A Prayer for America

Today is the national day of prayer. I assume that if you are a Bible believing, Jesus-follower you often pray for our nation and its leaders, not just today but periodically as the Holy Spirit leads you. Whether you agree with our government our not, Romans 13 commands us to be good citizens, subject to the state's authority (so long as we are not called to violate God's higher law). While there is much going on in Washington DC that I find repulsive and contrary to my faith, the least I can do is pray for our leaders to meet the King of Kings. For until Christ rules in the hearts of men, then any form of government will be nothing more than sinful men rotating seats every few years. Moreover, I know that there will be no perfect form of government until Jesus--the Prince of Peace--returns and makes the lion to lay down with the lamb (Psalm 2, Isaiah 11).

I don't normally do this, but I decided to write a prayer of repentance for our nation today. If you are participating in the national day of prayer and you want to pray this prayer with me you are free to borrow, adapt, share, etc. Despite the mess America is in, I still believe this is a great nation and that its not too late to see our hearts turned back to God.

Heavenly Father,

Etched in nickel and copper our coinage bears the phrase “In God we trust.” We cross our hearts when we pledge allegiance to the flag and end with “…one nation under God.” The documents which framed this nation have your name written on them. Many of our national monuments have your words chiseled in stone. Yet over the decades America has turned its back on you and we do not live up to the high and lofty principles that we preach.

The courts and judges have legalized what you call evil. Over the years we have killed more unborn babies than the gas chambers of Auschwitz and we called it pro-choice. The universities and colleges have stamped out our need for you with man-made philosophy. As a result we have concluded that mankind is random collection of atoms hurdling through space with no purpose or meaning. Why should be surprised that our children act like beasts when we have told them that’s what they really are—trousered apes. The political leaders do not serve the people, but have corrupted every system of government. Our banks and financial sector have fallen victim to greed and now we are buried in billions of dollars of debt. You told us to not to put your hope in riches that are so uncertain and now as people lose their jobs, homes and retirements they have nowhere else to turn.

You called homosexuality an abomination, but we have shrugged our shoulders and thought “As long as they aren’t hurting anyone else we should let them have their alternative lifestyle.” You told us to beware of sexual immorality, but now we have it pumped into our homes at the speed of light and we gladly pay a monthly service fee for it. Even the church has become a shadow of its former glory. Christians are so busy and distracted with chasing after worldly pleasures that we make clever excuses for not being there when the doors are open. We don’t love your Word as much as we love the newest i-gadget. Meanwhile, our brothers and sisters around the world are dying in the streets for their faith and we don’t have the courage to talk to our neighbor about Jesus. The family is going extinct and fathers are shirking their responsibilities. God we are utterly destitute morally and utterly bankrupt spiritually.

Lord, you gave us ample time to turn back from our wicked ways. When the Twin Towers collapsed we should have got the message that we are not invincible, but we soon forgot the pain of 9/11. When Katrina nearly wiped an entire city of the map we should have taken notice. When the economy crumbled and people lost their jobs we should have listened to the warning call you were giving.
God we have sinned against you and now we are paying for it. The foundation of our nation is being eroded from under our own feet and we are to blame. Our freedom is gradually being taken away because of ignorance and apathy. God break our hearts once again. Drive this nation to its knees by any means necessary so that we will repent of our sins before it’s too late. Take us to the foot of the Cross where we must plead the blood of Jesus Christ. Restore our families back to loving homes, our courts to bastions of justice and our schools to places of truth.

Your Word says, “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” God, that is our desperate cry today. If you were totally just and gave what we deserved then we end up in a mushroom cloud. But Lord you are patient and you take no pleasure in the death of the wicked. You spared wicked Nineveh and caused a great revival in that land. We are no different. America needs the mighty wind of your Spirit to blow across this country—from Pennsylvania Avenue to Santa Monica Boulevard, from the White House to my house.

But it begins in the hearts of the people who are called by your name. We cannot see revival abroad, until the church gets right with you. God convict us of our sins, callousness and spiritual lethargy. Free us from the things which so easily entangle us and prevent us from loving you with all our hearts. Prosperity is a blessing and a curse. If you have to take material things from us to shock us into reality then let it be so.

Lord we know you can do miracles. You led slaves out of slavery, built temples out of ruins, turned
stormy waves into a glassy pond and water into sweet wine. This chaos awaits your order to be imposed upon it. Let America return to be the shining light on the hill that it once was. Family by family, may our civilization be turned back to You and Your errorless Word.

Jesus we anxiously await the Rapture to free us from the tyranny of this world, but we also realize that every day you terry is another chance to see someone be saved. Until the day you return for the church, or we are called home by way of death, may we be found busy working for you, sowing the Gospel seed and raising our families to fear You. Amen.