A Cry for Unity

A Prayer Guide for the National Day of Prayer and Beyond

 

No one will dispute that the United States is in trouble. Tension, rancor, and disunity abound between people, in government, and in the Church.

In light of this, it is timely that Unity is the theme of the National Day of Prayer on Thursday, May 3. We encourage you and your friends to begin today to use these prayer points and prayers and join millions of other believers who are praying for unity in our nation.

 

  1. Pray for unity in America.

“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3).

The present spiritual crisis in America is calling us to pray for and take all necessary actions to come together as a nation.

  • God is the only One who can bring unity, harmony, and oneness in America; therefore, we look only to Him in prayer.
  • Call upon God to empower us to make every effort to live in unity, call for unity, and forward unity in America continually.

 

Father, we come before You now and cry out for America. We are in desperate need of peace in our nation. We humbly ask that You bring that bond of peace Your Word speaks of. Equip and encourage us as believers to keep the unity of the Spirit. May believers be a model of unity in these troubling days. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

  1. Pray for unity in the Church in America.

“Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, that there be no division among you, and that you be united with the same understanding and the same conviction” (1 Cor. 1:10, hcsb).

God is calling His Church in America to unify upon the authority of the Bible and the certainty of Jesus Christ, the only Savior of the world.

  • Ask God for thousands of local churches to unify as one body of Christ, agreeing together that Jesus Christ is our greatest need in America.
  • Call upon God for Jesus’ Church in America to walk in unity, harmony, and oneness, so His Church would personify, call, and lead America to unity.

 

Lord Jesus, the Church is Your bride. We pray today that You will unify us in purpose, understanding, and conviction! We pray against division among us. We ask that You help us to recognize we are brothers and sisters in Christ. May Your Church in America once again be a spiritual force that can change this nation—and the world! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

  1. Pray for unity in families, workplaces, communities, and cities in America.

“Also, the power of God was at work in Judah to unite them to carry out the command of the king and his officials by the word of the Lord” (2 Chron. 30:12, hcsb).

God’s power upon us is the only source to unite our families, workplaces, communities, and cities in America.

  • Call families, workplaces, communities, and cities to look to our only King, Jesus Christ, who is not only the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, but also the Prince of Peace who can unify us.
  • Pray for America’s families, workplaces, communities, and cities. God’s power is the spiritual energy that leads to forgiveness, reconciliation, healing, and unity.

 

Father, we pray for unity in our families, in our workplaces, and in our communities. Your power at work in us is the only way we can experience true unity. May we look to You, Lord Jesus, the Prince of Peace, as the Giver of all we need to be agents of unity in our spheres of influence. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

  1. Pray for unity among all ethnicities and people in America.

“For He is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility” (Eph. 2:14, hcsb).

Since each of us is made in the image of God, we each bear His image regardless of the color of our skin or the uniqueness of our ethnicity.

  • Through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, He has torn down the wall of division among all ethnicities and people.
  • In God alone, we unify and live in peace with one another; standing as one people against all racial and ethnic division, denouncing it as sin and not God’s will for us.

 

Lord Jesus, You are our peace. You tore down the dividing wall between Jew and Greek. We need You now to tear down that dividing wall between races in our nation. Father, we repent of this heinous sin that has so stained Your Church in this nation. Through Your work on the cross, You tore down that dividing wall. Show us how to walk through the wall’s rubble and reach out to, be in relationship with, and love our brothers and sisters of a different ethnicity. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

  1. Pray for unity that we will agree clearly, unite visibly, and pray extraordinarily for the next Great Spiritual Awakening in America.

“All these were continually united in prayer” (Acts 1:14, hcsb).

Preceding the epic movement of God on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, Jesus’ followers were continually united in prayer together.

  • Convict the Church in America to wake up spiritually, agree clearly, unite visibly, and pray extraordinarily for the next Great Spiritual Awakening in America to occur in our generation.
  • Call upon God to bring spiritual awakening now in America, shaping the future of America, just as the Great Spiritual Awakenings in our history have shaped our spiritual heritage as a nation.

 

Father, bring revival to Your Church and spiritual awakening to the people of our nation! Pour out Your Spirit afresh on believers of all stripes and streams. I don’t believe You are done with the United States. But only a fresh outpouring from You can change America. Only a fresh outpouring from You can purify the Church. Only a fresh outpouring from You can bring Your transforming power into the hearts and lives of people—taking them from darkness to Your light. Raise up an army of believers who will cry out to You for such a revival and spiritual awakening! I pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen. 

 

2018 Prayer for America

Note: This prayer is designed to be prayed in unison at each prayer gathering on the National Day of Prayer.

 

Our Dear Heavenly Father, while we come to You in complete humility, we also come to You with boldness in the authoritative name of Your One and Only Son, Jesus Christ, who is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. In Jesus’ name, fill us now with Your Holy Spirit and lead us as we pray in Jesus’ name for America.

Oh God, we are burdened for our nation today. We turn from the sins that we have committed against your Word and your Name. We turn away from our contentious words and ways toward one another that has led us to division and polarization. We turn away from our disrespect and lack of dignity toward each other, and we turn away from our continual devaluation of all human life from the womb until death in this world. We also turn away from and refuse to participate in skepticism, criticism, and cynicism in our nation. We turn away from anything that divides us, and we run toward the gospel of Jesus Christ that is the only thing that has the power to unite us together.

Lord, in this critical hour in our nation, we pray for unity in America. Only You can bring unity, harmony, and oneness in America. As your Word calls us in Ephesians 4:3, “Making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace”, we ask You to empower us to make every effort to live in unity, to call for unity, and to forward unity in America continually.

We pray for the churches in America to unify in Jesus Christ and to pray as one unified spiritual family for America. May Your Church pray for America passionately, perpetually, privately, and publicly.

We pray for God’s power to unify families, workplaces, communities, and cities in America. By Your Spirit, lead us to forgiveness, reconciliation, healing, and unity.

We pray for people of all ethnicities and races in America to come together as one, living in peace and unity together. Oh Lord, because each of us is created in Your image, please give us the courage to stand against all racial and ethnic division, denouncing it as evil and sinful, while simultaneously coming together in unity with all persons knowing this is God’s will for us.

We pray in unity for the security of our nation. We ask You to preserve the United States of America from the forces of evil that are threatening our lives and our future. God, please guard all persons in public and private settings from anyone or anything that desires to harm us or take our lives. Our future is in Your hands.

We agree clearly, unite visibly, and pray extraordinarily for the next Great Spiritual Awakening in America. Oh Lord, wake up Your church spiritually and convict Your people to agree clearly, unite visibly, and pray extraordinarily until the next Great Spiritual Awakening occurs in our generation.

Oh God, we stand together upon Your words in Psalm 133:1, “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony.” Through Jesus’ name and by the Holy Spirit’s power, we pray for all Americans to unify and to live together in unity.

In the mighty and majestic name of Jesus Christ who is the Only Savior and the Only Hope in this world, we pray. Amen.

 

Dr Ronnie Floyd, former president, National Day of Prayer Task Force; president, Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.