In a courageous and deeply personal speech on the U.S. House floor, Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina did what many women fear to do: She named names, exposed injustices, and testified to the truth that shaped her life.

Standing firm in faith and conviction and yet shaking as she spoke, she shared her harrowing experience of uncovering and exposing heinous crimes against women, all while drawing strength from God and Scripture. It was hard to listen to and even harder to absorb the reality of her story.

I have found many Scriptures that direct us to pray for the people who are in authority over us. I discovered that when we are obedient to pray for our leaders, we step into a biblical principle that will bring peace to our lives, as well as our family, friends and neighbors.

“I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:1-5 NLT

Leadership is not created in a vacuum. There are decisions that we make every day that prepare us for what lies ahead.

We have a leadership crisis currently in this nation and we must have godly leaders, not only in church ministry, but in every place of influence in our culture.

He was introduced as “the moral leader of our nation.” He spoke at a time when eloquence counted and words mattered. So did morality, conscience, and leadership. These virtues were not yet mocked or dismissed; they were respected and valued. He was just 34 years old.