A Dozen Ways to Pray for Our Nation, and beyond, on this National Day of Prayer
1. Government Leaders – Federal, State, Cleveland County, City of Shelby. Pray for wisdom and integrity as they propose action and provide genuine “states-person-ship” that lifts us above the partisan divides and into the embrace of the diversity that e pluribus unum expects.
2. Military Personnel who serve our nation with courage and perseverance. As they serve in “harm’s way” around the globe, pray for trust in the Lord’s presence to bear them up and for wise leaders to instruct their steps.
3. Unity of Hearts in a very politicized and divided nation. Pray for those who represent varied points of view to embrace the wisdom of knowing theirs is but “one” point of view in the debates of our day. Ask God to help us be willing to learn from one another.
4. Business Leaders and small business owners. Pray for the interaction of leaders throughout our land who are trying to sort out the way forward in these difficult days. Pray for endurance for those who are struggling today.
5. Education Leaders who encourage our children. Pray for students who were unable to finish the year face-to-face and complete their tasks as they had planned and graduate together. Pray for educational leaders as they strategize about the next steps that will be needed into the Fall.
6. Revival in the churches across our nation. Lift up the Church of the Lord Jesus across our nation and around the world. These are hard times, and yet, the scripture is clear that the Kingdom of God will continue to make His difference in the world in an “unhindered” way! Pray for wisdom that will help leaders, both lay and clergy, to envision new and creative ways to “go into all the world and make disciples.”
7. “Can’t we be their neighbors?” With Mr. Roger’s song in our ears, let’s offer prayers for people of varied faith traditions to lead in public discourse toward the care and encouragement of neighbors near and far. May God move us toward each other with love and compassion that can help heal the pains we feel from worldwide pandemic and animosity.
8. Families in our community and across our nation. Pray for the relationships of parents and children as they mutually encourage one another along life’s journey from the cradle to the senior years. Pray for the Lord’s guidance to help families to embrace the call to reach out in hospitality to others in their neighborhoods even as they join together to worship the Lord!
9. Crisis Intervention 2020. During these days of global pandemic, pray for the researchers in the labs who are searching for a vaccine for the coronavirus COVID-19. Pray for individual Americans to do their part in combating the spread. Lift up health care workers who are constantly at risk as they care for the sick in hospitals across our nation. For those in varied industries whose work impacts us all – front line caregivers, emergency personnel, law enforcement, food producers and suppliers, etc. – pray for the Lord’s strength to help them know how valuable they are AND to help them not be overcome by the pressures of every day, these days!
10. Individual citizens of our nation. During these days of separation and pandemic threat, we are all facing the stress of what many call “new normal” and yet we can’t actually see the normality yet. Pray, therefore, for the strength of heart to not give up when we feel down BUT to look up to the Lord to see us through!
11. Global neighbors around the world. If there was ever a time to move beyond the egocentrism that can so easily dominate the way we think through problems, now is the time, when the whole world is combating the same problem simultaneously. When you hear a story in the news today from another part of the globe, pause a moment and pray for the peoples of that country.
12. Light of Life. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Pray today for our leaders, our neighbors, our families, our friends, our enemies, and our stubborn hearts, to know the light of life that comes to bear us up as we follow Jesus, the definitive self-revelation of God (Hebrews 1:1-3).