A Prayer For Our Nation When Electing Its Leaders

 

 

Eternal Father, God everlasting, who has blessed our nation with great leaders in past times, hear our prayer as we call out to You to bless our nation in the coming days as we choose  those who will lead us in the challenging times in which we live.  You have said in Your Word, “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 will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”  Today we pray for our land as it faces the daunting task of determining who will lead our nation in the next four years.

 

In the past two weeks many of us have watched with great interest our two political parties as they exalted their candidates, berated the opposition and on occasion set forth their solutions to the challenges we face. We heard many moving, inspiring and important things, however, as we listened and watched we remembered that politicians, of both parties, are public performers who play to the electorate. There was much political rhetoric, exaggeration, and name calling to the point of demonizing one another.   Speakers became ruthless, heartless and even graceless; much of which we could do without.  Yet, much of this served to challenge us to articulate our own value system.  What is important for us?  Not only, what will we live for but what will we die for.  What do we believe concerning the sanctity of human life?  What do we think should be done about poverty, global warming, the need for universal health care, the cost of higher education, crime, the economy?  Even more important we have been moved to seek to clearly identify the characteristics we believe are necessary for the leaders of our great land.  With these as guides may we elect those whom You have chosen to be our leaders for the next four years.

 

We have been moved to pray with great passion, for all four of those seeking these high offices, may they know to whom they are ultimately accountable.  May they demonstrate the moral courage to do what’s right even if it is unpopular.   May they have the wisdom to accept suggestions that are commendable and the desire to conduct a campaign which has integrity, uprightness and adherence to a code of ethics acceptable to You.

 

And now, O Lord, thank You for listening, turn not Your ear from us, but give us the desire to be a nation known for its goodness, compassion, justice and righteousness.   

 

Amen