to pray for.

The following account was written by the Roman historian Tacitus in his book Annals, published a few years after the event, the burning of Rome. Tacitus was a young boy living in Rome during the time of the persecution.

"Therefore, to stop the rumor [that he had set Rome on fire], [Emperor Nero] falsely charged with guilt, and punished with the most fearful tortures, the persons commonly called Christians, who were [generally] hated for their enormities. Christus, the founder of that name, was put to death as a criminal by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea, in the reign of Tiberius, but the pernicious superstititon - repressed for a time, broke out yet again, not only through Judea, - where the mischief originated, but through the city of Rome also, whither all things horrible and disgraceful flow from all quarters, as to a common receptacle, and where they are encouraged. Accordingly first those were arrested who confessed they were Christians; next on their information, vast multitudes were convicted, not so much on the charge of burning the city, as of "hating the human race."

In their very deaths they were made the subjects of sport: for they were covered with the hides of wild beasts, and worried to death by dogs, or nailed to crosses, or set fire to, and when the day waned, burned to serve for the evening lights. Nero offered his own garden players for the spectacle, and exhibited a Circensian game, indiscriminately mingling with the common people in the dress of a charioteer, or else standing in his chariot. For this cause a feeling of compassion arose towards the sufferers, though guilty and deserving of exemplary capital punishment, because they seemed not to be cut off for the public good, but were victims of the ferocity of one man."

IF THEY COULD PRAY, CAN WE PRAY?

As we look back in history and see that Paul called the church to pray for the soul of this madman, Nero, could it really be that difficult for us to pray for our President, our Congress, our judges, our pastors, our governors, etc.? Could their political party or standing on certain issues really grant us permission to reject and rebel against God's instructions to the Church through the Apostle Paul? Some historians actually believe that Nero was himself the "Antichrist" of Revelation. Could the church of that day pray for the man who was so anti-Christ and yet we cannot or will not pray for those in authority today? Do we really have permission to speak evil of the leaders in our lives?

A RETURN TO PEACE AND QUIETNESS; GODLINESS AND DIGNITY

Paul said that if we would pray for authorities, we could live lives of peace, quietness, godliness and dignity. Is it worth the effort to experiment as God's people with silencing our criticisms and opening our hearts and then our mouths to cry out for our world's leaders in all areas of life? Only obedience to Paul's instruction will allow us to see the potential we have to change the status quo. Will you join me?