The Bible didn’t tell us to talk bad of rulers, it didn’t call us to criticize the people in charge, but it says: ‘Pray for them, because this is good and acceptable in the face of God, our Savior, Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams thinks.
“We are not anointed to attack and criticize those in charge; that’s not my mission,” he said in church on Sunday, April 24, 2022, insisting: “The pulpit is not to attack or criticize authorities; it’s to pray, and if you believe in God, then pray.”
“I exalt, therefore, that first of all supplication, prayers, intercession, and giving of thanks be made for all men irrespective of their religious background; for kings, for all that are in authority, and if we do that, we’ll live a quiet and a peaceable life in all Godliness and honesty,” Archbishop Duncan-Williams said, adding, “That is the only way Godliness and honesty and peace of any country is maintained – when prayers For it is said, ‘Speak no ill of my people’s king.’
Archbishop Duncan-Williams, a preacher for about 45 years, also said that there was a period when a Ghanaian president was displeased with him just because he prayed for the opposition party at the time.
Without going into detail, the founder of Action Chapel International said in his sermon: “There was a period when there was a president in this country; myself and other men of God from outside came and we went to meet him, and he was quite antagonistic toward me” but “kind and pleasant to everyone else.”
“Very aggressive toward me,” he said emphatically, adding that the president “didn’t even recognize me.”
“This is a person I prayed for [for] many years, even while he was against me,” he said.
“I prayed for him; [he] visits me many times; we were that close; he visits me and all that,” Archbishop Duncan-Williams added.
“He was so nasty that when we were leaving his office, I let everyone leave and I asked him, ‘Mr President, what’s going on here?’”
“I didn’t even allow security; I just asked, ‘Mr President, something is wrong; what’s going on?’” ‘I don’t like your demeanor toward me.’ And I replied, ‘Something is wrong.’”
“He answered, ‘You are correct; I am extremely unhappy with you,’ and I said, ‘Talk to me, Mr President; if you are upset, talk.’”
“And he informed me, and I found out that someone in my church who was so very close to me went to defame me, went to lie, and claimed I was praying for the then-opposition,” Archbishop Duncan-Williams stated.
“And I said, ‘Mr President, it is true: I pray for both the opposition and the administration; what is wrong?’” ‘I prayed for you while you were in opposition, so why are you unhappy with me,’ I responded.”
“It’s true: I pray for [the] administration and I pray for [the] opposition.” That is what the Bible instructs us to do. 1 Timothy 2, beginning with verse 1 and ending with verse 4. ‘Yes, it’s true: I prayed for the opposition just as I prayed for you when you were in opposition, so what’s your problem?’
