The gospel is God’s power to save man from his sins in order that we can have eternity with God (Romans 1:16). It is a power that works in our hearts each day as we strive to live by God’s laws for us (Ephesians 3:20). It is described as the Word of God that is quick and powerful (Hebrews 4:12). The measure of our hope is connected to the degree that we keep building our knowledge of God and His will (Romans 8:24; II Peter 1:5). From this great power that is active in the lives of Christians, we derive peace for our day to day living (Romans 5:1).
When we move beyond the lives of Christians that power is not available to those outside of Christ. We, therefore, are taught to pray for those in authority meaning that God works in the lives of those who are not His children. The manner in which He works in those lives is not spiritual but rather the things necessary to maintain our lives. Paul, then, uses the words, “quiet and peaceable”. On one occasion, Jesus healed a lame man who had been crippled all his life, through Paul and Barnabas. The people of Lystra attempted to worship Paul and Barnabas. They were stopped from doing so and in the process Paul spoke about God. God gave fruitful seasons filling men’s heart with food and gladness (Acts 14:17). Jesus taught that it rains on the good and the evil (Matthew 5:45).
When we pray for leaders, is it not an issue of worth. What I mean by that is the person who is in power may be very evil. We pray for such a person, not because of what he is doing with his life but rather because of the office that he holds. We must always pray in faith. Such prayers as per I Timothy 2:2 is a request for God to act in the lives of leaders of various nations. How or when God does that is beyond our ability to know. In one nation crops are grown and people are fed. In another nation, violence and hatred is the crop that grows. God, through “sunshine and rain”, causes crops to grow which feeds people. The world has been harmed by evil men in power. I ask us all to remember the past and ask where are those men now? God, in His time, controls our world and our hearts (John 14:1).