This verse declares that the Lord has the power to override the will of leaders, if necessary, for the benefit of His people. When we pray for those in leadership over us, whether they are saved or unsaved, God can and will influence their hearts, especially where it involves us. Sometimes the weight of responsibility and the pressures of leadership can cause the heart of a leader to become hardened and callous. Even a man of God can find himself so distracted by solving problems and averting crises, that his heart become unresponsive to hearing what is best for the people he is responsible to be over. Ezekiel 36:26 says God is well able to transform that heart and cause it to become sensitive to His voice again. Throughout the Bible we see examples of how God was able to awaken the hearts of even the most powerful kings to hear from Him, to serve the purpose of His people. In 538BC, the Lord moved the heart of King Cyrus of Persia to allow the Hebrew captives to return to Jerusalem to rebuild their temple. This is the edict he wrote: “This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build Him a Temple at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Any of you who are His people may go there for this task. And may the LORD your God be with you!” (2 Chronicles 36:23). In the year 444BC, while Nehemiah was in captivity in Persia, God touched the heart of King Artaxerxes. He gave Nehemiah permission to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. He even gave him protection for the journey and building supplies to get the job done! (Nehemiah 2). God will change the heart of leaders to make sure His children are taken care of, and His purpose is fulfilled. Instead of complaining or being disheartened by the condition of a leader’s heart – go before the Lord and pray for Him to direct their heart to hear His voice and respond to it. The Lord will always answer our prayers when we come before Him in faith, trusting Him to move in the heart of the person who’s decisions directly affect us. He has the track record to prove it.