Why Should We Keep Praying for Our Wayward Government?

I was in prayer and thinking about our nation. I was discerning how to pray for a nation that is going away from God and the principles we were supposedly founded upon.

I thought, “how do people pray who aren’t passionate about our country? How do people pray who don’t support what is going on in the government? How do people pray when they are not passionate about intercession and praying for our government and country?  How do people pray when they don’t know if their prayers will produce the change they desire?”

We pray and we pray in faith. We cannot stop praying for our country and government whether we support it or not.  I have heard people say they are not passionate about praying for our country, but shouldn’t we be? Our government has control over things that affects us, therefore we should be praying for our government, country and leaders, but how do we pray?

Here are some prayer points I hope will assist you in praying for your nation!

• Pray the Word of God. Search your Bible and pray for conviction for people to change their ways and come to know the Lord Jesus Christ.
• That God’s salvation may reach to the ends of the earth (Is. 49:6).
• That creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God (Rom. 8:21).
• “Repent, turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations” (Ez. 14:6).
• “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision!” (Joel 3:14).
• God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ (Col. 4:3).
• “The gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the world” (Matt. 24:14).
• “Every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” (Phil. 2:11).
• Humble yourself with prayer and fasting on behalf of your country. Jesus instructed us to fast and pray. He modeled a life of fasting and prayer. We too can fast and pray for our nation and government leaders.
• “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 will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chr. 7:14).
• Pray during your prayer time that the Holy Spirit would convict our leaders to make righteous decisions, according to the Word of God. Pray for people to hold their congressmen and government officials accountable to their promises. Pray for people to appoint godly officials with conservative beliefs. Pray for leaders with conservative Christian beliefs to come into offices. Pray for the conviction of wrong decisions and beliefs, that the Holy Spirit would convict them and they would act on the conviction they receive.
• “When He comes, He will convict the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment” (John 16:8).
• Declare and decree out for change to come and call forth the goodness of God to manifest in the lives of all people.
• Penetrate this country, God, with the magnificence of your presence and power. Show your people by demonstration of your greatness!
• His goodness and power shall prevail and the gates of heaven shall be opened on behalf of this land.
• Conviction come upon the leaders to work together in unity and harmony for the country and the kingdom of God.
• Call the backslidden to come back to God.
• Call forth the love of God to saturate this country and the people.
• Ask God for this country as His inheritance and possession. “Ask of Me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for your possession” (Ps. 2:8).
• Speak that favor will surround us.  “For You, LORD, will bless the righteous; You surround him with favor like a shield” (Ps. 5:12).

We cannot step aside and say it is not my responsibility or passion to pray for my country or government. We shouldn’t complain about what the government is doing and talk idle chatter about the decisions being made if we are not actively praying for the change we desire to happen. We have to be active participants in praying to bring change and revival, and not merely spectators.

The truth is you may be upset and not agree with the decisions of the government and country in which you are living, but with God all things are possible through the power of prayer. Pray for your country and call forth the goodness of God to saturate His people! 

Kathy DeGraw is the founder of DeGraw Ministries, a ministry releasing the love and power of God.  She travels hosting conferences, teaching schools and evangelistic love tours.  She has led prayer and healing services for over 15 years. She travels to Washington, D.C. once a year to pray for her nation and currently stops at state capitols all over the U.S. on her love tours. Connect with Kathy at www.degrawministries.org.