How to Pray for Evil Rulers

["On Demand" airing. Pre-recorded. Do not call -in] Scripture tells us to pray for our national and regional leaders. In fact, it's rather detailed about how and why to do this. But you sometimes hear this from Christians: "How can I pray for this man who's in office now? I can't stand him, and he's doing a terrible job!"  Yet 2000 years ago, the Apostle Paul writes "Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life ..." (I Tim. 2:1-2) Now in case you're wondering how and why you should pray for our current leaders, and how you can possibly offer God thanks for them, keep in mind who ruled the Roman Empire at the time that Paul wrote this: it was Nero and his appointed henchmen. (You've heard of Nero, haven't you, dear Christian?) Nero was preceded by Claudius and by Emperor Caligula. Look up Caligula on the Internet for some perspective on the evil of our national leaders today. This was the time in which Paul wrote. So what's your verdict, Christian?  Are the Scriptures irrelevant here? Or had St. Paul gone "soft in the head" when he wrote this? How and why should we pray and be thankful for our national leaders today? Tune in and take notes! Your host is Rev. Rick Anderson, on "Jewish Roots", each Thursday at 9:30 pm DST.