Writing about the need for accountability in our prayer lives, Robert Dugan, Jr., shares how he did this in his book Winning The New Civil War.
“I did so in an unorthodox way at the baccalaureate service at Roberts Wesleyan College in late spring 1990. Not wanting to embarrass the faculty and administration seated in the choir loft behind me, I excused them from participating. Then I asked everyone else to stand. “I am putting you on your honor,” I said. “When I mention a political position for which you have a prayer responsibility, silently determine if you know that official’s name. If not, please be seated.”
“I began with the president. Fortunately, no one sat down but embarrassment colored a few cheeks when I moved on to the governor. Casualties continued to mount when I mentioned “one U.S. Senator from your state.” Naming “the other senator from your state” brought real downward movement. By the time I asked about “the Congressperson who represents your district,” only about 25 percent of the audience remained standing. Had I named the sixth and seventh who should have been on that prayer list—their state senator and state representative—not more than one in twenty would have remained on his or her feet.
“It doesn’t take a Sherlock Holmes to draw some deductions from this demonstration. If Christian people do not know the names of those whom they elect, it follows that they have not been interceding for them—and that they are disobeying their Lord.
“I had one further point to make with the audience that day at Roberts Wesleyan. As I wrapped up my demonstration, I said softly to those still on their feet: “If you have not prayed for each of these at least once since the beginning of this year, please be seated.” One man, and one man only, continued to stand.”1
Dugan worked with NAE (National Association of Evangelicals) and was the lead person in the Washington, D.C. office. Billy A. Melvin, NAE Executive Director, 1967-1995. “He had a God-given instinct to know how and when to address national issues of concern to the
evangelical community. It was a joy to share with him in service to evangelicals.”2 In May of 2014, Dugan passed away at the age of 78.
I find Dugan’s comments very convicting, especially in light of a verse of Scripture we studied just a few weeks ago on a Wednesday night. Matthew 21:12-13 says, “And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, (13) And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.” This is nearly a direct quote from Isaiah 56.
Do we – do I – pray for our national, state, and local leaders like we should? Answering only for myself, I have to ashamedly admit that I do not which is a direct violation of 1 Timothy 2:1-4 which says, “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; (2) For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. (3) For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; (4) Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”
Senator Jon Husted, official portrait in Washington, DC on March 13, 2025. (Official U.S. Senate photo by John Shinkle)
It would seem that such praying is necessary for two reasons. First – and the most important – is that the Lord wants them to be saved. Though we will probably never meet most national or state politicians, God knows them and they need our prayers.
Second, it’s easy to get caught up in the negativity of politics, sounding off against politicians and voicing our disdain. Admittedly, some definitely give us plenty of fodder! However, if we are praying for them as we should, our attitude towards them begins to shift. We see them as a person, not a policy.
Let’s remember to pray for these individuals. You might have to do a bit of research to discover who fills the various positions. As we pray, bear in mind the simple truth of Titus 2:11, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.”
1https://bible.org/illustration/1-timothy-21-2
2https://www.nae.org/robert-p-dugan-jr-voice-for-evangelicals-dies-at-78/
Images are taken from https://pixabay.com/, https://www.pexels.com/, or https://unsplash.com/images or created in Windows Copilot. According to the websites, they are Royalty Free and free to be used for our purposes.
By Unknown author – http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=D000294, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=955102
By United States Senate – https://www.husted.senate.gov/about/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=163037652
