Amelia’s Leadership

Amid a politically divided nation, where heated debates and protests became the norm, lived Amelia, a dedicated teacher and woman of faith. Amelia, like many in her community, found herself at odds with the policies of the current president, which seemed to contradict her values and vision for the future.

Despite her disagreements, Amelia remembered the teachings from Ecclesiastes—that God’s sovereignty appoints leaders in their positions of power, and there is a time and judgment for every action under heaven. She knew that wisdom and obedience to God often meant respecting the roles of those in authority, even if she didn’t agree with them.

Amelia, therefore, chose a different path from the uproar around her. Instead of participating in the contempt, she sought to engage her students and community in constructive conversations about civic duty and the power of change within the framework of humility, fasting, and prayer. She taught her students to think critically about policies in light of scripture and to engage in the political process through informed voting and living peacefully with all people as much as possible. 

To set an example, Amelia organized community forums at local churches that were grounded in biblical truth inviting local pastors from various denominational backgrounds to discuss ways to unify people of faith that they might glorify God. These forums became a safe space for peaceful dialogue, embracing biblical truth, prayer, and healing divisions.

Amelia also led her community in prayer, by organizing home fellowships groups across the country who meet weekly. These groups were not just for those with whom they agreed but included those with different denominational backgrounds. They fasted and prayed for world leaders, asking God to grant them with wisdom, compassion, and guidance. They prayed for unity and peace within the body of Christ as together they trusted in God’s sovereignty and the belief that ultimately, God’s will would prevail.

Through these actions, Amelia demonstrated that respect for authority and active faith are not mutually exclusive. She showed that faith in God’s sovereignty includes trusting that He works through all leaders for His purposes, and that as people of faith, the call to love others and pray for our leaders is vital.

In doing so, Amelia and her community found peace amidst chaos and were reminded that while they may not understand every turn of events, their responsibility was to trust in God’s faithfulness, to respect the positions He allows, and to honor God by engaging with our communities in humility, love, truth, and wisdom.

Obey Authorities for God’s Sake Ecclesiastes 8 (NKJV)

1 Who is like a wise man?

And who knows the interpretation of a thing?

A man’s wisdom makes his face shine,

And the sternness of his face is changed.

2 I say, “Keep the king’s commandment for the sake of your oath to God. 3 Do not be hasty to go from his presence. Do not take your stand for an evil thing, for he does whatever pleases him.”

4 Where the word of a king is, there is power;

And who may say to him, “What are you doing?

5 He who keeps his command will experience nothing harmful;

And a wise man’s heart discerns both time and judgment,

6 Because for every matter there is a time and judgment,

Though the misery of man increases greatly.

7 For he does not know what will happen;

So, who can tell him when it will occur?

8 No one has power over the spirit to retain the spirit,

And no one has power in the day of death.

There is no release from that war,

And wickedness will not deliver those who are given to it.

9 All this I have seen, and applied my heart to every work that is done under the sun: There is a time in which one man rules over another to his own hurt.

10 Then I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of holiness, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done. This also is vanity.

11 Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

12 Though a sinner does evil a hundred times, and his days are prolonged, yet I surely know that it will be well with those who fear God, who fear before Him.

13 But it will not be well with the wicked; nor will he prolong his days, which are as a shadow, because he does not fear before God.

14 There is a vanity which occurs on earth, that there are just men to whom it happens according to the work of the wicked; again, there are wicked men to whom it happens according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.

15 So I commended enjoyment, because a man has nothing better under the sun than to eat, drink, and be merry; for this will remain with him in his labor all the days of his life which God gives him under the sun.

16 When I applied my heart to know wisdom and to see the business that is done on earth, even though one sees no sleep day or night, 17 then I saw all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. For though a man labors to discover it, yet he will not find it; moreover, though a wise man attempts to know it, he will not be able to find it.

Follow-up prayer

Almighty and Everlasting God,

You who have set the stars in the sky and command the seasons in their course, we come before You seeking unity and wisdom in these times of uncertainty. You are the source of all wisdom, and Your understanding is unsearchable.

We pray for the grace to stand together in unity, as Your beloved children, called to be peacemakers and bearers of Your light in this world. Help us to walk humbly, to uphold justice, and to practice mercy in our dealings with one another.

Lord, teach us to be obedient to Your will, to respect the authorities You have placed over us, knowing that You work through all things according to Your purpose. Give us the courage to keep your commandments and respect our leaders for the sake of our witness to You unless they oppose Your holy laws.

Grant us hearts of discernment to know the times and Your judgment, that we may act wisely, and not in haste or anger. When we face trials and tribulations, remind us of Your sovereignty, that no one has power over the spirit except You, and that in life and death, You are God.

In the face of adversity, let us not be set to do evil but inspire us to fear You, to walk in Your ways, and to trust in Your faithfulness. For those who fear You, there is the promise of Your presence and the assurance that it will be well with them.

We acknowledge, O Lord, that there are mysteries under the sun that we cannot comprehend. We see the righteous suffer and the wicked prosper, yet we confess that this too is vanity. You alone see the end from the beginning, and so we rest in Your perfect judgment.

As we await Your kingdom, we rejoice in the simple blessings of life—to eat, drink, and find joy in our labor. For these gifts we give You thanks, and we commit to using them for Your glory and the service of others.

We pray for our leaders, that they would be endowed with Your wisdom and a reverent fear of You. May their days be marked by a desire to serve with integrity and honor, for the good of all people.

In all things, O God, we wait on You, confident in Your goodness and steadfast love. Unite us in Your Spirit, that we may reflect Your light in every corner of this world.

In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen