Praying for our Country (Free Printable)
Today is Flag Day. Flag Day commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States by the Second Continental Congress in 1777. Whether you celebrate such occasions by sending up the Stars and Stripes or not, I hope you’ll send up a prayer for our country. And not just on national holidays.
America needs prayer. She needs it now more than ever. We all do.
But God has promised,
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” – 2 Chronicles 7:14
Won’t you join me in praying for our country?
Here’s my prayer. If you’d like to make it yours, as well, click on the following image for a free printable copy of this guide. To read the supporting Scriptures, click on the linked verses in the post below.
Praying for Our Country
C is for Conviction of Sin
God, open our eyes to personal and corporate sin and call us out of darkness into light. Don’t to abandon us to wrong thinking, but forgive us and cleanse us and break the chains that bind us. Give us the strength and willpower to forsake, repent, and turn completely away from the sin that entangles and enslaves us. Enable us to live as servants of righteousness instead. (Acts 26:18, Romans 1:28, 1 Kings 8:50, Psalm 51:2, , Isaiah 58:6, Isaiah 55:7, 2 Corinthians 7:9-10, Hebrews 12:1, Romans 6:18)
O is for an Outpouring of God’s Spirit
LORD, we ask you to revive our hearts and draw us unto Yourself. Fill us with Your Spirit, that we mayspeak the Word boldly and with such authority that others would recognize we have been with Jesus. Empower us to walk in Your presence, according to Your calling. May we dedicate ourselves to the good works You’ve prepared beforehand for us to do. (Psalm 80:18,John 6:44, Acts 4:31, Titus 2:15, Acts 4:13, Psalm 140:13, 2 Timothy 1:9, Ephesians 2:10)
U is for Understanding and Wisdom
God, grant us an extra measure of wisdom. Fill us with knowledge and understanding and discernment. Let us see things as You see them, so that we will stop calling good “evil” and evil “good.” Help us to center our minds on what is true and right and noble and pure and lovely. (James 1:5, Philippians 1:9, Psalm 119:125, 2 Kings 6:17, Isaiah 5:20, Philippians 4:8)
N is for News You can Use
LORD, raise up an army of journalists, reporters, and newscasters who are more concerned with proclaiming truth than with pushing politically-correct propaganda or propping up ratings. Please break our country’s addiction to celebrity gossip and sensationalized accounts of current events. Teach us instead to use the news, not as entertainment, but as motiviation to pray and to make a difference in our world for good. (1 Corinthians 13:6, Proverbs 22:21, Galatians 1:10, Exodus 23:1-2, Proverbs 16:28, 2 Thessalonians 3:11, Colossians 4:2-3, Matthew 25:35-36)
T is for the Truth to Prevail
God, we pray that truth would be spoken in love, that it would be proclaimed, not only over our newswires, but in our homes, in our churches, in our schools, and in our courtrooms, as well. May parents guide their children in the truth. Pastors and teachers rightly handle the Word of Truth. Judges and juries uphold the truth. And may the Holy Spirit help us discern truth from error. (Ephesians 4:15, 3 John 1:4, Deuteronomy 11:19, 2 Timothy 2:15, Zechariah 8:16, John 16:13, John 8:32)
R is for Righteous Leaders
LORD, we pray for those in authority over us, that they might fulfill the purpose for which You placed them in their current position. May our elected/appointed to office be trustworthy and God-fearing, and may they issue decrees that are just. God, grant wisdom and discernment, both to the elected and to those doing the electing. (1 Timothy 2:2, Romans 13:1, Exodus 18:21, Proverbs 8:15, Daniel 2:21, Acts 1:24)
Y is for Yourself — Where Real Change Starts
LORD, we humble ourselves before YOU and plead for mercy. May whatever work You want to do in this country begin in my own home, in my own heart. Enable me to recognize and address the log in my own eye, rather than focusing my attention on the speck in my brother’s. Deliver us from evil and help us live an exemplary life in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity. (James 4:6, 2 Chronicles 34:27, Luke 6:42, Matthew 6:13, Matthew 6:6, 1 Timothy 4:2)
I know many of my readers are not from the US. I would encourage you to pray for your country and its leaders as well. Other than the clip art, this guide is not specific to America. 🙂
If you’re a US citizen and proud to be so, however, you may be interested in my devotional journal for patriots, God Bless America.
I heard a wonderful debate once by Christian leaders like John Piper and two others. Each one proposed a different scenario. One believed in a pretribulation rapture, another in a mid tribulation rapture, and another in a post tribulation rapture. They each put forth scripture that supported their positions. At the end of the debate I concluded that all three were right! I think you are right in that it is always better to prepare for a worst case scenario. For myself and my family, we are thoroughly prepared for whatever comes. We have stockpiled food and water for a year, and we are prepared to live without electricity if it comes to that. All Christians would be well served to be prepared. It was very kind of you to respond. Thank you and God bless you and your family.
I am not at all happy with the direction America is going. The evil forces behind the attempts to destroy are country are hard at work. Nothing mankind can do is going to prevail against what is happening in Washington, D.C. and in our state legislatures. It is my fervent hope and expectation that God will intervene and save this country and his people until such a time when he removes his remnant from earth in the rapture.
I am with you 100% on your opinion of what is going on in America, Hugh, and am fervently praying God will have mercy on all of us. But my reading of Mark 13:5-27 makes me suspect Christ’s return may be at the end rather than at the beginning of the Great Tribulation. I certainly hope you are right about the pre-trib rapture — and if you are, you are welcome to spend all of eternity telling me “I told you so” – but I’m going to prepare as if I may have to live through it or be martyred in it. That way, if Jesus comes early, I’ll be relieved and pleasantly surprised, but if he doesn’t arrive until the end, I shan’t be disillusioned.
I would like to use your Praying for our Country in our church newsletter, featuring a different letter of “Country” each month, to encourage our people to be praying for our country year round. I wanted to check with you for permission to do this. We have already made the printed guide available.
Sure, Barb. I’d be happy for you to do that. If you’d also include a link to my original post where they can download a free printable copy of the whole prayer, I’d be most grateful.
Jennifer,
I tried clicking the link for the color version and received an error message. Can you check the link or may I have a copy of the color version emailed to me? Thank you!
Sincerely,
Stephanie Gallegos
Thanks so much for alerting me to that broken link, Stephanie. I’ve fixed it now, so others won’t be frustrated, but I also emailed you a copy directly, so you won’t be further inconvenienced.
Our church would like to include your Prayer for My Country in our May newsletter, distributed free to our congregation. We would like to encourage our members to use this on the National Day of Prayer. Would we have permission to do this? Thank you!
Diane Ritzema
Worship Coordinator
Grace Community CRC
Yes, Diane. I’d be delighted for you to share it with your congregation. Just please let them know where they can download extras. 🙂
Thank you,
Well written in a loving & kind spirit.
I certainly join in agreement.
Is it alright to repost ?
Certainly, Judy, but please link to the post and not directly to the pdf file. Thanks!