Prayer for America
Father, thank You for the United States and its government. I pray for the president, the national and local government, the judges, the policemen, the business leaders and all those who are in leadership positions in this country. Please protect them from the evil that is in the world and keep them safe and free from all harm.
You have promised to bless any nation that follows after You. Help us to live quiet and peaceful lives so that we can continue to spread the Good News of the Gospel.
Father, thank You for the United States and its government. I pray for the president, the national and local government, the judges, the policemen, the business leaders and all those who are in leadership positions in this country. Please protect them from the evil that is in the world and keep them safe and free from all harm.
You have promised to bless any nation that follows after You. Help us to live quiet and peaceful lives so that we can continue to spread the Good News of the Gospel throughout our land. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Insights Into Prayer
What Does the Bible Tell Us About How to Pray?
Jesus shares some tremendous insight regarding how to pray to God in Matthew 6:5-13.
“And now about prayer. When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I assure you, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father secretly. Then your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you.”
“When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think prayers are answered only by repeating words over and over again. Don’t be like them, because your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done here on earth, just as it is in heaven. Give us our food for today, and forgive us our sins, just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
In the above verses, Jesus shares how not to pray.
Verse 5: We are to pray in secret, not the way people did in His day — praying out loud publicly, primarily to just be seen, and heard.
Verse 6: Jesus asks us to go to a private place since our Heavenly Father already knows what we are going to pray about.
Verse 7: Jesus tells us not to ramble on and on, as people of other religions do, or be repetitious with words. God, our heavenly Father, would have us be specific about our prayer.
Verse 8: Jesus reiterates that the believer is not to pray repetitiously like the heathen.
Next, Jesus, teaches us how to pray.
Verse 9: Jesus says we should give honor to God and His name.
Verse 10: We are to pray for His Kingdom to come, and for His will to be done, that there would be a heavenly or godly presence here on earth.
Verse 11: We are to pray for daily provision.
Verse 12: We are to pray and ask for forgiveness for our sins, and for others who have wronged us.
Verse 13: We are to pray and ask God to keep us from being tempted, and to deliver us from Satan and his power.
Other New Testament writers describe other ways to pray.
Paul, in Philippians 4:6, says that we should pray for everything with thanksgiving. Paul, who wrote several books of the New Testament, often began and ended his letters in prayer for the saints. Specifically, Paul prays for God’s grace, peace, love, and faith among believers.
Peter, in 1 Peter 5:7, exhorts us to cast all our care upon God, because He cares about us. In verse 8, Peter warns us that Satan seeks to devour the believer.
James 1:5 says we can pray and ask God for wisdom, but this should be done in faith. James 4:1-4 says that when we pray, we often pray or ask out of our own selfish ambition. James 4:15 exhorts that we need to pray for God’s will to be done in our lives.
In the Old Testament, Moses prayed to God almost constantly on behalf of the Israelites — for God’s mercy and graciousness in dealing with their sins. Abraham prayed persistently for his relative Lot, who lived in Sodom, that God would spare Him. 2 Chronicles 14:11 says Asa cried out to the Lord. Prophet Jeremiah prayed for God’s guidance and correction of the Israelites (Jeremiah 10:23-24). David prayed for the peace of Jerusalem in Psalm 122:6.
The protocol on how to pray covers several ways of prayer. The primary focus of prayer is the intent. Does the prayer honor God and exalt His name? What is the purpose behind the prayer? Is it personal gain or ambition? Do you pray for others to be blessed and encouraged? Are your prayers done in secret and in humility? Are your prayers focused on obtaining godly wisdom, counsel, and direction? God is pleased with these prayers and answers them.
How often are we to pray? The Bible says pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). What should we pray for? What if we do not know how to pray? The Bible says the Holy Spirit will help us pray (Romans 8:26-27).
How do we pray to God? Prayer is essentially putting your request, concern, or issue before the Lord, and trusting Him to answer them.
Matthew 18:3 says we need to pray with the heart of little children, simple, reverent, specific, and trusting.
Here is a second prayer guide from www.2heartsnetwork.org/america.
Prayer for Wise Governance
Heavenly Father, we give thanks for the democracy alive in our country and for the freedom to worship You.
Help the elected government and all in positions of power and authority to govern wisely and for the common
good of all. Amen.
~~ Harvey Barnes
O Jesus, in Your Holy Name, I lift up our president to You. I know that our leader’s heart is in Your Hand, so I ask You to guide the head of our nation in the way You would have him go. Lord, I pray that You would surround our president with wise counsel–men and women of moral integrity who place Your agenda and the good of this great nation above their own and whose motives are for that which is right.
I pray that You would give our leader discernment, understanding, and knowledge so that our country may know stability internally and abroad. I give You thanks for our president according to Your Word, and thank You for working in and through his leadership so that we might lead peaceable lives in godliness and honesty. Amen.
Dear Heavenly Father, I come to You in the mighty name of Jesus, thanking You and praising You for our great nation. I thank You for the plan You gave to our forefathers by which to govern our nation and for the division of powers so that our destiny does not rest in the hands of one person.
In praying for those in authority, I therefore lift up our Congress and Senate to You. I pray that by Your Holy Power, our legislative bodies would make laws that are just.
Father, I ask You to give them wisdom to make decisions that would strengthen and prosper our nation. I desire that they would make right decisions concerning the politics, the social welfare, and the economics of our country. I pray that they will be motivated by Your Hand and not their own personal concerns. Amen.
Decisions in Times of National Crisis
O Lord, I humbly pray that You direct the leaders of this great nation now in this time of crisis. Grant them wisdom and understanding, and help them to respond quickly and effectively to this situation. Direct them that they may do what is right in Your sight. May they follow Your Divine Will to lead our nation on the paths of peace and safety.
Unite all response agencies in an organized and harmonious fashion to bring quick and effective resolve to the demands of this crisis. Empower us as United States citizens to do our own part, financially, physically, emotionally, and spiritually to support all who have been affected by this tragedy.
O Lord, I pray that You encourage and strengthen our nation. Surround us with Your Love and Mercy! Bring peace and comfort to all those who are suffering as a result of this crisis. In Jesus’ Holy Name. Amen.
O God, I pray in the Name of Your Son, Jesus, for our country’s economy. I know that even more than a strong military, a strong economy helps keep a nation powerful. Father, I ask that You would raise up people of skill and wisdom who will affect our financial future. Give them inspired ideas and a voice with the powers that be. Cause Congress to vote aright in these matters. Give them foresight so that provision might be made for our nation’s future, not just its present.
Father, as the people continue to finance the spread of Your Word and help the poor all over the world, I pray that You would continue to prosper us more and more so that we may continue to assist others less fortunate, in this country and across the globe. Amen.
For our Supreme Court Justices
O Lord, I bring our Supreme Court Justices before You. Knowing that they are appointed by man, I pray that You will influence the selection of each new replacement. Guide them to choose people who will judge morally in every matter brought before them.
As our Justices make their decisions, I pray that their decrees are in accord with Your Will, not that of man. Help them set a standard of justice and balance for the judicial office at large, not only on a national level, but for every adjudicator in our nation. Amen.
O my Jesus, I pray for the international relations of my nation, because our global influence has allowed us into other countries to spread Your Holy Word in the past. I pray that those You raise up would give favor and offer safety to the missionaries in their respective nations.
Raise up wise men and women to fill our diplomatic corps, persons of skill, morals, and understanding in foreign affairs and in the affairs of state. Grant safety to our embassy personnel in every foreign land so they will be able to maintain good relations in their posts, and so that even our enemies will be at peace with them. I ask that Your Hand would be with our diplomats to such a degree that even the most fanatical of our enemies would fear attacking our embassies and their personnel. Rather, Lord, let our enemies begin to see the United States as an ensign of peace to the world and realize that living in peace is preferable to living in fear and bondage.
Send Your Holy Spirit to alert our personnel of any potential attacks, and give them the power to quell them before they happen. Keep them always in the safety of Your Arms. Amen.
O Heavenly Father, I know that the spirit of worldliness can creep into the Body of Christ very subtly, and before we know it, we can so easily be led astray. I pray You send Your Holy Spirit upon us, so that a moral, Christian voice can be heard and heeded by our leaders and the media. Cause us, as Christians, to become the standard bearers to such a degree that we can profoundly affect the morality of this nation. Turn our people’s hearts to You. Open our eyes that we may see the error of our ways. Gather all Christians, Catholic and Protestant, together so that we form a united front against the wickedness and snares of the devil. Disarm the evildoers, leaving them powerless and not in control of our great nation. Inspire our media–television, newscasters, reporters, filmmakers, and celebrities–to promote a truly moral social justice and morally righteous entertainment and fashion. Be our strength when we are tempted to succumb to worldy things and ways. Help us to lead our lives all for the greater honor and glory of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear Father, I realize that racial enmity came as a result of the Fall. Truly, we do not even know the ethnicity of Adam, except that he was Your creation, a child of God. It is from his seed that all humanity proceeded. I pray that there would be such a move of Your Spirit in our nation that our oneness is Jesus Christ would positively influence relations between races. I desire that this begin in the Body of Christ and spread throughout every community in our country. May it affect every ethnic group and cross every racial barrier. I pray that when we look at those from another culture, we won’t see them as people of another color, but that we will see them through the eyes of love as You see them–as people created in Your own image. Remind us all of the Golden Rule. Let us embrace one another as members of the one Body of Christ. Amen.