(Note from Mike: This is a prayer prayed during PTP a few weeks ago. It was prayed by Sam Dilbeck, who preaches for the University congregation in San Marcos. I thought it was one of the finest prayers for our nation that I have ever heard. I sought his permission to share it with you. See last week’s article for the beginning of the prayer).
Oh God and Father,
Oppression also presses on your people from all sides. Selfishness and narcissism corrupt the hearts of our friend and neighbors and even creeps into the hearts of your people. It threatens to tear your church apart and replace it with the deified individual. Temptation abounds twisting your design for love and expression into cheap perversion and pornography. It spoils minds across the nation and around the world destroying lives, homes, and society. Violence and abuse have erupted in many cities and communities throughout the nation robbing us of security. Christians everywhere struggle with how to cope and often live in fear. Rising crime steals not only our possessions, but our peace. Where can the righteous go? To whom do your people turn? From whence comes our help?
LORD, the only answer is you. First, we beg you to secure our hearts. Please hold on to us and do not let our hearts fail. Shore up our faith and trust that it may endure the onslaught of humanity. Continue to give us reason to believe and know you are our God. There is none else beside you. Help our unbelief.
Then, LORD, let our faith secure the house of God, your church. May each of us determine to knit our hearts together in love. Let your church, across the Land and throughout the world unite in love and compassion for one another. Help us stamp out division in our ranks over pettiness and personal squabbling. Let us unite around Christ, for Christ, and through Christ! Help our love hold us together as pride, arrogance, and competition cease in your church. Create in your house the unity of the Spirit and a peace that passes all understanding. Let our light shine to the nation.
Then, LORD, may our strength in unity signal to the lost that salvation is offered fully and freely to everyone. Bring a national revival that sweeps from the lighthouses of Maine to the surfing tides of southern California, from the Sounds to the Keys. Let your word criss-cross this nation sounding out grace, love, faith, and hope to everyone. Let your church lead the way to forgiveness, belonging, and unity. Let the message of your sacrifice infect every heart so all may fear you and walk in your way.
Set our lives as examples, leaders, and teachers pointing every eye toward you. Revival begins with your church. Breathe new life, new desire, new strength into us. Reinvigorate your Spirit in our lives as we determine to do your work and fulfill your mission to save the world.
Finally, let the nation’s leaders, politicians, and people know there are prophets among them. Set them on notice that righteousness exalts a nation. May those who balk be cast aside in favor of those who seek your truth. May those who come to power in the spirit of the devil be cast out. May those who walk by your Spirit begin guiding this nation in the paths of righteousness. May our shared hope spring solely from your grace. Father, in these dark times, help us to hold you up as the light of the world. Please, God, bless America.
In the name of Jesus, Amen.
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