Day 38

Forty Days of Prayer for Our Country- Day 38

"With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and for his orphans, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and a lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations."  Abraham Lincoln, Second Inaugural Address, March 4, 1865

Lincoln spoke those words in the aftermath of the Civil War.  It is strange how appropriate those words still are after a contentious election.

Scripture:

Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities.  For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.  Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.  Romans 13:1,7

Prayer: 
Lord we believe that you still reign over the nations, now bind our divisions because we confess we are a divided people this day.  Many are happy with this election, many are unhappy.  We have many disagreements.  Help all of us who call upon your name to be brought to unity in calling upon you to rule in our land and in our hearts.  We pray Lord, that we may be the messengers of your peace in our nation and among the nations.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Prayer Points for Today:
- Pray for our president and his advisors.  Pray for the divisions we face as a country and the problems we must address together regardless of how we voted.
- Pray for President Obama and the difficulties he faces and the challenges that remain in our nation's future.
- Ask God to bring a spiritual revival to our nation that would begin in the churches of America and spread to those who are not now a part of the body of Christ.

Memory Verse for the Week:

God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne.  Psalm 47:8