Day 21: Praying For Our Leaders
Read: Mark 10:35 - 45; 1 Timothy 2:1 - 6;
For a long time there were some things that I simply never would have
considered doing. Being in authority over someone or a group of
someone's is probably at or very near the top of the list. As much as my
own personal experience has told me about such positions -- authority
goes to their heads and the rest of the body gets left behind without so
much as a thank you for being a part of them, they start lying to you
and disrespecting you or they step on your neck when you are down. So
when one day I heard someone tell me that I should pray for such a person - I said NEVER!
Such a request just cuts across too many grains of lumber, the yucky
sounds of chalk boards being scratched runs down my spine. No, a
thousand times No. Praying for someone who seems to place more joy in
walking amongst the clouds looking down at me instead of being along
side of me looking me straight in the eye?!?! Not going to happen. Pray
for someone who I am pretty sure does not care that I even exist? Not in
this lifetime or the next one after that!. It seemed a wee bit too
silly for me. Then something happened to me to reshape my thoughts -
Christ introduced Himself!
A} 42 So Jesus called them and said
to them, “You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as
their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over
them. 43 But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great
among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wishes to be first among
you must be slave of all. 45 For the Son of Man came not to be served
but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:42 -
45)
B} 1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications,
prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, 2 for
kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and
peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. 3 This is right and is
acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires everyone to be
saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God;
there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus,
himself human, 6 who gave himself a ransom for all—this was attested at
the right time. (1Timothy 2:1 - 6)
After reading such passages
and connecting them together with the help of the Holy Spirit it
awakened me: Christ is first in Authority over all including me and you
and anyone and everyone who finds themselves in a position of leadership
- whether it be great or small and all are accountable to Him for
their actions. So that means I do not have to be responsible for judging
them. They have much more to account for than I can ever know.
Another of the
greatest lessons that we can ever learn is that the honor that we have
to bring requests before the Lord was not given to us in order that we
may focus on us. We must first of all remember that: The target of all
our prayers must truly be absolutely inclusive for all our neighbors
even leaders. All must face the Refiner's fire!
Let us Pray:
Lord please help me to overcome my tendency towards judging those You
place in positions of authority and leadership. Help me to pray for them
just as much as You call on us to pray for each other. For we all must
come to You, so let us pray that each of us appears before Your throne
of Judgment blameless, cleansed and loved.
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Read: Mark 10:35 - 45; 1 Timothy 2:1 - 6;
For a long time there were some things that I simply never would have considered doing. Being in authority over someone or a group of someone's is probably at or very near the top of the list. As much as my own personal experience has told me about such positions -- authority goes to their heads and the rest of the body gets left behind without so much as a thank you for being a part of them, they start lying to you and disrespecting you or they step on your neck when you are down. So when one day I heard someone tell me that I should pray for such a person - I said NEVER!
Such a request just cuts across too many grains of lumber, the yucky sounds of chalk boards being scratched runs down my spine. No, a thousand times No. Praying for someone who seems to place more joy in walking amongst the clouds looking down at me instead of being along side of me looking me straight in the eye?!?! Not going to happen. Pray for someone who I am pretty sure does not care that I even exist? Not in this lifetime or the next one after that!. It seemed a wee bit too silly for me. Then something happened to me to reshape my thoughts - Christ introduced Himself!
A} 42 So Jesus called them and said to them, “You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. 43 But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:42 - 45)
B} 1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. 3 This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, 6 who gave himself a ransom for all—this was attested at the right time. (1Timothy 2:1 - 6)
After reading such passages and connecting them together with the help of the Holy Spirit it awakened me: Christ is first in Authority over all including me and you and anyone and everyone who finds themselves in a position of leadership - whether it be great or small and all are accountable to Him for their actions. So that means I do not have to be responsible for judging them. They have much more to account for than I can ever know.
Another of the greatest lessons that we can ever learn is that the honor that we have to bring requests before the Lord was not given to us in order that we may focus on us. We must first of all remember that: The target of all our prayers must truly be absolutely inclusive for all our neighbors even leaders. All must face the Refiner's fire!
Let us Pray: Lord please help me to overcome my tendency towards judging those You place in positions of authority and leadership. Help me to pray for them just as much as You call on us to pray for each other. For we all must come to You, so let us pray that each of us appears before Your throne of Judgment blameless, cleansed and loved.
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Bethel Live- For the Sake of the World ft. Brian Johnson
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