It’s finally here—election day.

It’s been a rough few months, hasn’t it? Lots of division and debate—but if there is one thing I think we can all agree on during this volatile time, it is that our country desperately needs prayer.

If you’re anything like me, though, you may be intimidated when facing such a huge need. Where do we even begin? We step away from politics and parties and begin at the Rock. Our firm foundation. The unchanging, ever-stable Word of God.

Will you please join me in prayer for our country?

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

If my people…

Wherever we go, whatever we do, we have to remember that we belong to God. We are His children. Let’s pray that our relationship with Him will define us and guide us, and that we will come together as one “people” in unity with the sole purpose of bringing glory to God.

who are called by my name…

Those who do not know God will form an opinion about Him based on our behavior and words. There’s a responsibility attached to this privilege we’ve been given, and we need to structure our behavior accordingly. Pray that we will faithfully represent God in all that we do.

 will humble themselves …

None of us likes to be wrong. It hurts our pride to admit we’re wrong. But the first step in a relationship with God is humility—recognition that we cannot do this without Him, nor do we have the abilities and the character that He does. In my faith walk, God has rarely let me be “right,” even when the facts seem to be on my side—because in my determination to be right, ugly characteristics like pride and judgment surface. Pray for our leaders—and for all of us, individually and collectively—to approach our positions with humility and an appropriate reverence for God.

and pray and seek my face …

How many of us log in to social media before we’ve thought to say good morning to God? How often do we complain to a friend and do everything we can think of to fix a problem before remembering to turn to God in prayer? Pray that God will help us earnestly seek Him in all that we do. Pray that God will renew our desire to serve Him and know Him and ignite that fire in others, too.

and turn from their wicked ways…

Many are distraught about the state of our country and world. About the political candidates’ behavior or character, the faith choices we have to make in order to vote, and the culture and permissiveness that have led us to this place. There’s plenty “out there” to critique—but true change starts from within. Let’s repent and then ask God to help us see clearly according to His values, His teachings, and His perspective. Let’s be open to letting Him change us as the first step towards a better country for our children and their children to live in.

then I will hear from heaven…

Many of us feel powerless to effect real or lasting change, but God does have the power to transform any situation in the blink of an eye. In spite of the fact that each of us is simply one among a multitude, and He is omnipotent and omnipresent, God listens when we reach out for Him. We have an advocate with the Father, Christ Jesus. Let’s give thanks for God for inviting us to come to Him and then praise Him for hearing and answering our prayers.

and I will forgive their sin …

No sin is too great to keep us from God. This is a promise He has made to us all. Because God is so holy, so perfect, beyond all of our imaginings, and we are not, we shouldn’t be able to stand in His presence. Our sin and His holiness are like water and oil, never mixing—but because of Jesus, now they do. Let’s go to God in prayer to ask for His forgiveness, individually and collectively.

and will heal their land.

This is the core of what many of us want, a nation without serious divides. A place that upholds the freedoms on which our country was founded, allowing us to serve God according to our individual beliefs. We long for a society that places value on integrity and hard work and high moral values, and yet still respects the differences that are a foundational part of who we are. Let’s pray that God will heal our country in powerful ways, restoring, reuniting, repairing, and renewing us. Fixing what is broken, and teaching us to work together to make something that is better than ever before.

When we come together in prayer, there are no limits to what we can accomplish. Pray with me to the One who hears from heaven.

Lord, You are mighty and magnificent, compassionate and generous. Just as Jesus granted forgiveness before he healed the sick, putting the soul before the body, we ask the same thing. Forgive us, God, and heal the soul of our nation. We come to you, earnestly and humbly, knowing we’re asking for a large thing, but fully aware that You are a big God. Nothing is too hard for You. Our hearts overflow with gratitude for the privilege of having access to the King of Kings. Help us bring glory to Your Name in all that we do. Inspire us to new levels of greatness. We know that none of this is possible without You, and we ask for your mercy and grace over this great nation. Amen.

Will you join me the rest of this month in praying for healing for our country and turning our hearts towards gratitude for Thanksgiving? Download my free November prayer prompt calendar here by subscribing to my monthly e-newsletter. Even if you don’t, I hope we can come together to lift up our country as we navigate through these next days together.

This post was written for Internet Café Devotions.