It isn’t just praying for our government. The National Day of Prayer covers all seven centers of influence in their prayer guide. It starts with praying for family, using Luke 11:1-13 as a basis for discussion. Since family is one of the smallest units in our society, it makes sense to start there. Ask yourself how families can be a center of influence or how we can pray for each other as a family.
The next center is the church. We should pray for the leaders in our church just as we should for leaders of our government. Prayers could also include specific issues that your local church might be facing and issues on a national or global level.
Business is the next center of influence, as economics affects everyone somehow. How can we pray for local businesses? What are the greatest needs of our business communities? Philippians 4:19 tells us that God supplies all our needs, so we need to intercede for those around us by asking for God’s provision.
Our education system is one of the greatest centers of influence in our nation. We need to pray for our teachers, for the provision of necessary equipment and supplies, and most of all, for protecting our children and all who work with them.
The arts, entertainment, and media greatly influence our nation. We can pray for their God-given gifts to be used for His glory and to uplift their audiences.
Of course, we should also always pray for our military, who stand in harm’s way to protect us. We should look for ways to pray for active duty and veterans who need prayers regarding injuries and the mental stress accompanying such difficult professions.
For government, pray for wisdom and integrity for our leaders. At the federal level, pray for our President, Vice-President, Cabinet members, congressional leaders, and Supreme Court Justices. At the state level, pray for your governor, executive, legislative, and judicial leaders. In your local government, pray for your mayor, city counsel, police chief, fire chief, judges, and county officials.
National Day of Prayer is more than just praying regarding what is happening in the political realm and our national leaders. While that is important, these other areas also need to be brought before the throne of God if we are going to be a godly nation.
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