Praying for International Relationships

God, we thank you for this great big world we live in. We thank you that today we can communicate with and know more about people in every corner of this planet. You have made each individual, each community, each culture different and beautiful. You have given us all the tools we need to advance your Kingdom. You have breathed life into every soul on this earth. You offer redemption and eternity to each and every one of us who believes and accepts it.
Help us to love and serve your people better. Help us to know how to equip those in need, to rescue those in persecution and to work with each other for good. Guide the leaders of each country towards righteousness and truth. May we respect each other and love each other with Your love
May Your Kingdom come here on earth as it is in heaven!
Amen

Praying for Our Men and Women in Service

God, we thank you for raising up men and women who fight and stand guard for our country. We thank you that they have voluntarily stepped up to serve and we ask you walk with them and cover them with your presence. We thank you for their spouses and their parents who keep things going for them here.
We lift the families of these men and women to You, Father, for protection. God, would you fill the void when their loved ones are away, give them strength to live fully each day. Hold these families in the palm of your Almighty Hand, keep marriages strong and keep fear and loneliness from invading these hearts and homes. Provide each family with community and support, but even more than that we pray they see and know it is You who gives them mercy and grace, strength and courage.
We pray for those in war zones and desolate places that they would see You and Your goodness in those places. May they see Your beauty in the sunrises and may they know your power in healing. We Your guidance, wisdom and protection for each of them as well as their Commander. May they all have the chance to know Your ultimate victory!
In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Praying for Appreciation for Gifts God has Given Us

Heavenly Father, the Great Provider, every good and perfect gift is from You. We thank you for meeting our needs, sometimes even before we realize there's a need. God we praise you for creating us to produce. All the creativity and knowledge that goes into everyday  things we do to make our livings and provide for our families was given to us by you. We know it was not your original intention that we would have to work hard to provide for ourselves and each other but we know that even in the fall of Adam you did not abandon us.
So I pray today for the leaders of this country that they will lead with the strength and creativity only You have given them, and with appreciation for each dollar earned by hard-working families across America.  May we as a nation and especially Your church be so gracious with what you have given to us that there is not a need for government handouts. May we, together with our leaders take care of others  in such a way that we foster more leaders and givers.  May we always remember everything we have is a gift from You, our material possessions and our talents. May we learn to value and appreciate those gifts and be gracious enough to share them with others.
In the name of Jesus, who died that we might receive God's greatest gift for us, Amen.

Praying for State Governors and Legislators Across America

God we thank you for your wisdom and authority.   We know without that we would live in chaos.  We thank you for setting in place and rising up leaders to be in authority and rule our lands.  We know that some leaders seek You and Your direction and some do not, but we know you are in control ultimately.  We thank you that our nation was founded with the intention that no one person would have absolute power over the land and its people.  We thank you for the opportunity we have been given in this country to elect our officials and we ask that You give us wisdom in seeking out leaders who will lead by following You.  We ask that You place a call on the hearts of Godly men and women in this country to lead us as a nation and that they would in turn answer that call in complete dependence on You and Your direction.  We thank you for those who have answered the call and we lift them up to You for strength, for protection, and for courage.
Today we especially pray for the governing leaders of each state in this nation.  We recognize that each state will have varying needs and concerns.  We ask you to guide our state leaders in the direction that is most importantly within Your will and that they would be in tune to the needs of their respective states.  We pray you would give them wisdom in setting in place laws and regulations that are right for the people of their state.  We pray for our leaders, that they would be bold in their convictions.  May they stand for truth more than popularity.  We ask that You place on their hearts and minds ability to think outside of the "norm" to govern their states in ways that You would be honored.  Help us, as Your people, to see through Your eyes and care for Your people.
Holy Spirit would You fill state capitals, illuminate the halls with truth and righteousness.  We choose not to separate church and state because we know, Father, how desperately we need you!  Come Holy Spirit and invade this land!
In the name of Jesus,
Amen.

A Small Break from Posting but Still Praying

     I have not written out my prayers the last two days and posted them. Today our beloved Mammaw walked into the arms of Jesus. She lived a full 98 years on this earth and saw many things in this country over that time. She was the wife of a very brave WWII veteran  we knew as Pappaw.  He went on ahead of her to heaven about 12 years ago.
     Please understand as I take a few days to remember our sweet Mammaw and the legacy she has left here. I will continue to pray for our country and her leaders and I beg you to also.  If youd like to share what you're focusing on the next few days, please feel free to post in the comment section.
Thank you.

Praying for the Way We Process Our News

     Heavenly Father, we praise you for Your faithfulness, for Your promise to never leave us.  We know that not only have You anointed Your people with Your Spirit but that Your Spirit is with us in this land, stirring up hearts that long for more, for better, for hope.  We pray You would use us to be a light to the lost in this world, that others would see that our hope is in the best, Your forever Kingdom!
     Our world is inundated with headlines and editorials.  It is rare to go through our daily routine and not see or hear some bit of news.  We pray for Your wisdom and discernment in sorting through these bits of information.  Satan likes to manifest his lies in the form of headlines and would have us believe that if it were in the news, it must be true.  God, we know that many things that are in the news are not truth and that many times the news is reported skewed in one direction or another.  Help us to wisely seek balance in our knowledge, recognizing there is most likely more to a story than what any particular news outlet would have us believe.
     May we seek more of Your Good News in scripture than we seek on the computer or the tv.  May we remember this world is not our home but that we are to be light and salt in this world.  May we remember Your son, Jesus, died for all of us, not just the ones we like to agree with.  And God, we ask that You please forgive us when we get so caught up in late breaking news, that we lose sight of our eternal perspective.  Remind us when we do get news information that most likely someone behind that headline needs prayers and that we all need a Savior.  May we bring the headlines of hope to this nation, a hope for a better place.  May Your Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.
Amen.

Praying God Would Fill Our Schools

God, we Praise You for how intricately complicated you have created us to be. We praise you that within each of us, You have created something unique, like no one else who has lived or will live. You have given us the ability to grow and learn and process life around us. We thank you for giving each of us an ability to learn and how AMAZING it is that we can never learn it all. We will never have your knowledge and wisdom because You are God!
We thank you that we live in a country where there is value placed on learning. We thank you for the many who give their time and resources to teach us on all levels. This world and these people you have created are fascinating!  Regardless of current legislation, we ask that you fill halls and classrooms with Your presence!  May Your truth be highlighted by those who know You. May lessons and questions lead learners to the God of the universe, Almighty Creator. Satan has deceived many in our land with the lie that it is best to remove references to You out of our schools.    God, we know we need you in every area of our lives but especially where are children spend the majority of their day. We pray believers everywhere would call on Your holy name to come in and among our children, teachers and administrators in our schools.
May we truly become "one nation under God"....
Amen