Day 7 (11/3)
Pray for the Purposes of God to Be Accomplished
Jesus taught us to pray, “Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven.” As we pray for our national elections, we recognize that we must set aside our own desires and seek the desires of God. What we really desire is that to every extent possible, God’s purposes will be achieved in and through our nation.
Pray today for God’s purposes to be accomplished, that:
- People will take a stand for righteousness and peace in our land
- We will become a people of justice, who love mercy and who walk humbly with God
- We will love God with heart, soul, mind and strength and our neighbor as ourselves.
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Day 1 (10/27)
Pray for the Church
The church is often relegated to the sidelines, considered irrelevant, out of touch and hypocritical. Though we sometimes deserve that critique, God has a completely different perspective on who God’s people are to be and how we are to function.
In Ephesians 3:10, the Apostle Paul writes, His [God’s] intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known…. Though seemingly powerless in the eyes of the world, the Church – through justice, righteousness, prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit – releases the wisdom of God into any and every culture.
Pray today for the Church, that:
- Our eyes will be opened to see the hope to which we were called
- We will experience in a fresh, new way the presence of the living and loving Christ
- We will be given the faith to believe that our votes will make a difference
- A spirit of repentance and humility will be poured out upon the people of God.
Day 2 (10/28)
Pray for the Voters
The Great American Experiment in representative government for more than 200 years has depended upon voter involvement. From the very beginning of our nation, there has been debate on who should be allowed the privilege of casting a vote to select our governmental leaders. Our affirmation of human rights regardless of gender, race or economic status has increasingly opened the ballot box to all citizens, 18 years of age or older. But efforts to suppress the legitimate right to vote of some remains an active threat to our democracy.
Pray today for voters that:
- Wisdom will be sought from God
- Self-interest will be laid aside for the common good
- Discernment between truth and falsehood will be clear
- Everyone eligible to vote will be able to cast a ballot and that their vote will be counted.
Day 3 (10/29)
Pray for the Candidates
In the early years of our nation, it was thought in bad taste to be seen wanting an office, much less campaigning for it. Things have changed. Now candidates for public office, especially at higher levels, put themselves and their families through a rigorous process that brings every aspect of their lives into public view. In addition, the amount of money that must be raised in order to run for office is staggering. It costs hundreds of millions of dollars to become and remain a U.S. Senator and the cost of running for President is now one billion dollars. Candidates are susceptible to enormous pressure if they want to be elected and keep their jobs.
Pray today for our candidates for office that:
- They will take courageous stands for justice and righteousness
- In the face of enormous pressure, they will surround themselves with godly advisors and persons who will “speak truth to power”
- They will focus on the issues we face as a nation and not on personal attacks on other candidates
- Their families will be protected from harm and unnecessary scrutiny.
Day 4 (10/30)
Pray for the Media
In our day of 24-hour news coverage, the media have taken on a huge role in our election process. Handling media correctly sometimes seems to take precedence in a campaign over actually dealing with issues. Some media outlets often forget their role of informing and reporting and have become endorsers and supporters. In addition, social media can and does spread misinformation which makes it difficult to discern what the truth is.
Pray today for the media that:
- Truth in reporting and election coverage will become a high value.
- All sides of an issue will receive fair coverage
- Hope, rather than despair and fear, will be part of the message.
Day 5 (10/31)
Pray for Civility
The political polarization of our society has now reached a new and dangerous level. Honest disagreements over policy issues have turned into vitriolic rage against political opponents. Truth and civility are too important to lose. Too often Christians have reflected the political divisions of our culture rather than the unity we have in the body of Christ. The Apostle Paul writes to the Ephesians telling them (and us) to put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. – Ephesians 4:31-32.
Pray today for civility in our public and private discourse that:
- Reflects the spirit of the scriptures: “be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry” (James 1:19)
- The respect we owe to God will be reflected in the respect we show to each other
- When we disagree, we will do so respectfully, without falsely attacking the other’s motives or character
- We will be mindful of how we treat each other in our shared pursuit of the common good.
Day 6 (11/2)
Pray for the Impact on the Nations
We live today, in a global village. What happens in one country affects the people of other countries. The individuals who hold the highest offices in our land make decisions every day that impact the rest of the world. Whether those decisions help or harm the people of the world is largely determined by the choices that we make at the polls.
Pray today for the election and its impact on the world, that:
- Voters will consider the foreign policies of candidates and how those policies impact the truth that all people are created in the image of God and are of absolute worth
- The activities of other nations will not have an undue influence on our elections
- Even in the face of inevitable conflict, our elected officials will see all nations as part of a global community in which we all have something to contribute to our common good.
Day 6 (11/2)
Pray for the Impact on the Nations
We live today, in a global village. What happens in one country affects the people of other countries. The individuals who hold the highest offices in our land make decisions every day that impact the rest of the world. Whether those decisions help or harm the people of the world is largely determined by the choices that we make at the polls.
Pray today for the election and its impact on the world, that:
- Voters will consider the foreign policies of candidates and how those policies impact the truth that all people are created in the image of God and are of absolute worth
- The activities of other nations will not have an undue influence on our elections
- Even in the face of inevitable conflict, our elected officials will see all nations as part of a global community in which we all have something to contribute to our common good.
Compiled by Pastor Don Deena Johnson
Resources:
Dave Butts: “How to Pray for Elections”
Jim Wallis: On God’s Side
