Praying For Wicked Leaders

Barack Obama

In his first letter to fellow apostle Timothy, the apostle Paul urged all believers to pray for the political authorities who govern them.

Here's what Paul wrote: "I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.  This is good, and pleases God our Savior,  who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.  For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,  who gave himself as a ransom for all people." (1 Timothy 2:1-6)

While praying for political leaders isn't mandatory and certainly isn't a salvation issue, it's encouraged by God because our leaders are constantly pressured by the influences of evil. And that influence often comes from Satan himself, whom the Bible identifies as "the God of this age." (2 Corinthians 4:4)

Obviously, it's not easy to pray for some authorities. In the case of Bashar al-Assad, Syria's wicked dictator, people ought to pray for his downfall because this man is a mass-murderer. In the case of Egypt, folks ought to pray for a strong but peaceful leader to emerge who can put an end to the anarchy in that nation.

But what about President Barack Obama? He's a difficult man to pray for. Certainly, he's a wicked man. He's mendacious; his administration is staffed with incompetent people and it's plagued by numerous scandals. And it's quite evident that Obama's unqualified to hold the highest office of the most powerful nation on earth.

It's also quite obvious that prior to entering politics, Obama associated with radical Marxists and black super-racists for many years. These were the folks who helped mold Obama into the man he is today.

Barack Obama never should have been elected to America's highest office. His election reveals more about the ignorance and apathy of American voters than it does about his gift of con that rivals some of the most notorious cult leaders throughout history.

Nevertheless, he's America's president. And he was reelected last year despite his catastrophic first term.

And so, we need to pray for him. And I don't encourage folks to pray for terrible things to happen to him. He's also a father who's raising two daughters. 

If folks want to pray for the Lord to remove Obama from office, then so be it. But don't pray for wicked things. Rather, pray that he comes to his senses and starts governing for the will of the people instead of against it. Pray that he begins respecting the Constitution instead of ignoring it.

And pray that he recognizes that he wouldn't hold America's highest office if God had not permitted it. 

Some folks wonder why God permitted Barack Obama to become America's 44th president? Because the United States has become a vile and wicked nation. And like ancient Israel that got wicked kings because she rebelled against God, America has gotten wicked leaders such as Obama because she has rebelled against God.

That's reality. People ultimately get the government and the leaders they deserve. But whether those leaders are righteous or evil, we still need to intercede and pray for them.