Someone once said these words concerning prayer. “Prayer should be the breath of our breathing. The thought of our thinking. The soul of our feeling. The life of our living. The sound of our hearing. The growth of our growing. Prayer in its magnitude is length without end. Width without bounds. Height without top. Depth without bottom. It is unlimited in its breadth. Exhaust-less in height. Fathomless in depths and infinite in extension.” How can we pray practically for those who are over us politically? We’ll take a look at the subject of prayer and praying and how it applies to our walk with God.

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Accept the Challenge

Each week’s podcast contains a call to action. The Word of God will not produce in your life unless you put into operation.
This week’s call is:

Adjustments must be made in our ‘prayer thinking’ when praying for the leaders of our nation. Give yourself to the scriptural instruction to pray with the Spirit and to lean upon His ministry in fulfilling God’s governmental plan for the nations. 

Join the Conversation

Each week’s podcast also contains a question designed to encourage testimony. Testimony is vital to a believer’s life. We overcome by it (Rev. 12:11).
This week’s question is:

Question:  How do you pray for the rulers and leaders of our nation? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Episode Resources:

You can find additional information on the Name of Jesus in the resources listed below.

1. #S1-049: How to Cultivate Gods Presence In Your Life [Podcast]
2. #S1-050: More How to Cultivate Gods Presence In Your Life [Podcast]
3. # S3:025: How Timely Adjustments Unlock The Presence of God [Podcast]
4. #S3-026: Why Successful People Allow the Lord to Build Their Life [Podcast]
5. #S3-027: How Do You Pray for A President You Don’t Agree With? [Podcast]
6. #S3-029: Why God Sets Up the Lowest of Men as Authority [Podcast]
7. #S3:031: How to Ask Questions and Stay in Humility [Podcast]
8. #S3-032: Why It’s Important to Pray for Government [Podcast]

About Emery

Emery committed his life to the Lord Jesus Christ over 40 years ago and has served as both a full-time pastor and an itinerant minister. Both he and his wife Sharon of 35 years emphasize personal growth and development through the Word of God. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is both the focus and the hallmark of their mission. Read more about them here.

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If you enjoyed the podcast, please rate it on Stitcher Radio and leave a review. If you have a suggestion for a Bible topic you would like to see taught, or if you have a question, please e-mail me at emery@emeryhorvath.com

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Podcast Notes

How Do You Pray for Kings and Rulers?

Romans 8:26 (NKJV) 26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Ephesians 6:18 (NKJV) 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—

Living In An Attitude of Prayer

Luke 18:1 (NKJV) 1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,

• The Greek word ‘ought’ means to be required by obligation, compulsion, or convention.
• The Greek word ‘always’ is an adverb which describes the word ‘pray’. The word always means at all times; all the time and on every occasion.
• God desires a praying people, willing and obedient.
• How many of you want to give God something that He desires?
• The believer who is the most skilled in prayer will do the most for God.
• Few and feeble prayers are always a sign of a low spiritual condition.
• Men ought to pray always, all the time and on every occasion.
• Perseverance is a key to anything in God.
• Anyone who ever did anything great for God did it because they were great people of prayer.
• There is no such thing as a prayer-less leader.
• Because if your not praying, your not leading.
• If you’re not leading, it’s because you’re not being led.
• People may be in a position of leadership but all real leaders lead from their prayer closet.
• He who prays much, and studies much, and loves much, and works much, does much for the Kingdom of God.
• This is the goal you set for your prayer life.
• For it to be as natural as breathing.
• Stop thinking of prayer as something you do in a prayer closet.
• That is something you do at a certain time of the day.

What Is An Attitude of Prayer?

John 15:7-8 (NKJV) 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you
desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

• The word ‘abide’ means to settle down and remain.
• Settle down and remain ‘In Him.’
• Here’s another way of phrasing these words from Jesus’ lips.
• “If you’re always over here in my realm with me, because your mind and your heart is on me continually, ask what you will. It’s no problem for you to get it.”
• Jesus said we are to pray ‘always’.
• We saw that in our opening verse in Luke 18.
• Always does not mean ‘neglect the ordinary duties of life’.
• Always means we are never out of conscious touch with the Father.
• Our hearts are always going out to Him.
• We are continually addressing Him.
• Continually asking questions.
• Nothing is more important to us than being with Him.
• The moment our minds are released from the task upon which it is engaged it returns as naturally to God as the bird does to its nest.
• It is a constant fellowship, an unbroken audience with the King.
• You’re always in His Throne Room.
• Think about the time element in heaven and how it affects the prayer life.

2 Peter 3:8 (NKJV) 8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

• We often only look at this one way.
• We look at it as it seems so long for something to come to pass in the earth realm because one day is with the Lord as a thousand years.
• But, think about the fact that maybe you prayed this morning when you jumped up out of bed. You may have addressed Him. You may have thanked Him for your rest. Maybe you got to a point where you read your Bible but before you did you bowed your head and asked Him to help you glean something from His Word.
• Then you got ready and you’re talking to Him as you’re getting dressed.
• Then you jumped in your car and you prayed for protection.
• Then you went down the road and something crossed your mind and you started talking to God about that.
• And then as you processed something else, a question arose and you asked Him that question
• And then, throughout the day, maybe, for example, you were tempted to be a little disappointed over something, and you started to talk to Him about that.
• And then, you went to break and you bowed your head over your food and prayed.
• Then you got a bad weather alert on your phone and you started talking to Him about that.
• You can see what’s happening here.
• As stuff arises, your talking to God.
• You’re quietly speaking with other tongues under your breath.
• It doesn’t seem like much to you but from heavens one day is with the Lord as a thousand years perspective, your praying continually.
• From God’s viewpoint, you’re praying without ceasing.
• Two hours may have passed between anyone of these short God conversations you had but in heavens view it’s one prayer right in back of the other because two hours is milliseconds on God’s time clock.
• Actually, it’s .014 milliseconds.
• The Throne Room is a busy place.
• This ‘one day is with the Lord as a thousand years’ principle is a real principle.
• Time slows down as you approach the speed of light.
• The speed of light is zero speed in heaven.
• Heaven is all light because God is light.

1 John 1:5 (NKJV) 5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

• Light travels 186,000 miles a second.
• That’s getting it.
• Heavens chariots start at the speed of light and go up from there.

Reasons Why We Should Stay in an Attitude of Prayer

God Shapes the World by Prayer

• Not your word in your mouth.
• God does nothing except you pray.
• We saw that in the case of Daniel and Cyrus.
• God is not a pushy God.
• He is a perfect gentleman.
• If you won’t ask Him to do it, He won’t force it on you.

Matthew 9:36–38 (NKJV) 36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

• If you don’t ask, there will be no laborers.
• God has handcuffed Himself to you.
• People say God does whatever He wants to do.
• Not true.
• God does what you believe Him to do and what you ask Him to do.

Believing Prayers Are Deathless

• They have no end.

Hebrews 11:21–22 (NKJV) 21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. 22 By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones.

• These prayers came to pass after these men passed from this earth.
• So, if God gave you a prayer assignment and you’re not seeing the physical evidence of the answer to that prayer, take heart because prayers have no end.
• God’s Word in your lips will come to pass.
• Your prayers live before God.

Acts 10:1–4 (NKJV) 1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, 2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. 3 About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius!” 4 And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, lord?” So he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God.

• Physical death has nothing to do with your prayers coming up before the Lord.
• Prayers outlive the lives of those who uttered them.
• Prayers outlive a generation, outlive an age, and outlive a world.
• People of prayer are God’s men.
• They’re God’s heroes.
• They’re God’s saints.
• They’re God’s servants.

How to Pray for God Ordained Authority

• Praying in the Spirit and praying with groanings which cannot be uttered is the way to pray.
• You start out by praying with your understanding.
• Tell God who He is to you in this area.
• Tell Him that He is the one who has the plan.
• Ask Him to allow you to pray about a portion of His great plan.
• If the President of the United States personally called you and asked you to work on a certain project for him, wouldn’t you be honored that He though enough about you to ask?
• It’s an honor to be a worker together with God.
• When you start out praying, pray with your understanding.

1 Corinthians 14:14–15 (NKJV) 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. 15 What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.

• With your understanding, pray that the person in charge in your country, the King or President or Prime Minister, aligns himself with the plan of God.
• Pray that they will be unconsciously led into the righteous plan of God.
• Pray that they will tap into the wisdom of God rather than the wisdom of the world.
• There are two kinds of wisdom available on planet earth, God’s wisdom and man’s wisdom.
• Unsaved people can unconsciously tap the wisdom of God.
• We’ve certainly seen that when we looked at these ungodly kings whom God set-up.
• This happens all the time on planet earth because God’s principles are laws.
• And laws work for both the righteous and the unrighteous.
• Rain falls on the just and the unjust.
• It happens every day.

Matthew 5:44–45 (NKJV) 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

• The sun is going to rise.
• The rain is going to fall.
• It’s a law.
• God’s financial laws are being tapped by unsaved people all the time.
• ‘Give and it will be given to you’ works whether you know God or oblivious to Him.
• Giving is a law and all law’s work when the conditions are fulfilled.
• So again, pray that our rulers tap Gods available laws of wisdom instead of the wisdom which comes from the world.
• After you start out praying naturally, trust the Holy Spirit on the inside of you to help you pray out the rest.
• Ephesians 6:18 tells us to make supplication for all saints in the Spirit.
• You have to pray for all saints in the Spirit because you don’t know all saints.
• You only know a very few who are in your ‘world’.
• You pray for rulers and kings in the same way.
• You don’t personally know the President you are praying for.
• So, you have to pray for them trusting the Holy Spirit in your Spirit.
• Since you do not know, you must be led.
• Since you do not know, you must depend.

The Holy Spirit the Great Helper of Our Prayer Life

Romans 8:26–27 (KJV) 26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

• Romans 8:26-27 is a mountain of Bible truth and comfort on the subject of prayer.
• J. Oswald Sanders in his book, Cultivation of Christian Character says these words.
• It is worthy of note that the Spirit’s assistance in prayer is more frequently mentioned than any of His other offices. All true praying springs from His activity in the heart. Both Paul and Jude teach that effective prayer is “praying in the Holy Spirit,” which has been defined as praying “along the same lines, about the same things, in the same Name as the Holy Spirit.” ¹
• These verses are a major help to a Christians prayer life.
• The truth is we do not know how to pray as we should but, the Holy Spirit has come to help us.
• Assuming you already know how to pray voids the Holy Spirit’s ministry.
• So, a recognition of your inability along these lines and a looking to God for help is faith enough to activate the Spirit’s aid.
• The particular way the Spirit helps us is by making intercession for us with groanings.
• The word ‘groanings’ means to plead or intercede on a persons behalf.
• The Holy Spirit puts our prayers into a form that God the Father can respond to.
• He literally lifts our prayers to a higher level, to the level of heaven.
• On our own, we are unable to scale that height.
• What are these groanings Paul is referencing?
• Paul states these are of a form which cannot be uttered.
• The Greek word ‘uttered’ means unspoken, or unable to be expressed, inexpressible or unutterable.
• It means words which cannot be uttered in clear speech.
• The English Standard Version translates the King James ‘groanings which can’t be uttered’ as ‘groanings too deep for words’.

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