A Prayer for Our Nation

“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).

Heavenly Father, the hearts of many are heavy today with grief from senseless acts of violence that are plaguing our country. School shootings as recent as yesterday in Colorado, and abhorrent murders, such as the assassination of Charlie Kirk, have cut short the lives of innocent men, women, and children.

Hatred and desperation are dividing our great nation, and it has become more than we can bear. As we also remember those affected by the tragedy of 9/11, today we lift our hearts to heaven and ask that You heal our land from the pain of polarization that is tearing at the very seams of our country.

God, we ask that You would help us to stand in this hour, not with a spirit of retaliation or retribution, but in a spirit of peace that points the broken to Your redemptive love. Help us to remember that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of evil.

Where there is hatred, bring love. Where there is fear, bring comfort. Where there is division, bring unity. Where there is confusion, bring truth. May Your radiant light shine on us in this dark hour; may it penetrate the darkest corners of our society.

Grant us wisdom to know when to speak and when to listen. Grant us boldness to stand for truth, and courage to uphold righteousness. Use us to bind up the brokenhearted and to proclaim freedom to those held captive by anger, hatred, and fear.

Today, our hearts cry out with the psalmist’s words, “Heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in deep anguish. How long, Lord, how long” (Psalm 6:2-3).

May your grace and mercy be extended to us all. May we experience the hope and healing that only You can bring. Even though we stand with our hearts broken and grieved, we know that Your love never fails, Your purposes always prevail, and Your kingdom will soon come on earth as it is in heaven.

In Your mighty and precious name we pray, Amen.

IMAGE: Noah Wulf, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Doug Clay

General Superintendent

The General Council of the Assemblies of God

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