There is always controversy about those in authority. It doesn’t matter if it’s the Queen of England, a Czar, or the President of the United States; there is always controversy. Recently, there has been so much hatred for our current President. I feel so sad that this has been happening. It’s not right.

Even though you may not like who is in authority, does being hateful or complaining do any good? Does it change the circumstances? No, it does nothing. To be honest, it makes people look ignorant. So what do we do instead of bashing and complaining? We do the most powerful thing we can do – pray. I know this is the typical Christian answer, but it is such a powerful truth. Also, God has given us quite an example of this in the Scriptures through David. This is not when he was king but before. This was when King Saul reigned and was plotting to kill David, and David was in hiding. What did David do about it? He prayed. He prayed for Saul, even though he knew what Saul had intended to do with him. The big question that you will probably ask is why. Why would God let Saul be King if he is going to go against Him and David? The thing is I don’t know, but I do know it was because God wanted Saul to be king for only reasons that God only knew.

Along with this, the Scriptures tell us constantly to pray and submit to those in authority. A big one is Romans 13, where the Lord tells us to be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. Another is 1 Peter 2:13-14, which states, “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.” And there are many, many more.

Let us take time to pray for those in authority. If you do not know where to start, here are some guidelines:
• That they desire honesty, integrity, and loyalty;
• That they desire humility;
• That they be granted wisdom, knowledge, and understanding;
• That they respect authority themselves;
• That they value and give regard to the 10 Commandments; AND
• That they will be prepared to give account to the One who gave them authority.