On January 19, 2017, the day before Donald Trump’s inauguration, I published an article written in the form of a corporate prayer to help Christians—myself especially—think theologically about politics and pray for the new president in a biblically-informed manner. Now, on January 19, 2021, on the eve of Joe Biden’s inauguration, I am republishing that prayer verbatim. I have not made any changes to the wording, not because I wrote it perfectly the first time—it could be tightened and simplified here and there—but because the content of the prayer is as true and applicable and challenging today as it was four years ago. Aside from some typographical corrections, I have left the prayer untouched to emphasize that continuity and affirm that I still stand by every word. I wanted to write something that the saints residing in the United States of America could always pray, regardless of whether they were under a Republican or a Democratic administration, because the words would reflect eternal realities and not the fleeting circumstances of a four-year term. Now that I have been able pray it for two very different presidents, I think this prayer passes that test.

Heavenly Father,

       We acknowledge and honor You as the one who “removes kings and sets up kings” (Daniel 2:21). [1] We worship and give all allegiance to You who are the Sovereign Lord of all creation. We believe that “[Your] kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and [Your] dominion endures from generation to generation” (Daniel 4:3). All earthly rulers have power only to the extent that You grant it to them. We affirm that “the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men” (Daniel 4:17). The Apostle Paul taught us that “there is no authority except God, and those that exist have been instituted by God”; therefore, it is a serious thing to “[resist] what God has appointed” (Romans 13:1–2). The Apostle Peter, too, taught us to “be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution” and to “honor the emperor” (1 Peter 2:13, 17).