A Gospel-Centered Prayer for the Pope’s Leadership and Influence
By Kyle Norman
Bible Reading:
“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” - 1Timothy 2:1-2
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Because the Pope’s ministry is highly profiled, it is undoubtedly susceptible to temptations and spiritual threats. There might be the lure of power and prestige, with the desire to remake the church in one’s image; there may be the temptation to be closed off from the Spirit’s leading, or to fail to live a ministry in humility and grace. Like all ministers in all human-bound institutions, there may be the temptation to care more for the church's institutional structure than the church's mission, the people of God, or the way of Jesus.
Because these temptations are so prevalent in the lives of any minister, but more profoundly for Pope Leo XIV, the people of Jesus (regardless of denomination) are called to pray. Scripture specifically commands us to pray for those in leadership. In 1 Timothy, Paul writes that we are to make intercession for all who are in high positions. Notice, of course, that the call to pray doesn’t mean the call to agree. This is the beauty of prayer. We can pray for someone and not agree with them. So, praying for the Pope doesn’t mean we need to accept the things of Papal infallibility, or Roman Catholic doctrine.
To pray is to bring someone to Jesus, lifting their name before our ultimate King and head. Thus, to pray for the Pope is to pray that Jesus would surround him in His gracious Power. Praying for the Pope involves asking Jesus to heal him wherever he needs healing, guide him where he needs guidance, protect him where he needs protection, and forgive him where he needs forgiveness.
Whether you agree with the Papal structure or not, wouldn’t having a Pope passionately devoted to Jesus would be great? Wouldn’t it be great to have a Pope who is in tune with the voice of the Holy Spirit, who has been born again by the Spirit, and has an interactive relationship with God the Father? Wouldn’t it be great to have a Pope for whom Jesus is an all-surrounding presence in his life?
If so, then let’s pray for that! Because when we strip away all the clout of the office, all the finery of the robes, and the extravagancies of the Pope-Mobile and the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV is nothing more than a man who needs help in ministry. So, let’s pray for him. Let us pray in love, in faith, and boldness.
Let’s Pray:
Almighty God, I bow before you in prayer today on behalf of Cardinal Robert Prevost, now known as Pope Leo XIV. Lord, your word reminds us that you institute all who are in authority. And so, somewhere, in the way of discernment and selection, your presence must have worked in selecting this new Pope.
Lord, I pray that you surround this man with your holy and lifegiving presence. May your spirit brighten all his days and illuminate all his nights. May you instill in him a spirit of prayerful reliance upon you so that you may sanctify his ministry. May his heart be drawn ever nearer to Jesus. As he reads the scriptures, Lord, open his mind and his heart to understand your lifegiving Word.
Over all things, O Lord, give Pope Leo XIV the boldness to proclaim the gospel in this world. Give him the faith needed to lead the Roman Catholic Church, to direct it where it is in error, to reform it where it is amiss, to heal it where it is hurting, and to strengthen it where it is true.
I pray all these things for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior; may his name be praised forever and ever. Amen.
Photo Credit:©Getty Images/ALBERTO PIZZOLI/Contributor
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