PRAY FOR THOSE IN AUTHORITY

 

I urge, then, first of all, requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all men; for kings and those in authority (1 Timothy 2:1). In I Timothy 2:1 Paul exhorts his young protegé to make prayer and intercession for those in authority the first work of the church. Whereas we once thought of those in politics, military, religion, and economics as controlling the earth, today we recognize the enormous influence wielded by those in the workplace.  Our mindsets are changing; those in the workplace, including business leaders, we now include as those in authority.  They, too, are among those Paul exhorted Timothy to cover in prayer. God is transferring his anointing to be placed upon all saints to get the job done. This is requiring the local church to give more focus on equipping men and women to live out their faith in the workplace. The modern day Church is in a major shift! It is not surprising that the Lord would begin to move in this way. If we are going to see a major harvest in the last days, it will have to come through the largest segment of the body of Christ – those who are Christ’s representatives in government, business, and education.    The book of Acts records Lydia, a businesswoman, as God’s instrument to introduce the gospel to Europe. The Ethiopian eunuch who was in charge of the treasury of Candace, "Queen of the Ethiopians", introduced the gospel to Africa.  Peter launched the gospel into the gentile world through Cornelius, a Roman centurion. And three "workplace ministers" reached Europe, Africa, and the Gentiles. These examples indicate the importance of the workplace influence and why intercession is so important for leaders in places of authority. Today, pray for those leaders in government, business, and education.