Dear God,
It’s me, Margaret. My heart is so heavy this morning. It has been heavy for several weeks now. It is heavy with fear and anxiety. I know that You already know this because You know me intimately. You also know that I have friends who are so afraid right now. They are afraid to leave their homes, afraid to go to work, afraid of sending their children to school, afraid to go to church. And I am afraid for them.
Lord, the world feels especially evil right now and painfully familiar as ghosts of past cruelties towards the marginalized, the disenfranchised, and the least of us are re-awakening, stepping into the daylight, and becoming emboldened.
I have brought this fear and anxiety to You in prayer many times, and it was during one of our conversations that You whispered to me, “Pray without ceasing.” A few days later, You reminded me that I am called to pray for those who mistreat me. You have continued to remind me of this through daily Bible verses, snippets of sermons I’ve seen online, and in conversations with others. I know these gentle nudgings aren’t coincidences. I know You are speaking to me…and Your servant is listening.
While I have been trying my best to mumble my way through broken and half-spoken prayers for those in charge of our country, my prayers feel so insufficient…so lacking...so small. I can barely complete a prayer without my phone alerting me to a new crisis...a new attack on the least of Yours. To stay focused during the chaos, I strongly need to write out a prayer for me to pray - one based on Your word. Please guide my thoughts and heart to find the right words of love and compassion as I pray for those mistreating my friends and family, and my neighbors that You call me to love.
Lord, I feel Your gentle yet persistent tug to pray for those in leadership positions. For those people who are causing such fear, concern, and confusion in so many people here in America and around the world. It is so easy to allow the fear in and let it lead to hate, but I know that if I genuinely want to be Christ-like, I have to pray for them from my heart. I have to reject hate and choose love.
Loving God, I seek mercy for those in positions of authority so they may, in turn, show mercy to others. (Matthew 5:7) I ask that you forgive their sins against You and those You hold dear to Your heart. (1 John 1:9) Please soften their hearts and open their ears that they may gladly and honestly seek to hear Your voice. (Ezekiel 36:26) Please heal their souls and spirits so they may turn to You and ask for Your perfect Wisdom to guide their decisions. (Psalm 147:3)
Lord, I speak their names to you…Donald Trump, JD Vance, Elon Musk and those whose names I do not know, but You do. Those who are working alongside these men and women…both elected and selected. I also pray for those who feel emboldened by these men and women. I ask that Your Holy Spirit move within them all, show them how to be loving, compassionate, empathetic, kind, just, honest, trustworthy, and merciful towards all Your people…regardless of who and how they love, who they worship, if they worship, where they were born, the color of their skin, their gender identity, and all those who seek refuge. Please show them how to love their neighbor as they love themselves. (Mark 12:30-31)
Lord, I also ask for forgiveness for myself. I have not loved my neighbor as myself. I have allowed myself to get caught up in the daily barrage of vitriol and anger. I have made rash and hurtful decisions. I ask that the Holy Spirit move in me in the same manner in which I am praying for them.
Thank you, Lord, for being trustworthy, forgiving, faithful, loving, kind, generous, and just. Thank you for showing compassion and patience towards us as we strive to follow Your ways.
In Jesus’ name, I pray,
Amen
Love,
Margaret
