Proverbs 28:2




'When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily. But wise and knowledgeable leaders bring stability.'
Every nation needs good leaders, but the many pages of human history show that they are normally in short supply. The Old Testament offers us a depressing procession of inadequate leaders, occasionally punctuated by one who was godly and able. In Hosea, God summed up the situation when he declared: “Burning like an oven, they consume their leaders. They kill their kings one after another, and no one cries to me for help” (Hosea 7:7). It was a tragic situation and led to centuries of moral rot, to use the colourful language of this proverb.
There is no doubt that there is plenty of moral rot in our own society. The massive amount of substance abuse, the breakup of the family, the prevalence of child exploitation, the phenomenal levels of fraud and the huge rise in knife crime would be just a few of indicators of a society that is in a poor way. In such a situation we need to cry out for the kind of wise and knowledgeable leaders that the writer of Proverbs had in mind. It isn’t good enough for us to join in with the chorus of cynicism and criticism; we can do better than that. Paul encouraged Timothy to pray for those who were in authority “so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity” (1 Timothy 2:2). As we pray for those in authority, we reveal our commitment to them and our willingness to work with them as they seek to make wise and good decisions that will bless our society. In the work that I have done with Members of Parliament over the years, I know how encouraged and blessed they feel when they know churches are praying for them. We don’t need to agree with their politics in order to pray for them. We simply need to appreciate that they have an authority which ultimately derives from God – and recognise our responsibility to support them.








Question: In what ways could you encourage your MP in their work?
Prayer: Loving God, I pray for this country and ask that you will bless our leaders. May they walk in your ways of compassion, truth and justice. Amen

Released on 31 Oct 2022