Praying for Nations and Leaders in a Time of Difficulty

Throughout Scripture, we see God’s people turning to Him in times of difficulty to seek assurance and guidance. Reading and studying prayers in the Bible equips us to pray for our country, our world, and our leaders.

Nehemiah called the people to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem after a time of exile and destruction.

4 Steps to Praying for our Nation and Leaders

Study Nehemiah’s prayer in Nehemiah 1:5-11

1. Give a short label to each part of this prayer, dividing it into sections.
2. Can you discover any elements in Nehemiah’s prayer that you might find useful as a model for your own prayer life? If so, what are they and how might you incorporate them?
3. List everything you observe from Nehemiah 1:5-11 about the character of God.
4. Read through the whole book of Nehemiah, noticing how often he prays. One of the most striking characteristics of Nehemiah was his recourse to prayer throughout the book. Those who are the boldest for God have the greatest need to be in prayer.

The Important Work of Prayer for our Leaders:

• Pray for wisdom for government leaders—international, national, state, and local. 1 Timothy 2:1,2; Romans 13:1-7
• Pray that followers of Jesus in leadership positions would lead with integrity. Titus 2:7,8
• Pray for those who protect and serve our leaders and country. Jeremiah 29:7

Adapted from Ezra and Nehemiah, LifeChange Series, with permission of NavPress.