Praying for God to Remove a World Leader
Praying for God to Remove a World Leader
Ukraine. Invaded. Confirmation of the biblical view of mankind. Philosophers, academicians, liberal theologians, and bright people in every walk of life often balk at the biblical view of people. They see it as demeaning to argue that people are inherently sinful. However, history continues to confirm it. If righteous wars must be fought to oppose evil, it is only because lurking in the background is the evil to begin with.
In my church today we were called to pray. We took time to pray and were encouraged to keep praying as long as it takes. Godly people all over the world are doing the same. There are so many aspects of this tragic war that need the prayers of God’s people.
We pray because we believe, for the God who created our world, who can move mountains, who raised his Son from the dead, and brought cleansing for our sin, there is nothing impossible. That includes God’s ability to depose leaders. In a prayer of praise Daniel said to God and about God, Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning (Daniel 2:20-21).
God’s positioning of leaders on the world stage remains a mystery. We often wonder why a dictator, or president, or prime minister, or king is allowed to rise to prominence when they rule with apparent ignorance or evil intent. Yet God sees a bigger picture than our finite minds can grasp. I try to remind myself that our brains, in spite of how wise we see ourselves, are smaller than a speck of dust in the cosmos and pale in comparison to the Divine Mind that created and directs our world. God knows what he is doing.
So how privileged are we that God allows us to partner with him for change! When God hears prayers that are off target, he knows our intent is good. Even so, he is not obligated to bring change because of misguided prayer. But more significantly, God calls us to pray because he designed a mechanism by which we can effect positive change for his glory.
A stunning picture is painted by John in Revelation of this truth. An angel is given incense to offer before the throne, along with the prayers of the saints. John then writes, The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake (Rev. 8:4-5).
The picture is profound. The prayers of the saints go up to God’s throne, and the answers are thrown down to earth with jaw-dropping power. Our prayers have God-given power to change our world.
So, if God can depose rulers, is it appropriate for us to pray that he do so? He certainly has a lot of tools at his disposal. In a democracy he can use elections; in other forms of government, he can use revolution; it can come as the result of war; it come can through stroke and heart attack; it can even come through a leader’s change of heart. But is it appropriate to pray for a leader by name, along with likeminded successors, to be deposed?
I admit it. Since the start of this war, I have prayed that very thing. I am hoping many who haven’t, will consider joining me. Evil men with evil intentions do evil things to millions of people. It seems more than appropriate to pray for the God who deposes kings to consider doing so now.
No prayer of this kind should be offered presumptuously. For something as simple as travel plans James reminds us that we should pray, If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that” (James 4:15). With something as important and consequential as deposing world leaders, the spirit of our prayers must be, If it is the Lord’s will, this will happen.
I am praying for God to depose those leaders who orchestrated this dreadful atrocity. I will, of course, accept God’s perfect understanding of what I cannot see, as well as his timing and decisions. But pray I will!
