Dear Lord, Heal Our Land

Dear Lord,
What an amazing blessing it is to identify as Your people. We are thankful for the opportunity to be Yours; that we can go to You in prayer at any time, that we can know for certain You hear our prayers, and that we can know You have a plan for our lives that was set in motion before we were in our mother’s womb. We are grateful, but wow, do we ever take these facts for granted. Forgive us, Lord and help us keep these truths close to our hearts and foremost in our minds from now on.

Lord, help us humble ourselves. We have sadly embraced the idea that we are self-sufficient…that we do not need You until we are desperate. We have uninvited You from being part of the daily routines of our lives, the daily decisions that we make, and the daily burdens that we carry. Forgive us and remind us that we not only need You, but that You actually desire to be in everything we say and do. Clearly, we need to remember Who You are, and who we are in comparison to You. You are God. We are not. Help us live daily in a humble manner.

Lord, we talk about what is happening in our country. We post, tweet, complain, rant, and argue about what is happening in our country. Help us, Lord, to pray about what is happening in our country…to drop to our knees, literally or figuratively in humility, and ask for Your direction and Your answers in our land. We pray for wisdom for our nation. Your Word says You will give wisdom if we ask. We pray for peace for our nation. Your Word promises a peace that is beyond understanding.

Lord, help us seek Your face; to pursue You above all else. Place in us a desire to seek You above all this world has to offer. You inspired a written love letter from You to us in Your Holy Bible. Help us to read it, understand it, love it, and hide it in our hearts, Lord. We want to know You in a deeper way; to cherish You. The more we get to know You, the more we want to get to know You! Lord, thank You for wanting a personal, loving relationship with Your children.

Lord, help us turn from our wicked ways. We have strayed dangerously far from the wonderful path You desire to graciously lead us on. We justify our sin, instead of seeking Your ways. We make excuses and live as though going against Your Word is no big deal. We are desensitized to what sin really is and how it affects our hearts, lives, and everyone around us. Yet, You are a forgiving God, and You welcome us back with open arms. Thank You, Lord, that You readily forgive us when we confess our sins. Reveal to us everything in our lives that is not pleasing to You. The temporary and false rewards that sin offers will never come close to comparing to the exquisite gift of living in Your will.

Please forgive our sin. Please heal our land. Only You, Lord, can help us in this time of need. We come to You in confidence, knowing You love us and that only You can come into the midst of this mess and bring beauty.

In Your perfect, loving, and holy name we pray. Amen.