“May he be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth.” (Psalm 72:6)

In July 2022, Britain’s prime minister was forced to step down after what many felt were lapses in integrity (the newly appointed prime minister stepped down just months later!). The event was triggered when the country’s health minister attended an annual parliamentary prayer breakfast, felt convicted about the need for integrity in public life, and resigned. When other ministers resigned too, the prime minister realized he had to leave. It was a remarkable moment, originating from a peaceful prayer meeting.

Believers in Jesus are called to pray for their political  leaders (1 Timothy 2:1-2), and Psalm 72 is a good guide for doing so, being both a ruler’s job description and a prayer to help them achieve it. It describes the ideal leader as a person of justice and integrity, who defends the vulnerable, serves the need, and stands against oppression. Their time in office is so refreshing, it’s like”showers watering the earth”, bringing prosperity to the land. While only the Messiah can perfectly fulfill such a role, what better standard of leadership could be aimed for?

The health of a country is governed by the integrity of its office bearers. Let’s seek “salm 72 leaders” for our nations and help them to embody the qualities found in this psalm by praying it for them.

Daily Questions

1. What qualities do you look for in a leader?
2. How can you pray more often for your local and national leaders?

Daily Thoughts

Father, please empower our leaders to be people of justice, integrity, and goodness.

Psalm 72:1-7

Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness. May he judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice.

May the mountains bring prosperity to the people, the hills the fruit of righteousness. May he defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy; may he crush the oppressor. May he endure as long as the sun, as long as the moon, through all generations. May he be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth. In his days may the righteous flourish and prosperity around till the moon is no more. 

Bonus Information

Psalm 72 bears a striking resemblance to Solomon’s request for wisdom in 1 kings 3:7-9. Upon taking the throne, Go told him in a dream that he could ask for whatever h wished. In response, he asked for “a discerning heart” so that he could “govern God’s people” and “distinguish between right and wrong”. In Psalm 72, we see the same themes. The author asks God to “edow the king with your justice,…the royal son with your righteousness” so he may “judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice.” God’s wisdom, justice, and righteousness were essential to being a good king and governing well. The psalm ends with praise to God “who alone does marvelous deeds.”