2025 – Resolution on Praying for Government Officials

Whereas God appoints government authorities in His time, and there is not a government that could stand without God’s permission;

And whereas God can place into authority or remove from authority according to His working, for He controls the events and movements of the nations (Dan 2:21);

And whereas government authority is a derived authority under the Sovereign hand of God (Rom 13:1);

And whereas governments, in their various forms throughout the world, are to punish the evil doers of a nation and bless those who do right (Rom 13:3-4; 1 Pet 2:14);

And whereas believers are to obey government authorities in all things, unless they violate God’s word (Tit 3:1), and this obedience is a testimony of a believer’s trust in God (1 Pet 2:12);

And whereas believers are to pray for their government officials to act righteously and have understanding and wisdom that comes from God (Psalm 72:1),  are to pray for God’s blessing upon their officials (Ezra 6:10), are to pray for them to rule in such a way that there is peace for those who live honestly and godly (1 Tim 2:2), and are to pray for their fellow citizens (1 Tim 2:1);

And whereas believers are to live peacefully under the government in which they find themselves (Jer 29:7) and to seek peace amongst their fellow citizens, for this honors God (Rom 12:18; 1Th 4:11);

Be it therefore resolved that we, the members of the Independent Baptist Fellowship of North America, meeting in conference at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Bethesda, Ohio, on June 17-19, 2025, do hereby resolve that we will pray for our government to carry out its God-given role, that we will obey our government authorities to the honor of God, that we will pray that God would grant understanding and wisdom to our government officials and that He would guide them to act righteously, and that we will pray for a peace that promotes the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.