Written by Dr. Rob Rienow

The recent election season has revealed in dramatic fashion the divisions, spiritual struggles, and confusion in our nation. While believers are called to do all in our power to shape our nation and culture through word and deed, perhaps our most important work is in prayer. I hope these brief prayer “focus areas” will encourage and accelerate your ministry of prayer during this vital moment in our history.

A Prayer of Repentance (2 Chron. 7:14, Deut. 12:8, Ps. 139, 2 Pet. 1:5) 

Lord, we humble ourselves before you. We acknowledge that there is no one who is righteous, not even one.

• We confess our sins, both personally and nationally, of doing what is right in our own eyes, while we neglect the truth of your Word.
• We confess, personally and nationally, that we have not valued and sought to protect the rights and dignity of each individual person, born and unborn.
• We confess that we have looked to human governments and human leaders to meet our needs, rather than you.
• We confess, as followers of Christ, that we have allowed political divisions to divide our relationships with our brothers and sisters in the church.
• We confess, as followers of Christ, that we have often lacked the courage and compassion to share the Gospel with those who are lost.

A Prayer of Spiritual Warfare (John 8:44, Eph. 6:10-18, James 4:7)

Heavenly Father, your Word tells us that our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. As your children, we pray against the demonic forces seeking to destroy our nation through hatred, racism, addiction, dependence, violence, and sensuality.

• We pray against the devil, who is a liar and the father of lies, who comes only to steal, kill and destroy.
• We pray against his lies that we are not created in the image of God; that you did not create male and female as unique, beautiful, and distinct; and that you did not create one human race.
• We pray against the lies of destructive sexuality, demonic racism, and godless evolution which rob life of meaning and dignity.
• We pray against those who stand in opposition to you and the truth of your Word. For the sake of your love, justice, and compassion, we pray that you bring them to repent of their sins and put their faith in Christ. If they do not turn from their evil, remove them from all places of influence and power in our nation.
• We pray that you would send your angels to engage in this spiritual battle for the strengthening of your people and for the glory of your Son.

A Prayer for Our President (Daniel 2:21, Romans 13)

Lord, we acknowledge that you are the one who gives and takes away all human authority and leadership. You have chosen President Trump for our nation at this time.

• First, we pray for his relationship with you. If he has not repented of his sins and trusted Jesus alone for salvation, cover him with your grace and give him the gift of faith so that he would be born again, and become a new creation in Christ.
• Give him wisdom beyond himself, wisdom that is rooted in your Word, so that he would lead with justice and compassion.
• Surround him with godly, faithful, Christian men and women who will support him in doing what is right and never what is wrong.
• To the degree that he leads well and makes decisions for the good of the nation, strengthen him, encourage him, and protect him against all his many adversaries. 

The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:10) 

Heavenly Father, your Son taught us to pray by saying, “your will be done on Earth, as it is in Heaven.” We desire to see your will done throughout our nation, for the good of the people, and for your glory.

• We pray for your will to be done in saving babies from abortion. Two hundred years ago, many in our nation approved of slavery. Today in our nation, after hundreds of thousands of Christians rose up to abolish slavery, there is universal hatred for that great evil. Let the day come quickly in our land where there is universal hatred for the killing of innocent children in the womb.
• We pray against the growing spirit of racial hatred and division. Let our whole nation embrace your truth that you created only one race, the human race, and that it is evil and unjust to make decisions, judgments and policies about any other person or group based on the color of their skin.
• We pray for your will to be done in preserving religious freedom for every citizen. We thank you that we do not yet see the level of persecution of Christians in our country as we see in many other parts of the world. At the same time, we see these freedoms under attack and so we ask that you would protect the freedom for all to worship and live out their faith.
• We pray that you would uphold and honor your creations of marriage and the family. We pray against all those who would seek to confuse the next generation about their sexuality. We pray for a growing culture of godly manhood and womanhood, faithful marriages, and parents and grandparents who passionately seek to pass faith and character to their children.

Pray for the Gospel to Advance (Matthew 28:18-20, Romans 1:16) 

Heavenly Father, while this world is not our home, you have given us Kingdom work to do here as your servants. Our hope is not in politics, governments, or any human power. Our hope is in you alone, and our eternal destination is Heaven, the New Earth, where the government will be upon your shoulders.

• In the midst of this national turbulence, give your people a supernatural boldness to speak your truth and share your Gospel in private and in public.
• Fill us with your Holy Spirit so that we would not shrink back out of fear, anxiety, or embarrassment. Let us never be ashamed of the Gospel message!
• Help us be good stewards of the responsibilities that come with self-government. May we faithfully serve you as individual men and women, in the care and leadership of our families and churches, and work to preserve God’s blessing of political freedom for our children and grandchildren.
• Strengthen pastors around the nation to equip their congregations with the whole counsel of God, and fearlessly and prophetically speak out for justice, compassion, and righteousness in the public square.
• In our nation’s past history, you sent your Holy Spirit to accelerate massive spiritual revivals. Thousands upon thousands repented of their sins, were born again in Jesus Christ, and then blessed their communities with the light and love of their faith in God. Bring revival again to our nation, for the blessing of the world, and for your glory.

***Dr. Rob Rienow is the founder of Visionary Family Ministries (www.VisionaryFam.com) and serves as one of the pastors at Gospel Fellowship Church in Wheaton, IL (www.gfc1.org)