Have You Prayed For Your President Today?

Shortly after September 11, I purchased a magnet that I prominently displayed on our refrigerator.  It was red, white and blue and asked, "Have you prayed for your President today?"  And yes, I prayed almost daily for President George W. Bush as he lead our nation through the dark days of the 9/11 attack and afterwords.  I had voted for and supported President Bush as well, so it wasn't too difficult to pray for him!

Fast forward to today.  Let me ask the same question, "Have you prayed for your President today?"  Umm, unfortunately I have not prayed for President Barak Obama as consistently as I prayed for President Bush.  Now here's the bigger question.  Why haven't I prayed for President Obama as consistently as I have for President Bush?

I must admit, I did not vote for President Obama and there are many policies and decisions he has made that I simply cannot support on Biblical grounds.  And, at times, I've allowed my political leanings to influence who I pray for and who doesn't make the list.  I have to confess that when I allow politics to determine who gets prayed for, I have crossed a line.  Here is how.

1 Peter 2:13-17 tells us, "Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, 14 or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— 16 as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. 17 Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king."  While these verses do not talk about praying for the President, they do give us the command to submit to and honor those in authority over us.  There is no escape clause that you don't have to if you disagree with them or did not vote for them.  

1 Timothy 2:1-4 says, "Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."  These verses are clear and simple.  We are to pray for and intercede for all who are in authority regardless of their political leanings.

As Christians we are to submit to governmental authority so that we may put to silence those that would slander us as evil doers.  We are to pray for those in authority so that we may lead quiet and peaceable lives.  We cannot refuse to pray for them because we disagree with them, don't like them or didn't vote for them.  The Bible does not give us those options.  Praying for our leaders is an act of obedience.

Have I prayed for my President today?  I have.