"Pray for bad politicians, really?" by Stephen M. Miller
Q: Paul tells Timothy to pray for “kings and all people in authority. That way maybe we’ll be able to live in peace” (1 Timothy 2:2). That didn’t work for Paul. Nero was the emperor at the time. He was not an endearing soul. A few years after Paul wrote this letter, Nero executed Paul along with Peter, if early Christian writers of the next generation got their history right. So, what value is there in praying for boneheads, jerks, and dictators in authority? And how are we supposed to pray for them, other than to ask God to please let them fall in love with a peasant and run off to live deep in the woods, never to be heard from again?
A: Many would say that is a message best delivered to someone who is open to hearing it. It is something we may say to a family member who has done something they know to be wrong and that has gotten them in trouble and caused pain for people they care about. It’s also a message that someone outside the faith might want to hear if they are feeling guilty, worthless, or alone. They need to know that they are none of the above.
Leader’s Guide & Atlas for 1, 2 Timothy
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