What is happening? Why is it so hard to find good leaders in the world today? There are over 330 million people in the United States of America, so why is it that the best they can come up with is Donald Trump and Joe Biden? Trump will go down in history as the most destructive, divisive and ultimately ineffective President in US history. Biden turns 80 in a few weeks and looks for dead people in a press conference! Is this the best America has to offer?
What about the United Kingdom? With a population of almost 70 million, the best they can come up with is Boris Johnson and Liz Truss! Boris is a walking headline but a terrible leader and yet many members of the Conservative Party seriously considered giving him a second chance now that Liz Truss has fallen on her sword after only 45 days! How is anyone living in the UK supposed to feel anything but embarrassment and dismay as they cry out for strong, wise, effective leadership?
Then we move across to Russia with a population of more than 140 million people and are confronted with a deranged, murderous madman at the helm and nobody is brave enough to change that. Putin has sent over 60,000 of his own men to their death in this illegal, immoral war in the Ukraine, not to mention the tens of thousands of Ukraine soldiers and innocent citizens who have been killed by this unhinged warmonger! How did such a man get to be the leader when I am sure there are hundreds of better candidates in Russia.
Sadly I think we already know the answer. All the best leaders are intentionally staying away from politics and the thought of becoming a leader in the Government makes them laugh or just shake their head in disbelief. They can earn heaps more money and enjoy a far better life in business, industry, education or even the arts. Political leadership is most definitely a calling if you are a good leader. There is nothing in a sane mind which would lead a person into the quagmire of politics as just a career choice. They would only do it if they really felt a higher calling to public service and had a deep commitment to make a difference for their country.
For those of us who follow Jesus Christ and are students of the Bible, we may need to be squirming more than we are at present. God promised His people a very long time ago that if we humble ourselves and pray and seek His face and turn from our wicked ways then God will hear from heaven, forgive our sin and heal our land! (2 Chronicles 7:14). Could it be that the state of the world today is due, at least in part, to the neglect and failure of the Church to be and to do what we are called to be and do? One of the things we are called to do is pray for our leaders.
1 Timothy 2:1-2 “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.”
Do you pray for your leaders? Do you pray for other world leaders? How often? How committed are you to this important discipline? Do you believe that God could in fact raise up more leaders in the UK like Winston Churchill? Another Mikhail Gorbachev in Russia perhaps? Are there more people like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln in America? How many American Christians are crying out to God every day and asking Him to raise up Godly, wise, effective leaders? Leaders like the 32nd President of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt who regularly prayed in public and often called his whole nation to prayer.
“I ask that our people devote themselves in a continuance of prayer. As we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips.”
The above words are an excerpt from the amazing prayer of Franklin D. Roosevelt on 6th June 1944 (D-Day), broadcast to the whole nation via radio. You can read his whole prayer HERE. Where are the national leaders like Roosevelt today? Do we, the people of God, even believe there will ever be leaders like that in these ‘enlightened,’ anti-Christian times? Our belief impacts our prayers and if we don’t think we will see leaders like that again, then we won’t be praying for them – and if we don’t bother praying for them – we probably will never see them again.
I encourage you to follow the link above and read the whole speech/prayer of President Roosevelt that night and just ponder a day when a world leader might have the courage and conviction to pray over their nation like that. Until then, I exhort you to be on your knees before God every day, crying out to Him to raise up leaders who truly honour Him, serve their people and open the door for the peace of God to flood our nations.