A Few Ways to Pray for Our Leaders

• Pray for leaders to speak Truth.

Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who act faithfully are his delight. Proverbs 12:22

• Pray for your leaders to possess righteous character.

One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked leads them astray. Proverbs 12:26

• Pray for our leaders to seek God for Wisdom.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. James 1:5

• Ask the God of Heaven and Earth to be with them as he was with Moses and Joshua when those two men led Israel.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

• Pray for God to give the congressmen and senators who stand for Truth and right the same strength he gave to Jeremiah.

And I, behold, I make you this day a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land. They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, declares the LORD. Jeremiah 1:18,19

Why Pray for All Government Officials?

 God commands us to pray for leaders. 

• First of all then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

           1 Timothy 2:1,2

• When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan. Prov. 29: 2

• Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Our Father in Heaven we pray to you -- the God who is three in one, the One who watches from heaven in love, the God whose very essence is love, the God who commands us to reflect him by loving even our enemies.

Because of your great love, your heart breaks when you see the suffering in our nation from attack, fire and flood. But Lord, our walls have been breached because of our great sins and you have withdrawn your hand of protection. We confess that we have turned from you, Lord, and beg for mercy. We need you! We can’t survive without your protection.

Therefore we, the body of believers who together comprise your church, determine to stand in the gap for our nation by returning to you with repentance, gratitude and pleas for mercy. We will obey your commands. We will praise you openly without fear of the disapproval of others. With our mouths we will declare our love for you and cry out that you are good. Because you alone are God and here is no other, we choose to love and serve you with our whole hearts. We pray this in the name of your Son Jesus. Amen

Bless our God, O peoples; let the sound of his praises be heard. Psalm 66:8

And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land that I should not destroy it, but I found none. Ezekiel 22:30

Boston Marathon Prayer

Holy Spirit, please help us in our distress. Our precious nation has been invaded by evil.
We don’t even know what we should pray or how we should pray. All we can do is bow, palms up, feeling your grief for hurting people. Longing to feel your love. Needing your mercy.

Please pray for us with your groanings that can’t be expressed in words. Plead for us. Plead for our nation. Plead for comfort for today’s victims and their families. For terrified spectators. For citizens traumatized by pictures streaming across television screens. For innocent unsuspecting children.

We confess that we have sinned. Forgive us for turning our backs and waving you off. Please open our eyes to see the path back to you. You are our only hope.

We pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.

Romans 8:26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our distress. For we don’t even know what we should pray for, nor how we should pray. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. NLT

From the book How to be a Praying Mom, by Jeannie St. John Taylor, published by Hendrickson publishers. 

Dear Lord,

     I don’t want my children to be bullies. Give them compassionate hearts that strive to treat others the way they want to be treated. Help them be kind to others – known for their gentle and gracious spirits. Enable them to see the good in other people, but give them sufficient wisdom to eschew the evil around them.

     Protect them from bullies who would see their kindness as weakness and wish to harm them. Protect their bodies from the pain those bullies want to inflict. Protect their spirits and emotions. Help them know how to respond if they are treated badly. Help them endure the hateful words without allowing the accusations to enter their hearts. Let them be examples of Jesus.

     Help them recognize the changing forms bullying can take as they grow older. Make them refuse to make cruel jokes at others’ expense. Keep them from sarcasm and all other put-down language. Make them encouragers whose words delight the people around them.

     I ask these things in Jesus’ name, amen.

Supporting verses

“Be kind to each other.” Ep. 4:32

“Do for others what you would like them to do for you.” Matt. 7:12

Holy God, 

I admit I am powerless over my entrenched habits and addictions and my

only hope for healing and freedom comes from you. You are not simply a nameless higher power. You are the Only God and there is no other god. You are Creator, Jehovah, the I AM, powerful God of the Old Testament, Father of Jesus Christ the Messiah. You are King over all the kings who ever lived.

Yet, because of the death and resurrection of your precious Son Jesus, you allow me to approach you boldly. How incredible! Thank you!

            You are omniscient — you knew me before I was born, you still see everything I do, you know my thoughts. You know how weak I am. You know that I am only dust and prone to wander from you and your ways. I am awestruck that you could know all that  and still love me, but you do.

Thank you!

            You are omnipotent — you can do anything you want. You are the only one who

has the power to take away and forgive my sins. I completely submit myself, my will, to you. Heal me. Transform me into your masterpiece. Teach me your truths as I read the Bible. Send wise friends who can advise me. I am willing to obey you — make me willing to obey you. You have rescued me. I know victory comes through you. I owe you my deepest love and gratitude. Thank you that instead of seeing me as someone unworthy – the way I view myself so often – you treasure me as your beloved child. Because your son lives inside me you impute his righteous to me. Thank you! 

Supporting verses (the majority from the ESV) . . .

“O LORD, you have searched me and known me! You . . . are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.”  Psalm 139:1, 4

“For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.” Psalm 103: 14

 “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Eph. 2:10 NLT

Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

O Father, God Who Forgives and Transforms, 

            Your thoughts are higher than our thoughts and your ways higher than our ways. You see into our minds and hearts. You understand our motives even when we don’t understand our own motives.

            Knowing that you are a God who loves us and wants the best for us, we give you permission to examine our hearts and reveal hidden secrets about ourselves to us. Show us Truth and give us courage to accept the difficult secrets about ourselves we have failed to recognize. Yet at the same time help us overflow with joy as you remind us of ways we’ve acted righteously.

Point out the unrighteous thoughts leading us astray and help us take them captive by replacing them with positive, noble things. Help us forsake the wicked ways you reveal. Show us how to turn from all evil. Send miraculous help. Provide counselors and responsibility partners for those of us who struggle with deep problems. Help all of us to glean insights from your Word. And give us continual overflowing gratitude in the midst of trials.

Jesus, thank you for making a way – by willingly giving your life on the cross -- for us to boldly approach your Father in prayer. We gratefully offer this prayer in your name. Amen.

Supporting verses:

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. For as the rain and snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty; but it shall accomplish all that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55: 9-11

“You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.” Psalm 149: 3,4

“Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God for he will abundantly pardon.” Isaiah 55: 6,7

“Fear not, for you will not be ashamed; be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced; for you will forget the shame of your youth . . . you will remember no more.” Isaiah 54:4