Praying for Godly Leaders (2 Samuel 23:3–4)

In this episode of Pray the Word on 2 Samuel 23:3–4, David Platt encourages believers to pray for godly leaders who rule justly and fear God.

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Transcript

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Pray the word with David Platt is a resource from radical.net Second Samuel chapter twenty three verses three and four. The God of Israel has spoken. The rock of Israel has said to me, When one rules justly over men, ruling in the fear of God, he dawns on them like the morning light, like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning, like rain that makes grass to sprout from the earth. What a picture. This chapter starts by saying these are the last words of David, this king who ruled among God's people. And in verse three, David says, How God has spoken and declared that when a ruler, a leader, is just and rules and leads in the fear of God, then God dawns on them like the morning light, the imagery here, like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning. Just picture it, like the bright shining sun in the sky, like rain that causes grass to sprout, grow from the earth. It's good to be led by people who are just and who fear God. And so let's pray based on 2 Samuel chapter 23 for leaders like this in our lives and for all of us who are in any position of leadership at all in our homes, in our churches, in our workplaces, in our communities, that God would help us to lead in a way that bears fruit like this, that brings blessing like this. Oh God, we pray for leaders like this in our lives. God, as we look to authorities in our lives, we pray for just authorities. We pray for people to lead in the fear of you, God, as you have commanded us to pray for leaders in all kinds of high positions. We pray for presidents at some countries, prime ministers or even kings or queens. God, we we pray for legislators and judges. God, we pray that they would rule and lead justly, that they would have fear of you, and they would lead out of the overflow of fearing you, revering you with knowledge of accountability before you for the good of those they lead. God, we pray for all of us, including myself who are in positions of leadership. God, as we think about leading marriages, leading homes, leading in your church in different capacities, leading in different ways and workplaces. God, we pray that you would help all of us who lead to lead well, justly, and in the fear of you. God, help us to lead with awe before you, reverence of you, with a sober sense of our accountability before you, to lead people in a way that reflects you. And God, we pray for this kind of blessing to flow from our leadership and this kind of blessing to flow in our lives under the leadership of others, like grass sprouting from the earth and the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning. And God, as we pray for these things, we are so thankful. We praise you. You are the perfect leader. You are just in all your ways. We are so glad that you are our ultimate authority, and we worship you as our leader. And we pray that your name would be hallowed as the Lord and leader of all in all the earth, that your glory would spread, that your kingdom would come and your will would be done on earth as it is in heaven, among all the nations, among the Jang people of Laos. May they know you, Jesus, as the Lord and leader of all, as the good, just, merciful leader you are. Cause your name, Jesus, to be known among the Jang people of Laos. Oh Lord, we praise you as the just ruler of all the nations, and we gladly, gladly submit our lives to your rule and your leadership today, knowing that your leadership is like the sun shining forth on a cloud this morning and like rain that makes grass to sprout from the earth. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.