Why we must pray for President Joe Biden. A case from Nigeria

By Oscar Amaechina, Op-ed Contributor Saturday, January 23, 2021

Praying for President Joe Biden is not an option to be considered by Christians; it is a biblical instruction that should be obeyed.

I sincerely want to bring to the cognizance of genuine believers in Christ that the biblical mandate for us to pray for our leaders and those in authority (1 Timothy 2:1-2) is not an appeal, it is a command which must be obeyed so that we can live quiet and peaceful lives marked by godliness and dignity. It is an instruction that every disciple of Christ is expected to obey. Offering prayers for the president of America is not optional for anyone who is mature in Christ and who has the spirit of discernment in him.

If we do not build a hedge around him and his team with prayers, the serpent will bite and the consequences of venomous poison will not be palatable for Americans in particular and the world in general. His position is too delicate to be allowed unprotected. Warfare and intercessory prayers on his behalf are capable of bringing him out of the bondage of the evil one.

Whether we like it or not, Joe Biden is the president of the United States. Rejecting his presidency will do us no good.

Experience has thought me that little acts of kindness, love and prayers can influence an enemy to become a friend. In the last three years, a group of boys came to attack us in our mission field but I was inspired to pray for them and show them little act of kindness and love. They reciprocated and confessed to us that they came to kill us but because of our kind gestures, they have decided to spare us and they would like to become Christians.

Many Christians are bitter and have vowed not to pray for Joe Biden. Some call him a thief, some say that he is the anti-christ, while others call him children killer. One thing that we have refused to acknowledge is that you cannot be "a Paul" unless you were a "Saul". Joe Biden is not as bad as Apostle Paul yet God used Paul the way he never used those who were Apostles of the Lamb. The heart of kings and queens are in the hand of God. l am convinced that God will turn the heart of Joe Biden to do His will and nothing but His will.

Even in my country of Nigeria, many people are afraid that the government of Joe Biden will aide and abate the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to persecute Christians. People are of the opinion that the international religious freedom that America championed under President Donald Trump will turn into international religious bondage under President Joe Biden. Why can't we lift all these fears unto God and decree for excellent spirit to envelope Joe Biden so that all decision of his administration will be guided by the Spirit of God.

All these suspicious projections are major reasons why intensive intercession should be made for Joe Biden by all Christians all over the world. We are afraid because of hatred, animosity and massive distrust across the divides. My prayer is that God should not allow what we fear to befall us. If we embrace Joe Biden, all these fears must go away because perfect love cast away fears. We cannot pray for him if we hate him. Let the wound be healed through forgiveness and let there be one love that will keep America together.

When the scripture enjoins us to pray for those in authority, there was no conditional clause attached to the instruction. We are not to pray for Joe Biden because he is a good man. The only reason why we must pray for him is that he is the president of United States of America. We constituted a prayer team for Donald Trump since 2016 in Nigeria and we pray for America, Donald Trump and his administration every Wednesday.

We always ask God to protect and use him as the president of the most powerful nation on earth to protect Christians and enforce religious freedom of people of faith round the globe. We will continue to pray for Trump to live peaceably as he returns to his private life but our prayers from now on will intensively go for Joe Biden because he is now the president of America.

Oscar Amaechina is the president of Afri-Mission and Evangelism Network, Abuja, Nigeria. His calling is to take the gospel to where no one has neither preached nor heard about Jesus. He is the author of the book Mystery Of The Cross Revealed.