A Prayer for Our Nation

I am praying for our nation today in the same way as I have for all the other previous administrations that my 44-year old mind can recall (Reagan, Bush Sr., Clinton, W. Bush, Obama, and Trump).

Leading is difficult work because we are all human and a strange mix of good, evil, flaws, divided virtues mixed with vice, and because we are all unformed and still learning and growing.

Leading people is hard work. Leading divided people who are hostile to, and distrustful of each other is another matter. Our nation needs Heaven's help to move us to work with each other, trust again, and to develop a vision of peace and prosperity for everyone.

Our leaders need prayer because they need God's help. We must be careful not to idolize them, to not look to them to do only what only God can do. We can and should hold them accountable to be the servant leaders that a nation like ours needs.

I prayed regularly for President Trump and Vice President Pence for wisdom, for godly, virtuous leadership, for repentance for their failures, for wise counselors to surround and protect them and us, for a spirit of cooperation between Rs and Ds, for racism and classism might end and become distant memories, but most of all that their leadership would create peace and prosperity for all Americans and for great peace in our world. I prayed that my own heart, and the hearts of my American neighbors, would not become callous toward their flaws so that I might lovingly continue to hold them up in prayer that God might break through.

As President Biden and Vice President Harris take office I pray the same: that God gives them wisdom, that they would embody godly, virtuous leadership, for repentance when they fail, for wise counselors to surround them, for a spirit of cooperation between Rs and Ds, for racism and classism to end and become distant memories, but most of all that their leadership would create peace and prosperity for all Americans and for great peace in our world. I pray that my own heart, and the hearts of my American neighbors, would not become callous toward their flaws so that we might lovingly continue to hold them up in prayer that God might break through.

I pray for the American people that we would not give up or lose heart in that great vision that this nation can be a tremendous source of peace and prosperity for all of us.

I pray also for the Church of Jesus Christ, that God would restore and revive us that we may not so easily be drawn into the destructive partisan wars that divide the neighbors God has called us to love. May the Lord move our hearts to be servants, to love neighbor and enemy alike, to heal, to be peacemakers, to make our wise prophetic voice heard, to challenge our leaders, to hold them accountable without bitterness or rage, to be a source of great energy that peace and prosperity might be known by every man, woman, and child, to be the hands, feet, eyes, ears, and heart of Jesus, the One who gave His life for His enemies.

And as we stumble along as a nation, as it feels like our prayers are hindered, that prayer is not working, that we should give up and wage war as the world does, I pray God might continue to drive us to our knees. Our help is in you alone O Lord.

In the Name of our only King, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.