One of the clearest mandates for us in the Bible is to pray for those in governing authority.

In fact, at the time when the apostles told us to do so, Nero was the authority in Rome, and he made a spectacle of his brutality toward Christians.

The emperor blamed Christians for the Great Fire in Rome in AD 64, and in retaliation crucified them, fed them to wild animals, and even used them as human torches to illuminate his gardens at night.

Tacitus, the Roman historian, wrote that Nero gruesomely wiped out “vast multitudes” of Christians, so the thought of praying for him must have been agonizingly difficult.

Just imagine how Christians in the first century would have felt being told by the apostles to pray for the very despot who despised and murdered their loves ones.

Even more, this vile dictator whom Peter and Paul told us to pray for would end up eventually overseeing the merciless execution of BOTH apostles.

Why does this background matter? It’s relevant because it means if early Christians could pray for leaders like that, then we can certainly pray for ours.

After all, Jesus told us to love AND pray for our enemies (Matthew 5:44), which effectively obliterates any objection we might have to praying for our leaders—whether they are worthy of it or not.

The question then is WHY? Why does Scripture command us to pray for our governing leaders? Under the direction of the Holy Spirit, Paul and Peter give us four important reasons.

First, we pray for our civic leaders and institutions so that we will exhibit a godly life. Paul says we must pray for those in “high positions” so that our lives are peaceful, quiet, godly, and dignified. These terms refer to how people perceive us in the world, and when we pray for our leaders, people see godliness on display. 

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

Second, we pray for our civic leaders and institutions so that they will come to know the truth. Paul adds that our prayer for government is good and pleases God because it expedites His desire for our leaders to be saved and become those who contend for biblical truth.

“This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3-4).

Third, we pray for our civic leaders and institutions so that our testimony will prevail. Peter says that when we submit to and pray for “every human institution” we are doing God’s will by overcoming misconceptions and false accusations about our faith and our ministry in the world.

“Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people” (1 Peter 2:13-15).

And fourth, we pray for our civic leaders and institutions so that we will have a clean conscience. Paul says that when we submit to and pray for “governing authorities” we are being obedient to God and can be assured in our hearts that we are doing what pleases Him.

“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God…Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience” (Romans 13:1,5).

Bottom line, the Bible says we ought to pray for our government and its officials no matter who they are and in spite of their worthiness because it is the right thing to do, it advances the Gospel, it is effective, and it pleases God.