God is absolutely sovereign over nations and kings, and so obviously we should pray for our leaders whether we like them or not. You do not get to just pray for the ones you like, you have to pray for all of them. You have to pray for the ones you did not vote for. Why do we pray for our leaders? Because they are there by God's sovereign appointment. We do not necessarily know why God makes the appointments that he makes. That may not be for us to know. It may be for a time of great chastisement, it might be for a time of great blessings. We have no idea. But God is the one who is sovereign over kings and rulers…I have no idea what purpose there is in [having this specific leader], but God is the Ruler yet. And so because of that we pray for those that are over us, and as we have already seen many times, we should not be surprised when there is opposition, hostility, or even persecution. But sometimes God uses godless rulers to bless his people. Sometimes God uses the treasury of Persia to pay for a temple in Jerusalem.1
Brian Borgman
10 that they may offer pleasing sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons.