I. Prayer to enter the Lord’s presence:
Be still for a moment. “Lord, I give the day that is now past to you. It is yours. I give the day that is to come to you; help me to see where you are working and to join you there. Speak to me during these moments. I commit them and myself to you.”
II. Prayer of Confession:
“Lord, you are faithful to forgive me and cleanse me of my sin when I confess it to you. I confess my sin(s) of ______________. Thank you for forgiveness.” (1 John 1:9)
III. Prayer of Thanksgiving:
Choose to be thankful, speak out loud of what God has done.
“Thank you, Father, for _________________. Fill my heart and my mouth with gratitude throughout this day.”
IV. Scripture Reflection
Read: Proverbs Chapter 28
Reflect:
Proverbs 28:2
2 When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers,
but a ruler with discernment and knowledge maintains order.
In his commentary on proverbs, Max Anders says, “Great power can be used for good or evil, so it’s crucial that a leader maintain high standards of justice and righteousness. They must not only exemplify holiness in their own conduct but also carry out the mandate of promoting good and opposing evil.”
In the U.S., we live in some pretty contentious times right now, and our leaders seem to be all over the place on some pretty important topics. Different groups of people are talking past each other, unwilling to listen to the other side. There has been protesting in the streets, some of which has turned violent. A recent national poll said that two-thirds of people polled say that low trust in the federal government makes it harder to solve many of the country’s problems. (pewresearch.org) There’s nothing new in this poll; in fact, the poll’s findings are in line with what God’s Word has already told us.
We need strong leaders who don’t suffer from a failure of nerve, leaders who are principled and willing to rule with knowledge, discernment, and wisdom. The apostle Paul understood the importance of good leadership. Here’s what he said to Timothy: “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made for all people — for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:1-4 NIV)
Respond:
Take time today to pray for our leaders. Pray they would make decisions in line with God’s will. Pray they would have wisdom on how to best represent everyone. Pray for courage so that even when it’s hard, they would boldly represent the people’s needs and those of the most vulnerable. And most of all, pray they all would come to the knowledge and truth of Christ.
V. Prayer for others:
Pray specifically for the concerns of your life and the lives of others.
VI. Prayer of commitment:
“Lord God, I commit to love you with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my strength and with all my mind and to love my neighbor as myself. Empower me today to love you and others with everything that I am.” (Luke 10:27)
This Week’s Scripture Memory:
Proverbs 16:13
Kings take pleasure in honest lips; they value the one who speaks what is right.