YOU CAN DO YOURSELF A FAVOR BY PRAYING FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP

And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive and pray to the LORD for it; for in its peace you will have peace (Jeremiah 29:7).

The above words to the captive Jews in Babylon must have been a hard pill to swallow. God instructs them to pray for the peace of the city that is home to the people who have slaughtered their fellow Israelites, burned their city, and carried them away captive. The Hebrew word for “peace” in this passage is shalom and it carried meanings of peace, prosperity, and general well-being.

God, however, makes it clear, that in giving this command, He is concerned for their own well-being. They will do themselves a favor by praying for the shalom of Babylon; for if there is peace in Babylon, they will share in that peace. If, however, there is war, bloodshed, and famine, they will also share in the suffering.

In a similar way, we will do ourselves and our families a favor when we pray for President Trump and for the shalom of America. If he is successful in his goal to “make America great again,” every American will benefit. If, however, the nation is plunged into a recession and societal chaos—or even a civil war—we will all suffer. 

Paul made a similar appeal to Timothy who was in the pagan city of Ephesus at the time of writing. He wrote,

Therefore I exhort first of all that prayers, supplications, and giving of thanks be made for all people, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence, for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (I Timothy 2:1-4).

The Greek word for king, basileus, was used for the emperor in Rome as well as for lesser rulers. When Paul wrote this letter to Timothy in the pagan, idolatrous city of Ephesus, the wicked Nero was ruling in Rome.

Paul says that the goal of such prayer for governement leaders is that we might lead a “quiet and peaceable” life. The phrase "quiet and peaceable" is translated from the Greek words heremon and hesuchion. In his Word Studies in the New Testament, Marvin Vincent says that heremon “denotes quiet arising from the absence of outward disturbance” and that hesuchion is “tranquility arising from within.” Together, they express the same idea as the Old Testament shalom.

Timothy and the believers in Ephesus are to pray for kings and all that are in authority for the same reason the captive Jews were to pray for the city of Babylon. They will be doing themselves a favor. If there is peace and prosperity in Ephesus and the Empire, Timothy and the believers in Ephesus will share in that peace and prosperity.

The same is true in America today, and would be true even if Hillary Clinton were president. Such prayer transcends politics. Prayer is a powerful force and we, as Christians, have a responsibility to pray for presidents, prime ministers, and governement officials of any and every political persuasion. 

Paul then delineates another great benefit as a result of praying for civil leaders, and it has to do with the freedom to spread the good news of Jesus. This is expressed in the phrase, For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

When a society is at peace and experiencing the shalom of heaven, roads and communication systems are maintained. Hostility toward Christians tend to subside because of God's favor, and this opens the way for the free flow of the Gospel to all the world. This is good and acceptable in God’s sight, says Paul, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (I Timothy 2:3-4).

These passages clearly show that we are to pray for civil leaders even if we vehemently disagree with them and their policies. Those who hate President Trump and are bent on bringing him down are in violation of a clear Biblical principle. If they succeed, they will hurt themselves and do irreparable damage to the nation. So, do yourself, your family, and the nation a favor: Pray for President Trump and for God's shalom across America.

Dr. Eddie Hyatt is the founder of "America's Reawakening" and has written extensively on America's spiritual birth out of the Great Awakening. Dr. Pat Roberson calls his book, Pilgrims and Patriots, "a must read!" His books are available from Amazon and his website at www.eddiehyatt.com. To schedule a speaking engagement, send an email to dreddiehyatt@gmail.com.