election

4 Ways to Pray for President Trump After the 2024 Election

Nathaniel Williams | November 11, 2024
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EDITOR'S NOTE

This article is a part of our series, The Way of Christ in Politics and the Public Square.

Last week, Donald Trump was elected to serve as the 47th President of the United States. As Christians, everything we say and do should be guided by scripture — including how we react to our elected leaders. How, then, should Christians respond in the aftermath of the election?

1. Pray for President Trump.

President Trump returns to one of the world’s most challenging jobs during a critical time in our nation’s history. Christians have a God-given responsibility to pray for him. Paul explains the importance of praying for our leaders:

  • “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.” (1 Timothy 2:1-2)

As Christians, we need to heed Paul’s words to pray for President Trump and all our elected leaders. Pray that President Trump would grow in wisdom, surrounding himself with wise counsel. Pray that he would lead with integrity, fearing God more than men. Pray for a safe, peaceful transition of power. And, since none of us can know the state of a person’s soul, pray that he would believe in Christ if he hasn’t yet done so.

2. Pray that we’d honor President Trump.

God calls followers of Christ to honor those in authority. Paul addresses the importance of honoring our leaders in his letter to the church at Rome. He writes,

  • “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” (Romans 13:1)

Paul then explains that governing authorities are “God’s servant[s]” and that God gives us authorities for our good (Romans 13:4). Elsewhere, Peter similarly calls Christians to “be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution,” and he calls this act of honoring our leaders “the will of God” (1 Peter 2:13, 15).

In issuing these calls, Paul and Peter were not pandering to the government or excusing wrong behavior. In fact, many of their governing authorities actively persecuted the church; Peter, for example, acknowledged that his readers might suffer for doing the right thing (1 Peter 3:17). Yet both Paul and Peter called believers to honor governing authorities even though these same authorities often opposed the church at every turn.

In the same way, we should honor President Trump and our governing authorities. Does honoring President Trump mean that we agree with him at every point? No, scripture alone forms our convictions. Does it require blind obedience him? No, our greater authority is Christ himself. Does it involve ignoring his faults or mistakes? No, because John the Baptist rightfully pointed out his leader’s public sin (Matthew 14:3-4).

Rather, we honor President Trump (and other elected leaders in authority at the national, state, and local levels) as a posture of the heart in obedience to Christ. We acknowledge the importance of his position. We seek his well-being. And we recognize that our governing authorities may not be perfect, but God gives them to us for our good.

If we really believe that the public square matters, then our political engagement must continue after the election.

3. Pray that we’d keep President Trump in the proper perspective.

Some Americans are skeptical of a second Trump administration, but others are overjoyed. They’re excited about what President Trump’s return to the oval office might mean for issues and policies dear to them.

Indeed, we should be informed about the issues, advocate for policies that align with our worldview, and encourage President Trump and other elected officials to lead in a way consistent with a biblical worldview and a common-sense understanding of the world around us. However, we must not allow ourselves to get too high or too low. As I wrote before the election, these things are true regardless of who is President:

  • Jesus is King.
  • His Kingdom is coming.
  • The church has a mission.
  • And we must love one another.

No matter who sits in the Oval Office, our day-to-day mission remains the same.

4. Pray that we’d get involved.

Sadly, the end of the election marks the end of our political engagement. Or, we’ll limit our political engagement to watching news channels, reading political spinsters, and debating on social media.

Yet if we really believe that the public square matters, then our political engagement must continue after the election — and it must extend beyond the phone screen or the television remote. Instead of simply talking about politics, we should get involved.

So raise money for your local pregnancy center. Volunteer at the elementary school. Attend the next city council meeting. Read your local news. Be a positive agent of change in your community. Your local issues are just as important as national concerns, and as a Christian, you have a unique voice to share. You can play an active role in bringing the salt and light of Christ to your local community.

Don’t let your political engagement end after the inauguration. Bring your faith to bear on the issues that shape your community.

Consistent, Prayerful, Active

For each of the last two Presidential elections, I have written similar articles, encouraging believers to apply these biblical principles to Presidents Trump and Biden. Some readers took issue with the posts; why would I call on readers to pray for and honor a President they vehemently disagreed with?

But our responsibility to pray for and honor our leaders doesn’t hinge on who those leaders are. Similarly, our calling to be agents of reconciliation and torchbearers of Christian witness in the public square doesn’t lessen from one administration to the next.

We must be consistently prayerful and active, when our leaders share our beliefs and when they don’t. Let’s join together to do the hard work on our knees and with our hands.

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Photo by Isabella Fischer on Unsplash

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  • election
  • politics
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Nathaniel D. Williams

Editor and Content Manager

Nathaniel D. Williams (M.Div, Southeastern Seminary) oversees the website, podcast and social media for the L. Russ Bush Center for Faith and Culture, and he serves as the pastor of Cedar Rock First Baptist Church. His work has appeared at Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, Fathom Mag, the ERLC and BRNow.org. He and his family live in rural North Carolina.

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