Pray for Your Country - Crosswalk Couples Devotional - August 15
Pray for Your Country
By: Michelle Lazurek
“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
Right before the November election, I attended my church's weekly prayer meeting. Although I have attended previous prayer meetings, I've often found myself bored and weary of the lack of passion with which people pray. This prayer meeting was focused on praying for the next day’s election. People usually pray for their own needs and the needs of those they love, but rarely are they passionate about praying for their country or their land. However, this prayer meeting was different.
People took this prayer meeting very seriously because they felt a lot was at stake regarding who was elected. Once the pastors preached what it meant to pray, they opened the microphone for people to pray openly. Then, without a warning, the Holy Spirit came upon us. People were on their knees. Some were prostrated on the floor. Some people were crying out, praying loudly. Others were praying quietly. It was clear that everyone in that room assumed a posture of humility, hoping God would hear our prayers.
It was clear that no matter what posture people took, the Lord was in the room. People came to the microphone, prayed, and begged God to elect an official who would care for Christians and those who wanted to keep their freedom of religion. The prayer meeting went much longer than expected. I left feeling joyful and hopeful that even if God did not hear our prayers, he was honored that evening by our calling on his name and asking him to heal our land.
Regardless of who got elected in November, God wants to heal our lands. He wants his children to get down on their knees, humble themselves, seek his pleasure, and desire purity and holiness in the land. God promises that he will hear our prayers if we choose to be humble. Interestingly, once we seek his face, God will forgive us and heal our land. Regardless of where you are on the political platform, we can all agree that our land needs healing because many people are hurting and broken. Many desperately need basic needs, and knowing Jesus more intimately.
Scripture promises that the Spirit is with us when two or three are gathered. As a couple, two are better than one. Although it is great to pray as a couple for your individual needs, it is also equally important to pray for our country year-round. It is essential to keep ourselves informed about all the matters in our local towns and communities and what's happening in the world. God's return is imminent.
Therefore, we must be ready. As couples, we must strengthen ourselves by regularly praying for our country. We need to ask God to protect us from persecution, allow us to freely preach the gospel and pray for those who are hurting, and be able to speak his name with ease. Many countries in the world would love to have this freedom, yet do not have it. We, however, have the freedom, but we choose not to exercise it.
The more we pray, the more likely God hears our prayers. Prayers are a powerful weapon, yet we use them far less often than we should. Part of the joy of heaven will be seeing why we were asked to pray for what we prayed for and how effective our prayers were. Although we may never know or understand what our prayers mean, we must pray daily for our needs as a couple and for our nation.
Father, let us do as 2 Chronicles commands. Let us humble ourselves, seek your face, and come and forgive us and heal our land. We pray that our prayers would always be sweet to your ears. Let us encourage increasing our prayer life as a couple and as individuals. Let us pray year-round for our country's fate and health. Let us be open to preaching the gospel wherever and whenever we can. Amen.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/4maksym
Related Resource: The Truth Every Overwhelmed Christian Mom Needs to Hear
Feeling overwhelmed by motherhood? Wondering how to prioritize your faith when you're barely keeping up with everyday life?
If you've ever ended the day feeling guilty because you didn't have time to read your Bible, pray, or spend quiet time with God, you're not alone.
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Brittany shares her own journey of balancing marriage, motherhood, ministry, and faith, along with practical encouragement for finding God's peace—even in the middle of exhaustion and chaos.
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