Prayers for Leaders - Psalm 72
Reflecting on Prayers for Leaders
Here is a great pattern for praying for leaders:
Psalm 72:1-4
"Give the king your justice, O God,
and your righteousness to the royal son!
May he judge your people with righteousness,
and your poor with justice!
Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people,
and the hills, in righteousness!
May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
give deliverance to the children of the needy,
and crush the oppressor!""
First, is to acknowledge that justice is a gift from God. It is imparted, as is righteousness. It is not inherent in leadership or position. Grace makes us just and right and we want that for our "kings." Pray for it.
Second, once given, justice and righteousness are to be tools for the good of the people. Judges, in the Bible, refer to leaders and decision makers.
Righteousness means to be right with God and man and on the "right track." It embraces reconciled relationships. Justice means fairness and equity.
Therefore, the prayer is really that our leaders will be enabled to make good decisions that bring people together, right decisions that treat the poor fairly.
Verse 3 leads us to pray for the prosperity of the people flowing from the natural resources and the land itself. What would that look like? What if all the people benefited from the resources around us that we share?
What if we made sure that everyone had equal access to the means, from our commonwealth, to build a life for their family?
Just praying here.
So, the leader, fourth, must sometimes be a defender, as in verse 4.
That person must defend the cause of the poor because the poor so easily are forgotten and passed over. That leader must also give deliverance to the children of the needy because the voice of the children is so often silenced.
Oppressors, or at least their power to oppress, must sometimes be crushed.
Yes, oppressors are people too. Yes, God loves all people. Yes, sometimes, oppressors don't even know they are oppressors or oppressing; they are just caught up in an oppressive system. In that case, the systems that oppress must be crushed.
It is easy to miss one phrase, "May he judge YOUR people."
Leaders must remember that the people are not theirs, but God's.
What if all of our systems of leadership and elected shepherds would understand that the people do not exist to serve them? The people are not theirs; the people are God's people and all the people they serve are precious to God.
And God goes out of His way to mention the poor and the children - not to be given favoritism, but special attention that they not be forgotten, trampled, or oppressed.
"May they fear you while the sun endures,
and as long as the moon, throughout all generations!
May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,
like showers that water the earth!
In his days may the righteous flourish,
and peace abound, till the moon be no more!"
(5-7)
Leaders like those for whom we are praying help to create an atmosphere of reverence for God. "Reigns" like that are like rain from the heavens.
People praying for their leaders like the psalmist prays in verses 1-4, can be instruments of grace for those leaders and days where the righteous flourish and peace abounds are possible.
We pray for days like that. We pray for leaders like that. We pray for our leaders to be like that.
"May he have dominion from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth!
May desert tribes bow down before him,
and his enemies lick the dust!
May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands
render him tribute;
may the kings of Sheba and Seba
bring gifts!
May all kings fall down before him,
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all nations serve him!"
(8-11)
We pray that our leaders will be held in high esteem. We pray that they might evoke the respect of other leaders. This, we pray, will not come through oppression, but righteousness and justice.
We know this, because it is spelled out in verse 12-14:
" For he delivers the needy when he calls,
the poor and him who has no helper.
He has pity on the weak and the needy,
and saves the lives of the needy.
From oppression and violence he redeems their life,
and precious is their blood in his sight."
(12-14)
How well we prayerfully back up and encourage our leaders to do what is right by the needy and helpless, coming to the aid of the oppressed is what determines the prestige of our own nation, state, or city - wherever we live.
We ought to pray the same for the leaders of other nations and this ought to be what drives our policies toward the nations more than our own self-interest. Jesus taught us to expand our view of neighbor (and, I think, "countryman," to include all people).
" Long may he live;
may gold of Sheba be given to him!
May prayer be made for him continually,
and blessings invoked for him all the day!
May there be abundance of grain in the land;
on the tops of the mountains may it wave;
may its fruit be like Lebanon;
and may people blossom in the cities
like the grass of the field!
May his name endure forever,
his fame continue as long as the sun!
May people be blessed in him,
all nations call him blessed!"
(15-17)
Look at these words, "May prayer be made for him continually ..."
I wonder how well I have followed this path. Actually, I know. I have not prayed continually for my leaders. At times, I have been silenced through intimidation by those who think it is more righteous to berate them and criticize them.
My bad.
God grant these prayers of the psalmist apply to those whom we have elected locally, statewide, and nationally to represent us.
We hold them accountable, but we also, and more so, hold them up in prayer.
"Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
who alone does wondrous things.
Blessed be his glorious name forever;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory!
Amen and Amen!"
(18-19)
This honors God - to have leaders like this and to have people who pray for leaders like this.
"The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are ended."
(20)
The last verse is important because it reminds us that the leader himself is asking for such prayer.
Take a moment to pray for your President, Governors, Congress, Councils, Courts, Mayors, Leaders and Legislators of other nations, and all those who represent and lead you today - judges, sheriffs, supervisors, civil servants - all who come to mind.