How to Pray for President Biden

Among the types of prayer, we should offer regularly (confession, worship, asking for daily needs), the Bible teaches us to pray “for kings and all who are in high positions” (1 Ti 2:2).

Why is praying for our country’s leaders so important? Why not, “pray for all children,” or “pray for accountants”? Part of the reason must be that, as God enacts his great plan for human history, he does much of it through high-profile leaders. As he once used Herod, Pilate, and others to bring about his plan (Acts 4:27-28), he now uses Putin, Xi, and Biden to steer history towards his ultimate goals. If they take such an important role (in good or evil), and the church is to pray “your kingdom come,” then we must pray for them. 

But how? It’s important and loving to pray for him personally: for his family, his safety, his health, and his salvation. But the Bible gives us guidance on certain ways to pray for his leadership. 

First, pray he can bring prosperity to the United States. When the Lord brought Israel to exile in Babylon, he told them, “Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare” (Jer 29:7). During our time of exile in a different land (1 Pet 1:1, 1:17, 2:11), we should pray for this land in the same way. President Biden’s work isn’t all partisan. When he negotiates with China, we want him to succeed. There is plenty of his work that, if God were to bless it, we would all rejoice. So, let us pray that he would succeed in his efforts to keep America prosperous.

Second, pray he would fear God and rule justly. It does little to speculate about what the president really believes. But King David reminds us that people flourish when their rulers tremble with reverence and accountability to God and lead justly (2 Sam 23:3-4). We don’t need to know if he’s really Catholic or not, but we do need him to remember that every decision he makes will be judged by a higher law. And we need him to remember that ‘justice’ is not a convenient word to wrap around an agenda, but a divine, unchanging expectation of every ruler. May God give him these things, for our sake. 

Third, when you disagree with him, pray God would change his heart. The Lord can change President Biden’s position on abortion any time he pleases (Pr 21:1). When we see the rise of a president with distinctly unbiblical positions, it isn’t hard to disagree with him. But the world has taught us to handle our disagreement with outrage and babbling rather than prayer and fasting. What would it accomplish if everyone knew your disagreement with the president? A little, perhaps. But your prayers could accomplish much more. I’ve committed to spending more words praying God would change his heart than I spend voicing my disagreements with the president to others. What if, in six months, no one knew what I thought, but the Lord changed his mind? That chance is worth the effort.

May God equip you to pray powerfully for President Biden. And may he work powerfully through those prayers.