Praying for our Leaders – and theirs

As the pandemic continues to affect our country and almost every other country too, tensions increase and blame abounds, spreading the contagious dis-ease of bad attitudes and depressing outlooks. 

We can contribute to the general malaise, or, as Christians, we can take another tack. Here’s how the Apostle Paul prayed in troubling times.

1 Timothy 2:1-6  – a prayer of Paul

from the King James Version of the Bible

I exhort therefore, that, first of all,

supplications, prayers, intercessions,

and giving of thanks, be made for all…;

For kings, and for all that are in authority;

that we may lead a quiet and peaceable

life in all godliness and honesty.

For this is good and acceptable in the sight

of God our Saviour; Who will have

all to be saved, and to come

unto the knowledge of the truth.

For there is one God, and one mediator

between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

Who gave himself a ransom for all,

to be testified in due time.

From the Book of KJV Prayers - actual prayers from the King James Version of the Bible (KJV) collected by Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2019 

1 Timothy 2:1-6  – a prayer of Paul

paraphrased into current language

Remind us, Lord,

to make our requests –

our prayers,

intercession,

and thanksgiving –

for everyone,

including our leaders

and all those in authority,

so we may live

peaceful,

quiet,

godly,

holy lives.

Surely this pleases You,

God our Savior,

for You want everyone

to be saved

and come to know

the truth in You.

You alone are God,

and we have One

mediator between You

and other people –

the One, Christ Jesus,

Who gave Himself

as a ransom for us

and everyone.

From the Book of Bible Prayers – actual prayers of the Bible collected from a variety of translations and paraphrased into everyday English by Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2019

May this Bible prayer remind us to pray for our leaders, whether we like them or not, and also to pray for those in authority in other countries too, yes, including tyrants!

May this Bible prayer remind us to pray for everyone God puts on our minds.

Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2020

P.S. Even if I forget to say so, the Bible Gateway website has long eased and aided my search for Bible prayers and other biblical topics.

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Praying for God to redeem

This Bible prayer of Moses speaks for us, too, as we seek God’s protection and redemption from all ills, including COVID-19.

Deuteronomy 9:26-29 – a prayer of Moses

as translated in the King James Version 

I prayed therefore unto the Lord, and said,

O Lord God, destroy not thy people

and thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed

through thy greatness, which thou hast brought forth

out of Egypt with a mighty hand.

 Remember thy servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob;

look not unto the stubbornness of this people,

nor to their wickedness, nor to their sin:

Lest the land whence thou broughtest us out say,

Because the Lord was not able to bring them

into the land which he promised them,

and because he hated them, he hath brought them out

to slay them in the wilderness.

Yet they are thy people and thine inheritance,

which thou broughtest out by thy mighty power

and by thy stretched out arm.

From the Book of KJV Prayers - actual prayers from the King James Version of the Bible (KJV) collected by Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2019 

Deuteronomy 9:26-29 – a prayer of Moses

paraphrased into everyday English

O Lord God, You have redeemed Your people.

Your mighty hand has released us from all that

enslaved us, so please don’t do away with us now!

Think about Your faithful servants who came before us

and forget about the stubbornness – the wickedness

so obvious at this moment. Otherwise, people will say

You weren’t able to help or give us what You promised.

They’ll say You hate us and brought us to this place

to die. But, Lord, we are Your people, Your family –

the ones You rescued with Your enormous power

and open arms.

From the Book of Bible Prayers – actual prayers of the Bible collected from a variety of translations and paraphrased into everyday English by Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2019

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Praying for pardon

We’ve heard about the “sins of the fathers” being “revisited upon the children,” but God said – whether child or parent – each of us carries responsibility for own actions. That’s true, of course, since God said so! But it primarily refers to punishment such as fines or jail time.

Bad decisions and unhealthy lifestyles today can, and most likely will, affect even a great-grandchild. For example, they might eat the nutrition-less foods they had growing up. Or they might do drugs because their grandmother did. They might not be taught social skills or the godly standards expressed in God’s word.  

As one generation passes poor choices onto another generation who doesn’t know they even have choices, the chain continues – unless we seek God’s power in our lives and those of our ancestors and offspring for generations gone and to come.

That’s what Moses did. As the mediator between God and God’s people who had been enslaved for hundreds of years, Moses pleaded for this visitation of sin to cease.

Numbers 14:17-19 – a prayer of Moses

And now, I beseech thee,

let the power of my lord be great,

according as thou hast spoken, saying,

The Lord is longsuffering,

and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity

and transgression, and by no means

clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity

of the fathers upon the children

unto the third and fourth generation.

Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity

of this people according unto the greatness

of thy mercy, and as thou hast

forgiven this people, from Egypt

even until now.

From the Book of KJV Prayers - actual prayers from the King James Version of the Bible (KJV) collected by Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2019 

Numbers 14:17-19 – a prayer of Moses

Lord, I need evidence of Your power!

You said You’re slow to anger

and filled with unfailing love,

forgiving all sorts of sin and rebellion,

yet not excusing the guilty.

Indeed, when parents sin, their choices

and actions affect other people–

even a great-great-grandchild!

But please pardon us, Lord!

Please keep on parenting us

with Your glorious love.

From the Book of Bible Prayers – actual prayers of the Bible collected from a variety of translations and paraphrased into everyday English by Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2019

May God forgive us our sins and break any chains of bad inheritance, traumas suffered, or “bad blood” between us and others affecting us, our families, and our countries in Jesus’ Name.

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Bible Reviewer: God’s promises in God’s Word reveal God’s will

Bible Reviewer: God’s promises in God’s Word reveal God’s will:   

Claiming God’s promises and praying in agreement with God's vows to us ensures that we’re praying in God’s will.

Moses prayed for family healing

For forty years, Moses lived in Pharaoh’s palace while his siblings, Miriam and Aaron, lived in the home of their parents, who were Hebrew slaves.

One day Moses saw an Egyptian cruelly mistreating a Hebrew, so he killed the man to defend the slave. When word got around, Moses fled the country and spent the next forty years among the Cushites, tending livestock and marrying the daughter of the local priest for whom he worked.

Moses’ third round of forty years began with the Exodus as God called him to lead the Hebrew people out of Egypt. Miriam and Aaron came too, but they did not like his being married to a Cushite (Ethiopian) woman. Maybe they were intolerant of people with darker skin. Maybe they got jealous of their younger brother’s position of authority. Regardless, they spoke against Moses – the man whom God Himself had appointed, which was like speaking against the wisdom of God.

Numbers 12:8 records God’s response from a cloud: “Why weren’t you afraid to speak against my servant?” As the cloud lifted, they saw Miriam’s skin turning stark white with leprosy.

Immediately, Moses prayed:

Numbers 12:13 – King James Version

And Moses cried

unto the Lord,

saying,

Heal her now,

O God, I beseech thee.

From the Book of KJV Prayers - actual prayers from the King James Version of the Bible (KJV) collected by Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2019 

Numbers 12:13 – paraphrased

I’m crying out to You

as loud as Moses:

Lord God, please

heal my family!

From the Book of Bible Prayers – actual prayers of the Bible collected from a variety of translations and paraphrased into everyday English by MaryHarwell Sayler, ©2019

In response to Moses’ prayer, God said, “Let her be shut outside the camp for seven days, and afterwards, let her be received again,” (Numbers 12:14.)

May the people quarantined in this country and around the world turn to God, pray, and be healed.

MaryHarwell Sayler, ©2020

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Priestly Prayer for God’s People

At the moment, the world seems to be in a panic over a virus, causing man-made systems, businesses, and services to shut down. As health officials tell us, we need to wash hands with soap every time we’re out and keep ourselves – and the air in our homes – hydrated.

Most important, however, we need to decide if we truly do trust God, Who made us, cares for us, and gives us this prayer:

Numbers 6:24-26 – the priestly prayer-blessing of Aaron over God’s people (KJV)

The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:

The Lord make his face shine upon thee,

and be gracious unto thee:

The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee,

and give thee peace.

From the Book of KJV Prayers - actual prayers from the King James Version of the Bible (KJV) collected by Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2019 

Numbers 6:24-26 – the prayer of Aaron (paraphrased)

Lord, we pray You bless and keep us.

We pray Your face shines graciously upon us.

We pray You look kindly toward us

and give us Your God-peace.

Shalom.

From the Book of Bible Prayers – actual prayers of the Bible collected from a variety of translations and paraphrased into everyday English by Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2019

May this priestly prayer, given to the Jewish high priest Aaron and received by Christians too, give us the peace needed in any troubling time.

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Moses intercedes for God’s people

During the season of Lent, God’s people often take time to draw closer to the Lord through personal confession and prayer for forgiveness. However, Moses confessed for the hundreds of thousands whom God had asked him to lead out of slavery.

As soon as their leader was out of sight, the people committed the most offensive act against the very God Who had rescued them! When Moses saw what was going on, he mediated for them, confessed their wrong-doing, pleaded with the Lord God on their behalf, and even put his own life on the line, knowing God could be trusted to do what was right.

Exodus 32:31-32 – a prayer of Moses

And Moses returned unto the Lord,

and said, Oh, this people have sinned

a great sin, and have made them gods of gold.

Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin;

and if not, blot me, I pray thee,

out of thy book which thou hast written.

From the Book of KJV Prayers - actual prayers from the King James Version of the Bible (KJV) collected by Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2019 

Exodus 32:31-32 – a prayer of Moses

(Now I see)

what terrible sins

these people have committed!

They have fashioned themselves

gods of gold!

Oh, Lord, please forgive them!

And, if that just is not possible,

please take me off Your list!

From the Book of Bible Prayers – actual prayers of the Bible collected from a variety of translations and paraphrased into everyday English by Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2019

Today, praise God, we have Jesus Christ to intercede for us and reconcile us to our Heavenly Father and His.

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