historical context that Paul told Timothy to pray “for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity” (1 Timothy 2:2, NLT). By telling Timothy to pray for those in authority, Paul was, in essence, echoing Christ’s command to “love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44, NLT). If anyone had an excuse to not pray for their leader, it was the Christians living under Nero; yet Paul made it clear that they should intercede for those in authority, regardless of whether they are unjust or benevolent.

Thankfully, we as Americans have never experienced the tyranny of a leader quite like Nero. But unfortunately, many of us are far more prone to point accusing fingers of blame at our leaders than we are to pray for them. As disciples of Jesus, we must guard ourselves from this kind of behavior and instead lift up our nation and leaders in prayer before the Lord. We must pray for them for the sake of our country, which is at a critical crossroads. We have laws legalizing abortion; society is deeply infected with the disease of materialism; and many worship celebrities instead of God. Our country desperately needs to wake up and return to the Lord.

In 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NLT), God made a promise to the nation of Israel that we can take for ourselves: “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.” As God’s people, we must seek His face and pray for the hearts of Americans to turn towards Him, and we must pray that our leaders will make godly decisions as they direct our country. We should also pray for our leaders, because deep down, they need Jesus just like you and me. When a leader makes poor, even sinful, decisions, we can certainly disagree with them, but we should never forget that God loves them.

Paul probably knew this better than anyone. Just like Nero, he used to persecute and murder Christians. Still, God loved and rescued Paul. Because of this, Paul understood that since God loved him while he was still a sinner, God could also love Nero. When you pray for your leaders, remember that you’re praying for people whom God desires relationship with. God cares for them deeply and wants “everyone to be saved and to understand the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4, NLT).

As Americans, it’s time to pray. It’s time to pray that our nation would return to the Lord. It’s time to pray that our leaders would make wise decisions. We must also pray for our leaders who are already believers and for their families. They need our support as they follow God’s leading in a time when it’s especially unpopular to do so. Equally as important, it’s time to pray that those in authority who don’t already know God’s love would come to experience it in their own lives. When this happens, our leaders will make wise decisions because they’ll be plugged into the very source of wisdom!

Let us pray, more fervently than we have ever prayed, for a historic outpouring of the Holy Spirit on us His Church ... a cascading waterfall of God’s suffering and abiding love, that will lead us to act with bravery, to walk with integrity, and to stand in unity for the renewal of our culture and the restoration of our nation, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

~ James Robison & Jay Richards

Prayer

Lord, our nation needs You right now. I pray that we would not turn away from You, but fully return to You. I lift up our local and national leaders as well. I pray that they would come to know You personally and let You guide them as they make decisions. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Activation

Make a list of government officials who are in authority over you, from local officials all the way up to the president. Spend time focusing on each name and praying over them.

Pray for the hearts of America’s citizens. Pray that we would return to the Lord and elect officials who will make godly decisions.

Memory Verse

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. 1 Timothy 2:1–2 (NLT)

However, when you do have a correct view of God, you can praise Him for who He is, enter through the door to His presence and live a lifestyle of dynamic prayer. Psalm 100 makes this clear when it tells us to “enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise” (Psalm 100:4). Praise is the key to entering into God’s presence. And since prayer is an act of coming before the Lord and spending time in His presence, praise is also the key to prayer.

Jesus showed us this in the Lord’s Prayer. He started and ended the prayer with statements of praise and worship: Matthew 6:9 starts with “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name,” and verse 13 closes the prayer with, “Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” Praise and prayer are connected and intertwined; they cannot be separated from one another. Praise and worship prepare our hearts to communicate with and hear from God through prayer.

Hebrews 4:16 (NLT) tells us to “boldly approach the throne of our gracious God.” Are you boldly approaching the throne through prayer? Do you pray like someone who actually knows God on a close personal level? If not, try making praise the foundation of your prayers.

But before you can truly praise God, you have to first know who He is and what He is like. After the psalmist instructs us to “go into His courts with praise” in verse 4 of Psalm 100, he tells us why in verse 5: “For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” Why is the author of Psalm 100 praising God? Because he knows God is good! He knows God’s love never quits. He is confident that God is forever faithful. Are you?

When praying feels like a struggle, or even impossible, focus on who God is. Remember that He loves you. Remember that He sent His Son to die for you. Look at all the things He’s done for you personally (many psalms talk about reflecting on how the Lord has blessed you in the past to remind you of His goodness). Spend time thinking of Him and of everything good that comes from Him. When you get a revelation in your heart of who God is, you won’t be able to contain your praise. It will naturally spill over from a heart of gratitude. And as you thank Him and praise Him, you can enter His presence with joy and pray truthfully. Start your prayers with praise and worship and go boldly before His throne in prayer!

It is in the process of being worshipped that God communicates His presence to men.

~ C.S. Lewis

Prayer

Lord, I know that You are so good. Your love lasts forever. You have saved me and done so many good things for me that I cannot help but praise You. May my prayers to You sit on a foundation of praise and worship. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Activation

• • Read the Psalms. Find one or two that speak to you and speak them audibly as part of your prayers.

• • Before you pray, put on your favorite worship music and spend time simply praising Him.

• • Write down a list of things God has done for you in the past and thank Him.

Memory Verse

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. 1 Timothy 2:1–2 (NLT)

shows, books and songs. The Lord’s Prayer is so famous and widely quoted, many people think of it as just an old prayer from the past. In fact, so many people have recited it over and over, it has almost become commonplace. And because we know it so well, we don’t always think about what it really means.

Maybe the title is part of the problem. Yes, the words of this prayer are the Lord’s, but He provided it as a model for the disciples. “The Disciples’ Prayer” would perhaps be a better title. Or, if you take it one step further, you could even call it “Our Prayer,” because the way Jesus instructed His disciples to pray applies to us today just as much as it did back then. This is “Our Prayer” from the Lord. It’s what the Lord wants us to pray. This prayer isn’t just a famous saying from the past ... it’s powerful truth that should define how we live in the present.

When we call God “Our Father,” and proclaim that His name is “hallowed” (or sanctified), we’re placing ourselves under His authority. We are saying that He comes first.

When we pray “Your kingdom come” and “Your will be done,” we’re inviting our heavenly Father to work in all of His authority in our lives and in the lives of those around us. Like Jesus, we’re saying we want to be about His business (Luke 2:49).

When we ask Him to “give us this day our daily bread,” we’re saying we trust Him to provide for our everyday needs. We don’t have to worry about tomorrow because He’s taking care of today. And He’ll continue to take care of us and guide us in the days that follow, because He knows exactly what we need.

We pray “forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors,” because, having been the recipients of the unconditional love and forgiveness of our Father, we are to love, forgive and live in right relationship with others.

Because we’ve submitted ourselves to His perfect authority, we ask that He would “deliver us” from temptation and evil. We don’t want to be a part of anything that goes against His will.

This prayer gives us the basic principles of how we should relate to God and others. As we submit to His authority as our loving Father and trust Him completely, we can live out His plan for our lives as we forgive and love others.

What’s truly fascinating about this prayer is its length. In just a few short sentences, Jesus provided His disciples and us, His followers, with a prayer containing the most important things we need to know and believe. He packed so much into this little prayer, and we’ve barely begun to scratch the surface. So the next time you hear or say the Lord’s Prayer, know that it’s also your prayer. Pray this prayer to Him—with all your heart—knowing that this is how He has called you to pray.

Even though Jesus taught His disciples this prayer [The Lord’s Prayer] in Hebrew, in an entirely different setting nearly two millennia ago, the petitions contained in this short prayer transcend time and are appropriate to the modern-day disciple. Today, perhaps more than ever before, Jesus’ followers need to be challenged again to respond to His timeless message.

~ Brad H. Young

Prayer

Lord, thank You for showing me how I should pray. Help me make the Lord’s Prayer my own prayer to You. As I pray the way You have shown me, reveal more of Yourself and Your truth to me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Activation

• Read the Lord’s Prayer and let each line sink in.
• Over the next few days, pray it out loud.

Memory Verse

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. 1 Timothy 2:1–2 (NLT)

Over the next 28 days, we’re going on a journey together into prayer. We’ll explore its many dynamics: what the Bible says about it, why we so desperately need it, how we can use it, how it brings us closer to the Father and many other principles. Each day begins with a passage of scripture, followed by an inspiring devotional thought and ends with practical tips and a prayer to help you activate the devotional’s subject in your own prayer life.

As you go through this devotional, our prayer is that you’ll grow to understand that prayer is one of the most crucial elements to walking in an intimate relationship with our heavenly Father. We have a great adventure ahead of us, and we pray you’ll become closer to God than you ever thought possible as you discover how to live a powerful life of prayer.

—In Jesus’ name, Amen