Five Ways to Pray for the Upcoming Elections in America

The United States of America is at a pivotal moment. It doesn’t take a prophet to see the signs. Rising inflation, debt, and economic uncertainty have left many Americans struggling to make ends meet. Marriage, childbirth, and the nuclear family are all in decline. Church attendance is dropping off a cliff. The presidential election in November is inflaming the political and social divisions. Some have argued that our entire culture is collapsing. 

These outward markers are clear for anyone to see, and those who are tuned to the Spirit of God are also sensing the spiritual urgency of the hour. Christians around the world are discerning the need to pray for America in a unified way this year. I want to share some of what is stirring globally and then give you five practical ways to pray for America and the upcoming elections. It is one thing to recognize the problems, but what are the solutions? How exactly should we pray? The Bible gives us answers. More on that in a moment.

For the last four years, prayer ministries and movements have united around four global days of prayer, focused on the Muslim world, the Hindu world, the Buddhist world and the Jewish world. This year, leaders from outside of the USA called for a fifth day to be added — a global day of prayer for America on September 22. 

To be clear, major church leaders from other nations approached Christian leaders in the US and asked if they could add this day to the calendar. It is expected that Americans would feel the urge to pray for their own nation, but when key Christian leaders in the nations are saying that it’s time to pray for the United States, we should take note. From the website:

This is a key moment in our nation’s history. We are in desperate times and in need of another Great Awakening – a Christ awakening where God's Spirit would use God’s Word to re-awaken God’s people back to God’s Son for all that He is!

Presence Pioneers encourages anyone who is connected to our ministry to join in with this important day of prayer for America, including tuning into the global live stream on September 22 from 7-10am ET.

With that context, below are five practical and biblical ways you can be praying before, during and after that Global Day of Prayer.

1. Pray for Repentance and Humility

The theme of the global day of prayer is repentance, based on 2 Chronicles 7:14.

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.

This verse has been highlighted to many leaders as an important invitation from the Lord to the United States. It is a call to repentance, humility and prayer that will lead to forgiveness and healing in a land. It is important to note that the verse emphasizes repentance of God’s people — “if my people” — as the condition upon which God’s blessings will flow. Judgment starts in the house of God, and we as the Church are the ones who must lead the way in repentance and prayer.

Likewise, we can not neglect the need for humility. As I’ve said before, a humble prayer movement is an effective prayer movement. While America’s core value of independence can be a good thing, in one sense it can also easily breed a sense of prideful self-reliance. When we fail to be aware of our need for God’s mercy and grace to survive, we get in trouble. Pride comes before the fall. It is time to humble ourselves before God, confess our pride and declare our dependence on Jesus.

2. Pray for God’s Kingdom to Come

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:9-10

It is vital that Christians recognize that their ultimate allegiance is to the kingdom of God. As those in Christ, we are now citizens of heaven, and our king is Jesus. We must align our prayers and our lives with God’s will as revealed in Scripture. When something on earth contradicts God’s desires, we must oppose it. When something aligns with God’s will, we must come into agreement with it.

This focus on the kingdom of God lifts us above the political fray and allows us to pray with an entirely different perspective. We are not primarily praying for particular parties or candidates to be successful. We are primarily praying for God’s will to be successful. We are interceding that earthly governments come into alignment with the government of God. We also pray that God’s kingdom be manifest not just in government, but in all spheres and facets of society. Because in a democratic nation, a culture that looks more like heaven will lead to a heavenly influence in aspects of government as well.

3. Pray for Governmental Leaders

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4

Paul told Timothy to specifically urge the Church to pray and intercede for governmental leaders. As we pray for the upcoming election, it is important that we don’t neglect to pray for the leaders who are currently in office.

Pray for the salvation of our nation’s leaders. Ask God to draw them to Himself and reveal truth to their hearts. Ask God to put Christian voices in their lives and open opportunities for them to hear the Gospel in a clear and anointed way. 

Pray for them to have wisdom and insight to govern well. Even leaders who are not saved can operate in God’s common grace to lead in a righteous and effective way. Leadership is hard, and the problems are complex. Ask for God to give discernment, strategies and wisdom to leaders so that America will thrive socially and economically.

4. Pray for Peace and Freedom

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. I Timothy 2:1-4

Paul’s admonishment to pray for leaders foresees a few different outcomes. One of those outcomes is that Christians would be able to lead peaceful and quiet lives. This would seem to imply that when government leaders are doing their jobs well, it creates an environment of social stability, with freedom of religion and economic prosperity. It also indicates that there is little to no hostility towards believers in the broader society.

However, the peaceful and righteous environment of God’s kingdom is clearly not resting on the USA at the moment. Americans were shocked when former president Donald Trump was shot this year at a campaign rally a few months ago. Hostility towards Christian values and beliefs continue to grow more blatant, as the cultural sands shift beneath our feet. We must pray for peace. But peace is not just a calm and quiet atmosphere. True biblical peace is the “shalom” of God, where His presence is resting in a place and all is submitted to His will. That is what we are praying for in America.

5. Pray for a Harvest of Souls

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. I Timothy 2:1-4

As we pray for a nation’s leaders, the outcome is peace, freedom and righteousness. While God does release a measure of common grace to unbelievers, and they can be used by God to improve a nation, it is Christians who will be the ones to spearhead the increase of God’s kingdom purposes on the earth. And this is what Paul ultimately envisions as he exhorts us to pray for governmental leaders. He recognizes that there’s a connection between a harvest of souls coming into God’s kingdom and the godliness of that culture. Christian people will make a society more like heaven. 

Likewise, a government that provides peace and freedom for Christians (see prayer point #4), creates an environment in which the Gospel can be preached freely and boldly. A good government helps Christianity flourish, and a growing Church should help the government flourish. With all indicators that Christianity is in decline in America, let’s pray that the Lord of the harvest would send out His people as laborers into the harvest field.

This fall, let’s take these five prayer points and let them be a part of our regular rhythms of prayer and intercession. Let’s recognize the Holy Spirit’s emphasis to pray fervently for America in this season and respond accordingly. Make plans to join in with the Global Day of Prayer on September 22. But let’s continue to pray even when the season feels less urgent. The verses above that guide our prayers are not dependent on a crisis. This is how we should always be praying. So until Christ comes again, let’s be faithful to stay humble, ask for God’s kingdom to come and lift our governmental leaders in prayer.