F=Fast from finding fault with groups or organizations in authority
E=(Encourage) Show someone in authority respect
A=Admit that you have rejected advice from others in authority
S=(Scripture) 1 Tim. 2:1-3; 1 Peter 2:13-17; Ephesians 5:1,2
T=Trust God’s authority over you
The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live. (1 Tim 2:1-3; Message Bible)
Make the Master proud of you by being good citizens. Respect the authorities, whatever their level; they are God’s emissaries for keeping order. . . Exercise your freedom by serving God, not by breaking the rules. Treat everyone you meet with dignity. Love your spiritual family. Revere God. Respect the government. (1 Peter 2:13-17; Message Bible)
Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that. (Eph. 5:1,2; Message Bible)
I do not always agree with what my government does, or people in authority, but today I will choose to uphold them in prayer instead of criticism.
ignitionblog.wordpress.com 
Wow, when I first saw this blog entry, and read through the FEAST notations, my mind immediately related this blog to the leadership of our faith community. I came to this blog following perusing a rant by a young adult about how “fed up” he is with our denomination. I can sincerely empathize with his experience, having processed through the angst of my peers and my own concerns during my young adult years.
Reading further through your blog, I see now where you are going, but even there, I can also sense my resonance with citizens that are wanting change and hope.
Thank you for today’s prayers. It is important for me to remain centered while still being an agent of change. May I acknowledge GOD’s omnipotence and humbly offer respect to those who carry the burden of leadership.
this “fast” today hit me as well… how often i easily give in to the urge to criticize those in authority – not just church but my boss, my parents, the government (politics in general), and so many other things. today i will make an effort to be careful not to judge those who have authority over me. i am not in their shoes and thus do not have their perspective. in the same way i must relate to God and accept in surrender to his will without complaining. in some ways this seems like the hardest thing because God is not physical and does not react like my parents would verbally or physically thus I feel freedom to be more critical towards God. hmm – food for thought today.
Lord,
Help me to recognize and respect the authority figures you have placed in my life. Whether authoritative or authoritarian, I desperately need your help to turn toward prayer and turn away for judgement/criticism. Let me be a Joseph and a Daniel. Foster in me a surrender to you that allows me to see the world and its rulers from your point of view. Amen.
I will try to be more faithful not just today–but throughout this FEAST–in praying for our leaders–for my childrens’ school administrators, my churches leaders, our country and other world leaders.
So easy to look at things and find fault, to blame, to resent. How much more beautiful to instead ask myself to hold them up in prayers.
Lord, please bring this to my mind the next time the judgement comes, may I offer prayer instead.
Facebook has opened up a whole new avenue for ranting against the powers that be. I am often amused by the fervor by which some of my “friends” will assassinate leaders in their status updates and various links.
But I am then convicted by GOD of my own armchair quarterbacking, hypothesizing what would it be like if “my party” were in charge — how things would be different if someone else was in office, etc. This conduct is not limited to politics, it has spread to all sorts of places including: church leadership, office drama, sports coaching, and questioning referees [yikes!]. I want to renew my plea for GOD to make me more like Joseph and Daniel in my relationship with authority.
Dear Lord, humble me. Amen.
Exercise your freedom by serving God . . . I love this thought–especially in times like these when it seems easy to “find fault” with leadership. Wonder what could happen if all Gods people would spend a few moments each day lifting world leaders up in prayer!? I can start myself, today. Lord, may I pray instead of judge/criticize and more importantly–may I find their positions of authority worth praying for, daily!! Engulf me in Your FEAST!
It teaches me not to criticize our leaders. They are God’s anointed ones. But sometimes, I tend to forget. I have this human behaviour in me to look at some favoritism…that even some of our churches have this politics kind of dealings. But above all, I pray Lord to pay respect to our church leaders even to the government officials and not just to complain about their leadership…Just teach me to have a Spirit of Servant Leadership like You are.