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FWIW, my pastor this Sunday instructed the congregation that we should pray for 0bama

I've heard this phrase an awful lot but never really thought about it. I quipped on one of these posts, where someone posted "Obama is my President", that if Christians had the Internet in the first century I wonder if they would have posted "Nero is my Emperor". The more I've thought about that, the more profound I found it. Did Elijah pray for Jezebel? Did Moses pray for Pharaoh?

My more profound moments often come when I'm not thinking. (Although some would argue that most of the time I'm 1) not thinking and 2) not profound. But I digress.)

I looked up the verses that spawn this sort of "we must pray for our leaders" mentality. What are we to pray for and why should we pray? This is what the scriptures state:

1Ti 2:1 First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men,
1Ti 2:2 for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.

The reason we are to pray for leaders, is so that we can live a peaceful life. It does seem a bit self-serving but there you have it.

Christians who say we should pray for particular leaders need to ask themselves what precisely are we to pray for? That they make "wise" decisions? Clearly we wouldn't have abortion. The best we can do is that they will come to know the Lord in a personal way and repent of their sins. The worst is that they leave us alone.

...if Christians had the Internet in the first century I wonder if they would have posted "Nero is my Emperor"

IMO this exchange is close:

So the tribune came and said to him, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" And he said, "Yes."
The tribune answered, "I bought this citizenship for a large sum." Paul said, "But I am a citizen by birth."
- Acts 22:27-28