Lord, we are so thankful that we live in a country, the most powerful country in the world, and yet governmental powers are regularly transferred peacefully. We thank You that this has been the case today.
And Lord, there is much work ahead. Our total national debt has approached a staggering $20 trillion. Our nation is as divided as it has ever been on a multitude of fronts. While abortion totals continue to decline we are still a nation that allows infanticide that is protected under the laws on our books. Law-enforcement officers have regularly become targets of murderers. Our nation has tiptoed around the growing threat of rogue nations and groups such as Iran and ISIS. And this list could keep going, and going, and going.
And so we desire to comply with Your Word, Lord. You have told us in Romans 13:1 to submit to our governmental leaders. You have also told us in 1 Timothy 2:1-2 to pray for our governmental leaders. These commands are given regardless of who is in office and regardless of their moral character, regardless of the sins that are so well known and regardless of their refusal to repent. So, we commit, right here and now, because of Your command, to submit to our President’s authority and pray for him, Lord.
Yet, there is the tendency, Lord, to assume that the answer is found in the White House. But our problems are not essentially legislative and policy oriented. While we need men and women of character to lead our nation and to write and enforce just laws, the problem is ultimately a heart issue. If the citizens of our divided nation don’t have a change of heart, people will just continue to get angrier and angrier.
What we need is a good old fashioned national revival, Lord. And movements like this have never originated in the White House – they have always tended to start in the church house.
And so while we pray for our new President and ask that You would protect him and guide him, we also pray that You would awaken Your church in America. May men and women who profess to be Christians get as excited about following Jesus as they have been about politics. May we see a fresh awakening where large groups of people are once again convicted of sin and brought into a life-changing, heart-changing relationship with You.
Only then, Lord, can we truly say that America will be great.
And so as we pray for our President, and as we pray for the state of our churches, we pray that Your people who are called by Your name (those of us who are Christians), will humble ourselves, and pray and seek Your face and turn from our wicked ways. Only then will You, who are in Heaven, hear us and forgive us and heal our land.
In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.
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