Prayer points with Scriptures · 20 points
Prayer Points for the Nation
These prayer points are for anyone praying for their country: a church prayer meeting, a National Day of Prayer gathering, a small group before an election, or one person praying at home. They cover thanksgiving, national repentance, our leaders and those in authority, justice and peace in our communities, and the witness of the church. They were written with America in mind, but every point is true for any nation, and they pray for leaders of every party, never for a party.
First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be offered for everyone— for kings and all those in authority—so that we may lead tranquil and quiet lives in all godliness and dignity.
1 Timothy 2:1-2 (BSB)
Pray one section at a time. Read the verse aloud first, pray the short prayer, then give each point a minute of your own words, naming the real people, offices and places God brings to mind. In a group, let different people read. If time is short, pray the first point of each section. Every verse is quoted from the Berean Standard Bible.
Thanksgiving: God rules over the nations
1God rules over every nation
Lord, dominion belongs to You, and You rule over the nations. Before we bring You our worries about this country, we worship You. No election, court or crisis is beyond Your reach, and our hope rests on You.
For dominion belongs to the LORD and He rules over the nations.
Psalm 22:28 (BSB)2Thanks for the good gifts of this land
Father of lights, every good gift we enjoy comes from You: freedom to worship, to gather and to speak, food on our tables, neighbors who help in hard times. Forgive us for taking these gifts for granted, and make us a grateful people.
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow.
James 1:17 (BSB)3Thanks for those who keep us safe
God, thank You for police officers, soldiers, firefighters, judges and all who restrain evil and protect the innocent. Keep them safe, keep them honest, and let them serve as Your servants for our good.
For he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not carry the sword in vain. He is God’s servant, an agent of retribution to the wrongdoer.
Romans 13:4 (BSB)
Repentance: we humble ourselves
4Humbling ourselves before God
Lord, You spoke these words to Israel, and we take them to heart as Your people called by Your name. We humble ourselves, we pray, we seek Your face, and we turn from our wicked ways. Hear from heaven, forgive our sin, and have mercy on our land.
If I close the sky so there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send a plague among My people, and if My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:13-14 (BSB)5Repentance that starts with us
God, before we name the sins of our nation, search our own hearts. Show us the pride, anger, prayerlessness and contempt we have excused in ourselves, and lead us in the way everlasting.
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 139:23-24 (BSB)6Mercy, not what we deserve
O Lord, like Daniel we come to You, not because of anything good in us, but because of Your great compassion. We have sinned as a people. Listen, forgive, and act for the sake of Your name.
Incline Your ear, O my God, and hear; open Your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears Your name. For we are not presenting our petitions before You because of our righteous acts, but because of Your great compassion. O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For Your sake, O my God, do not delay, because Your city and Your people bear Your name.”
Daniel 9:18-19 (BSB)7Righteousness in public life
Father, righteousness exalts a nation, and sin is a disgrace to any people. Turn our country from violence, greed, dishonesty and the cheapening of human life, and let what is right be honored again in our homes, businesses and halls of power.
Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.
Proverbs 14:34 (BSB)
Our leaders and those in authority
8The President and national leaders
Lord, the heart of every ruler is like a waterway in Your hand. We pray for the President, the Vice President and the Cabinet. Direct their hearts, guard their health and families, and turn their decisions toward what is right.
The king’s heart is a waterway in the hand of the LORD; He directs it where He pleases.
Proverbs 21:1 (BSB)9Wisdom for those who govern
God of wisdom, Solomon asked You for an understanding heart to govern. Give that same gift to our senators, representatives, governors and mayors: discernment between good and evil, and the humility to know they cannot govern well without You.
Therefore give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to govern this great people of Yours?”
1 Kings 3:9 (BSB)10Integrity in public office
Father, raise up leaders who fear You, who can be trusted, and who hate dishonest gain. Expose corruption, protect honest public servants from pressure, and give us officials at every level whose word can be relied on.
Furthermore, select capable men from among the people—God-fearing, trustworthy men who are averse to dishonest gain. Appoint them over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
Exodus 18:21 (BSB)11Judges and courts
Lord, judgment belongs to You. Give our Supreme Court justices and every judge courage to show no partiality, to hear the small and the great alike, and to rule without fear of anyone. Make our courts places where the truth is heard.
Show no partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be intimidated by anyone, for judgment belongs to God. And bring to me any case too difficult for you, and I will hear it.”
Deuteronomy 1:17 (BSB)12Respect for leaders we disagree with
Lord Jesus, we pray for leaders of every party, including those we did not vote for. Keep us from maligning anyone. Make us peaceable, gentle and respectful in how we speak about them, online and at our own tables.
Remind the believers to submit to rulers and authorities, to be obedient and ready for every good work, to malign no one, and to be peaceable and gentle, showing full consideration to everyone.
Titus 3:1-2 (BSB)
Justice, peace and unity
13Protection for the vulnerable
God of justice, defend the weak and the fatherless. Protect the unborn child, the abused, the trafficked, the poor, the addicted and the elderly who are alone. Rescue them from those who exploit them, and show us our part in caring for them.
Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; uphold the rights of the afflicted and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; save them from the hand of the wicked.
Psalm 82:3-4 (BSB)14Peace in our towns and cities
Lord, You told Your exiled people to seek the prosperity of the city where they lived and to pray for it. We pray for our own town: stop the violence, break the hold of addiction and despair, and let our neighborhoods flourish.
Seek the prosperity of the city to which I have sent you as exiles. Pray to the LORD on its behalf, for if it prospers, you too will prosper.”
Jeremiah 29:7 (BSB)15Healing for a divided country
Father, we are a divided people. Give us the wisdom that comes from above: pure, peace-loving, gentle and full of mercy. Make Your people peacemakers who listen before they speak, and heal the bitterness between neighbors, families and churches.
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peace-loving, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap the fruit of righteousness.
James 3:17-18 (BSB)16Honest and peaceful elections
God, You change the times and seasons; You remove kings and establish them. As we vote, give us wisdom. Keep our elections honest and peaceful, and help us respond to every result with grace, prayer and trust in Your rule.
He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.
Daniel 2:21 (BSB)
The church and the gospel in our land
17Spiritual awakening
Lord, will You not revive us again, so that Your people may rejoice in You? Begin with Your church. Wake us from lukewarm faith, and draw many across this nation to repentance and faith in Jesus.
Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?
Psalm 85:6 (BSB)18Light in every community
Lord Jesus, You call Your followers the light of the world. Let Christians in our schools, offices, hospitals and statehouses do good so plainly that our neighbors give glory to our Father in heaven, not to us.
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they set it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:14-16 (BSB)19Freedom to spread the gospel
Father, we pray that the word of the Lord would spread quickly across our nation and be held in honor. Protect freedom of worship and conscience, and give pastors and ordinary believers courage to speak of Jesus with love.
Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may spread quickly and be held in honor, just as it was with you.
2 Thessalonians 3:1 (BSB)20Hope that rests in God, not princes
Lord, forgive us when we put our trust in princes and parties, in mortal men who cannot save. Our help and our hope are in You. Whatever happens in this nation, keep Your church steady, prayerful and full of hope.
Put not your trust in princes, in mortal man, who cannot save.
Psalm 146:3 (BSB)
A closing prayer
Father, we thank You for this nation and for every good gift You have given it. Forgive our sins, as a people and as individuals. Give wisdom and integrity to all who lead us, protect the vulnerable, and heal what divides us. Revive Your church, and let the gospel of Jesus be heard in every town. Our hope is not in princes but in You. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Pray with a voice
Short prayers with a voice to pray along with, each drawn from one passage.
Questions
What does the Bible say about praying for our nation’s leaders?
Paul tells Christians to offer petitions, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving for everyone, “for kings and all those in authority” (1 Timothy 2:1-2). He wrote while Rome was ruled by emperors who did not share the faith, so the instruction does not depend on whether we voted for a leader or agree with them. Jesus also told His followers to pray for those who persecute them (Matthew 5:44).
Is 2 Chronicles 7:14 a promise for America?
God spoke it to Solomon after the dedication of the temple in Jerusalem, about Israel in its land, so it is not a guarantee to any modern country. But it shows what God is like: He hears people who humble themselves, pray and turn from sin, and He forgives. Christians pray it as the church, asking God to have mercy on the land where they live.
When is the National Day of Prayer?
In the United States it is held on the first Thursday of May. Congress established an annual National Day of Prayer in 1952, and a 1988 law fixed it to the first Thursday in May; in 2027 that is May 6. Churches also use prayer points like these before elections, around the Fourth of July, and at any prayer meeting for the country.
More prayer points
Every verse on this page is quoted word for word from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), which its publishers dedicated to the public domain. Copy, print and share these prayer points freely with your church.