If you live in the United States of America, or have the USA on your heart, you may be wondering what is the best way to pray for America. The best way to pray for America is the way that God leads you in your heart! And these prayer points can give you some structure to pray for America during your own prayer time, or prayer points for America with a group of people.
What does the Bible say about America?
The Bible doesn’t mention by name most of the countries that exist today. It doesn’t mean that God doesn’t care about them or that He won’t use them as part of His plan.
At first, God’s covenant for salvation was with the people of Israel, but Jesus paid the price on the cross to redeem all who believed in Him. Whatever country you were born in or live in, the gift of salvation is available to all who believe and trust in Jesus.
2 Chronicles 7:14 states, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
The Expositor’s Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): Old Testament suggests that this verse “expresses the stipulations that God lays down for a nation to experience his blessing, whether that nation be Solomon’s, Ezra’s, or our own.” We ourselves cannot control whether or not the people of the nation take these steps. But we can take these steps ourselves, encourage others in our lives, and pray that others will do the same.
How to pray for America – having the right attitude
Some Christians approach prayer time for America with anger and disgust. They pray for America, but spend so much of their time and energy disparaging other people and even other Christians. How much better would it be to approach prayer for America with compassion and understanding for others, and a desire for God’s will to be accomplished? Here are three steps to a right attitude when we pray for America.
Pray with humility.
The Lord wants us to walk humbly (Micah 6:8.) We should humbly come before the Lord, seeking Him and listening to what He says to our hearts.
Pray for God’s will to be done.
In the Lord’s Prayer, an example of prayer for all of us, we are encouraged to pray that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10.) We should be praying for God’s agenda, not ours.
Pray with compassion for others.
When we reflect on the problems of this country, we may feel anger at those who encourage and revel in sin. We may want to turn our backs on people. But did Jesus turn his back on the sinners of His days here on earth? No, He and the disciples dined with them, and faced much criticism (Matthew 9:9-13.) We should not turn our backs in prayer to those who haven’t yet met Christ. We should lift them up in prayer and have compassion on them, like sheep without a shepherd (Mark 6:34).
Praying for the leaders of the country
Government leaders can have a great amount of influence and power in a country. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 reminds us, “I exhort therefore, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and givings of thanks be made for all men: for kings and all who are in high places, that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and reverence.” Among other people we should be praying for, we are encouraged to pray for our government’s leaders.
Pray for these leaders, that they would:
- Have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ;
- Govern with godly and righteous principles;
- Be protected from danger;
- Find encouragement as they deal with small and large issues;
- Serve others and not themselves.
Other Prayer Points for the Nation
While it is important to pray for government leaders, we also need to be praying for the people of our nation.
- Pray for revival. Pray that we as a nation would cry out to God, as in Psalm 119:40, “Behold, I long for your precepts! Revive me in your righteousness.”
- Soften our hearts. We don’t want for ourselves, or for anyone else, a hardened heart. “But according to your hardness and unrepentant heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath, revelation, and of the righteous judgment of God.” Romans 2:5
- Prosper us so we can help others. USA Today cites America as the richest country in the world, according to Gross Domestic Product (GDP). While many Americans might not feel rich, many could spare a few dollars each month to make huge differences for the Gospel in other people’s lives who don’t live in the US. Lately, America has been greatly used of God to help support missionaries in their own country. Pray that the Lord would use us to bless others.
- Equip us to serve and strengthen us for trials. The Lord did not promise us an easy and conflict-free life. In John 16:33 Jesus tells us, “I have told you these things, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble; but cheer up! I have overcome the world.” We can have peace in our hearts as we serve Him and as we endure various trials that strengthen our faith. Pray that He would equip us to serve.
- Protect our nation. While the United States is perceived mostly favorably overall outside of its borders, there are others who would want to bring it harm. Pray against the physical threats to our country, that the Lord would thwart those who would attack us. Others try to cause chaos in the United States by spreading misinformation and lies. Pray that they would not be successful, and that people would be discerning as they navigate social media, the news, and the internet in general.
Prayers for America
Pray for America as the Lord leads you, using the prayer points above, or be inspired by the prayers listed below.
Prayer for our nation, inspired by 2 Chronicles 7:14
Dear Lord, We pray that we as a nation will humble ourselves before You. We ask that You will help us trust You with our concerns for our nation.
We pray that we will seek You each day, and not our own ways. We call on You to help us to repent from our sins.
Please hear us, and heal our land. Bring revival to our land and turn our hearts to You! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Prayer for our government leaders, inspired by 1 Timothy 2:1-2
Dear Lord,
We bring our government leaders before You. We ask that You would soften their hearts to You. We pray that they would govern in a way that honors You. Help them not to please people when it is not the right decision to make.
Help us to keep praying for them, and being thankful for them. May they be a blessing to those they govern, that we may lead tranquil and quiet lives in all godliness and reverence.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
May God bless America! To celebrate that sentiment, I’ve made a free coloring page .pdf with God Bless America. Visit my free printables page to download it.
If you are looking for patriotic printable activities and games for the 4th of July, you might enjoy this word search/coloring page/states quiz available in my Etsy shop.
If you liked this post, you may also want to read A Short Prayer for Worry.
