Grace for America - prayinunity.org · A 40-DAY GUIDE TO SPEAKING GRACE OVER OUR NATION LEADING UP...

A 40-DAY GUIDE TO SPEAKING GRACE OVER OURNATION LEADING UP TO THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

SEPTEMBER 30–NOVEMBER 8

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“…America, America, God shed His grace on thee…”

Grace for America

© 2016 by Dick Eastman, International President, Every Home for ChristP.O. Box 64000, Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA

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Grace for America © 2016 by Dick Eastman, International President, Every Home for Christ

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Contents40-DAY PRAYER GUIDE

Day 1: Mercy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Day 2: Forgiveness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Day 3: Pardon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Day 4: Honor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Day 5: Consideration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Day 6: Devotion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Day 7: Delight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Day 8: Gentleness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Day 9: Kindness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Day 10: Value. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Day 11: Compassion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Day 12: Forbearance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Day 13: Generosity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Day 14: Lenience. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Day 15: Patience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Day 16: Sympathy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Day 17: Tenderness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Day 18: Love . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Day 19: Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Day 20: Approval . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Day 21: Regard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Day 22: Calm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Day 23: Affection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Day 24: Fidelity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Day 25: Softhearted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

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Day 26: Faithfulness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Day 27: Allegiance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Day 28: Steadfastness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Day 29: Thoughtfulness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Day 30: Relief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Day 31: Long-suffering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Day 32: Acceptance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Day 33: Availability . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Day 34: Understanding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Day 35: Awareness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Day 36: Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Day 37: Concern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Day 38: Sensitivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Day 39: Involvement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Day 40: Restoration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

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Introduction

Today, as much as at any time in our nation’s history, America needs an outpouring of God’s grace. We truly need a “grace awakening!” In the classic poem America the Beautiful by Katharine Lee Bates, one phrase in particular stands out. It is actually a prayer: “America, America, God shed His grace on thee!” This guide is to help you expand on that prayer over 40 days by praying God’s grace over your neighborhoods, your community and our nation. This special edition is particularly designed to be used during 40 days of fasting and prayer for our nation in 2016, from Friday, September 30, to Election Day on Tuesday, November 8. It is a season of speaking grace over our nation!

Grace defined is: “unmerited divine favor or assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification.” In this 40-day guide, we highlight the nuances of God’s grace through 40 grace-related words with supportive scriptures and a prayer related to that focus of grace. Together, let us boldly ask for each aspect of grace to fall on our nation for the sake of America’s future.

Jeremiah 29:7 instructs the people of God: “…seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper” (NIV).

In the 40 days you spend praying daily through this guide, with fasting as God directs you, seek God’s grace for “the peace and prosperity” of this nation where the Lord has planted us. Please register your days of fasting and prayer by visiting www.fastforwardamerica.com.

Dick EastmanInternational PresidentEvery Home for Christ

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DAY 1

Mercy

: a compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one’s power

: a blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion

: compassionate treatment of those in distress

Titus 3:4-7 (NKJV)“But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

PRAY: Merciful Father, today I pray that you would make the leaders of this nation men and women of mercy. I pray that those who are elected or re-elected this November would be people who have tasted of your mercy—your grace, your salvation—and who will extend that mercy to those they lead. May power be given only to those who will use it in accordance with your righteous mercy.

For further reading: 2 Corinthians 12

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DAY 2

Forgiveness

: the act of forgiving someone or something

: the attitude of someone who is willing to forgive other people

Psalm 103:1-5 (NKJV)“Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!Bless the Lord, O my soul,And forget not all His benefits:Who forgives all your iniquities,Who heals all your diseases,Who redeems your life from destruction,Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,Who satisfies your mouth with good things,So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”

PRAY: Lord Jesus, I thank you today for the forgiveness you have extended to me, a sinner redeemed by your love. I ask for your forgiveness over our nation; may your restoring love run swiftly through our people and our land. I pray that the hearts of the American people would be convicted of all unrighteousness and turned toward you for forgiveness as we pursue a more perfect union in this upcoming election. May your healing and redemption come quickly to America.

For further reading: Romans 8

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DAY 3

Pardon

: the excusing of an offense without exacting a penalty

: excuse or forgiveness for a fault, offense, or discourtesy

Jeremiah 33:7-8 (NKJV)“And I will cause the captives of Judah and the captives of Israel to return, and will rebuild those places as at the first. I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned and by which they have transgressed against Me.”

PRAY: I thank you today, God, for the gift of your pardon. I repent of all the ways I have sinned against you and pray that you would cleanse my heart of all iniquity. As I consider this year’s election, Lord, I pray that you would pardon your people in America. Cleanse our hearts of iniquity, and rebuild us as a unified Body known by our love in this nation today.

For further reading: Jeremiah 33

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Honor

: good name or public esteem: a showing of usually merited respect: privilege

Deuteronomy 26:18-19 (NIV)“And the Lord has declared this day that you are his people, his treasured possession as he promised, and that you are to keep all his commands. He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame and honor high above all the nations he has made and that you will be a people holy to the Lord your God, as he promised.”

PRAY: Father, I come before you as one among your people—your Church—your chosen and treasured possession. I pray today that you would guide the hearts of your people in America during this election season to walk in the honor and holiness to which you have called us. Give us wisdom, Lord, to bring honor to your name as we participate in this election.

For further reading: 1 Chronicles 29

DAY 4

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Consideration

: continuous and careful thought: thoughtful and sympathetic regard: esteem, regard

Malachi 3:16-18 (MSG)“Then those whose lives honored God got together and talked it over. God saw what they were doing and listened in. A book was opened in God’s presence and minutes were taken of the meeting, with the names of the God-fearers written down, all the names of those who honored God’s name. God-of-the-Angel-Armies said, ‘They’re mine, all mine. They’ll get special treatment when I go into action. I treat them with the same consideration and kindness that parents give the child who honors them. Once more you’ll see the difference it makes between being a person who does the right thing and one who doesn’t, between serving God and not serving him.’”

PRAY: I know, Lord God, the difference it makes to be a person who serves you. I know you give consideration to those who honor you, those who choose the right thing. I pray that your people in America would choose you through this election, and that you would pour out your consideration and kindness on us in response. I pray also that you would lead my heart in giving careful consideration to the votes I cast in the coming days.

For further reading: 1 Peter 2

DAY 5

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DAY 6

Devotion

: a feeling of strong love or loyalty

: the fact or state of being ardently dedicated and loyal

1 John 3:16 (NIV)“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.”

PRAY: Thank you, Jesus, for your sacrifice and devotion to me. I pray that as I approach this election, you would show me how to demonstrate your love and devotion to the lost through my vote. Reveal to me, Lord, how I can lay my life down for the sake of others as I consider issues and candidates on the ballot. May my heart be devoted to you and to my “neighbors” in America as I vote this year.

For further reading: Acts 10

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DAY 7

Delight

: a strong feeling of happiness: great pleasure or satisfaction: a high degree of gratification

Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)“The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”

PRAY: Today, Lord, I receive with gratitude your rejoicing over me. I serve you in joy and desire to bring you delight through my thoughts and actions—and especially through the exercise of power that is the opportunity to vote in this election. I pray that in this election season and through this upcoming vote, you would shape America to be a nation of people who bring you delight.

For further reading: Psalm 37

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DAY 8

Gentleness

: the quality or state of being gentle: having or showing a kind and quiet nature: mildness of manners or disposition

Matthew 11:29 (NKJV)“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

PRAY: Father, as I participate and vote in this election season, I pray that you would make me Christ-like in gentleness. May my heart, my thoughts, my words and my actions be gentle in spirit and bring others into your rest. I pray that, in the midst of what can be a harsh and vitriolic political process, your people in America would be known by our gentleness.

For further reading: James 3

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DAY 9

Kindness

: the quality or state of being kind: having or showing a gentle nature and a desire to help others

: wanting and liking to do good things and to bring happiness to others

Psalm 117:2 (NKJV)“For His merciful kindness is great toward us, And the truth of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!”

PRAY: I thank you, Lord, for your kindness to me. I praise you for the kindness you have shown to our nation in the past. I pray today that you would work through me, especially through my votes and my participation in the political process, to show kindness to your people and to the lost in America. Give me a kind heart, God, and reveal to me your kindness for the American people.

For further reading: Luke 10

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DAY 10

Value

: relative worth, utility, or importance: to consider or rate highly

Matthew 6:26-27 (NKJV)“Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?”

PRAY: God, I come to you today in humble gratitude that you value me. I pray, Lord, that you would reveal to me the things that you value in this election, and that you would lead me to cast my ballot in accordance with your heart. I pray that you would show me how to value my neighbors—in the same way you value them—through my votes. Use my votes, Lord, to demonstrate care for those you value.

For further reading: Haggai 2

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DAY 11

Compassion

: sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it

Matthew 9:35-36 (NKJV)“Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.”

PRAY: Jesus, I pray that in this election season, you would open my eyes in compassion to those who are weary and scattered, to the lost who are like sheep without a shepherd. May my vote be a compassionate vote—a vote of concern for those who need your healing. May the voice of your people in America today be one of compassion in response to the great needs facing our country at this time, and may the leaders we elect be compassionate as well.


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DAY 12

Forbearance

: the quality of someone who is patient and able to deal with a difficult person or situation without becoming angry

: a refraining from the enforcement of something (as a debt, right, or obligation) that is due

Psalm 106:21-23 (NKJV)“They forgot God their Savior, Who had done great things in Egypt, Wondrous works in the land of Ham, Awesome things by the Red Sea. Therefore He said that He would destroy them, Had not Moses His chosen one stood before Him in the breach, To turn away His wrath, lest He destroy them.”

PRAY: Father God, today I stand before you “in the breach,” asking for your forbearance in America during this election season. In this time, we need your patience. We are ever-grateful that you deal with us, even when we are difficult, without becoming angry. I pray that you would give us, your people in America, your heart of forbearance as we participate in the political process this year.


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DAY 13

Generosity

: the quality of being kind, understanding, and not selfish

: willingness to give money and other valuable things to others

: providing more than the amount that is needed or normal; abundant or ample

Psalm 51:12 (NKJV)“Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.”

PRAY: Your salvation, oh God, is a gift we receive with unending joy, and our lives are upheld by your generosity. I thank you today for the countless ways you have shown generosity to our nation and especially to your people in America. I pray, Lord, that you would use my votes to continue your generosity to America in the years ahead. Make my heart generous as I consider the issues and leaders at hand.


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DAY 14

Lenience

: a mild or merciful disposition: a lack of severity in punishing

Psalm 78:35-38 (NIV)“They remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer. But then they would flatter him with their mouths, lying to him with their tongues; their hearts were not loyal to him, they were not faithful to his covenant. Yet he was merciful; he forgave their iniquities and did not destroy them. Time after time he restrained his anger and did not stir up his full wrath.”

PRAY: Lord, today I ask that you would visit the hearts of your people in America. Reveal to us, oh God, the ways that we have been unfaithful and disloyal. May we be broken before you as we seek your heart for our nation during this election, and may we receive your lenient grace as our hearts are stirred to remember that you alone are our Rock and Redeemer.

For further reading: Deuteronomy 30

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DAY 15

Patience

: bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint

: not hasty or impetuous: steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity

Romans 15:5 (NKJV)“Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus…”

PRAY: Today, Lord God, I lift up every leader who will be elected this November. I pray that each and every one would be a person of patience. Mold their hearts after yours, Jesus, making them like-minded toward the people they are elected to serve. Give them patience to bear the pains and trials of their electorates, and make them steadfast and not hasty in making decisions.

For further reading: Isaiah 40

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DAY 16

Sympathy

: the act or capacity of entering into or sharing the feelings or interests of another, and the feeling or mental state brought about by such sensitivity

2 Corinthians 1:2-3 (AMP)“Grace (favor and spiritual blessing) to you and [heart] peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of sympathy (pity and mercy) and the God [Who is the Source] of every comfort (consolation and encouragement)…”

PRAY: Your grace, Jesus, is so clear through your sympathy—the sympathy you have because you entered into our world, in the flesh. I thank you for that incredible gift, and I pray that you would make me sympathetic like you. Help me, as I consider all the issues and candidates on my ballot, to enter into the feelings and experiences of my neighbors and to cast my votes through a lens of sensitivity, true sympathy, for their plight.


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DAY 17

Tenderness

: very loving and gentle: showing affection and love for someone or something

James 5:11 (AMP)“You know how we call those blessed (happy) who were steadfast [who endured]. You have heard of the endurance of Job, and you have seen the Lord’s [purpose and how He richly blessed him in the] end, inasmuch as the Lord is full of pity and compassion and tenderness and mercy.”

PRAY: Father, I thank you for your tenderness toward me and toward your people in America. I am grateful that your purposes are full of tenderness and compassion. I pray, Lord, that our leaders—all those we elect this November—would be men and women of tenderness. I pray for loving and gentle hearts to serve the American people in the same tenderness with which you treat your people, and I pray that the purposes of their hearts would be aligned with yours.

For further reading: John 10

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DAY 18

Love

: strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties

: affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests

: warm attachment, enthusiasm, or devotion : unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the

good of another

Ephesians 2:4-5 (NIV)“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.”

PRAY: Because of your love, oh Lord, I am alive in Christ. I am saved by your grace! As I pray for America today, God, I ask that you would infiltrate this election season with your love. Give your people in America your heart of love; may we think and speak and act through the filter of your love. May our votes be informed by your love, and may the people we elect be leaders of love for all people and all creation.


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DAY 19

Care

: painstaking or watchful attention: regard coming from desire or esteem : a person or thing that is an object of attention, anxiety, or solicitude

Isaiah 40:10-11 (MSG)“Climb a high mountain, Zion. You’re the preacher of good news. Raise your voice. Make it good and loud, Jerusalem. You’re the preacher of good news. Speak loud and clear. Don’t be timid! Tell the cities of Judah, ‘Look! Your God!’ Look at him! God, the Master, comes in power, ready to go into action. He is going to pay back his enemies and reward those who have loved him. Like a shepherd, he will care for his flock, gathering the lambs in his arms, Hugging them as he carries them, leading the nursing ewes to good pasture.”

PRAY: Father, I thank you today for the ways you have shown me care. I thank you for your care for your people in America. I pray, Lord, that you would fill the hearts of your people with your care for others. Give us opportunities to proclaim the Good News, to tell of your salvation “good and loud” in the heart of your care. Give us your shepherd’s heart for the lost in our nation as we engage publicly this election season.

For further reading: Matthew 11

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DAY 20

Approval

: the belief that something or someone is good or acceptable

: a good opinion of someone or something

Psalm 37:5-6 (MSG)“Open up before God, keep nothing back; he’ll do whatever needs to be done: He’ll validate your life in the clear light of day and stamp you with approval at high noon.”

PRAY: Today, Lord God, I desire your approval. May my heart be open to you; let me keep nothing from you. “Do whatever needs done” in me. I pray today that your people in America would be open before you, ready to receive your work in our hearts so that we might be stamped with your approval. I pray also that as I consider the issues and candidates on the ballot this year, I would see them through the lens of your approval.


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DAY 21

Regard

: care or concern for someone or something

: a feeling of respect and admiration for someone or something

2 Chronicles 7:15-16 (AMP)“Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer offered in this place. For I have chosen and sanctified (set apart for holy use) this house, that My Name may be here forever, and My eyes and My heart will be here perpetually.”

PRAY: Father, we thank you for the regard you have shown to us, your people in America. Remind us, as we participate in this election, that we have been chosen and sanctified for the sake of your name. Teach us, Lord, how to treat our neighbors with the same regard you have shown to us, and give us the wisdom to see how we ought to vote as people “set apart for holy use.”

For further reading: Matthew 6

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DAY 22

Calm

: a quiet and peaceful state or condition: a peaceful mental or emotional state

Psalm 107:28-30 (AMP)“Then they cry to the Lord in their trouble, and He brings them out of their distresses. He hushes the storm to a calm and to a gentle whisper, so that the waves of the sea are still. Then the men are glad because of the calm, and He brings them to their desired haven.”

PRAY: In the midst of this tumultuous election season, oh God, I pray that you would bring your calm to America. I cry out to you, that you would hush the storm and bring us out of our distresses. Mold us in your heart of gentle calm and make us a safe haven. I pray especially that your people in this nation would model your calm spirit as we engage with the world throughout this election.

For further reading: Philippians 4

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DAY 23

Affection

: a feeling and caring for someone or something: feelings of love: tender attachment

Deuteronomy 10:14-15 (NIV)“To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. Yet the Lord set his affection on your ancestors and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations—as it is today.”

PRAY: Jesus, the whole world—the universe!—belongs to you, and yet you have set your affections on me. This is grace overwhelming. I pray today that you would give me your heart of affection for my neighbors. Show me how my votes can demonstrate your affection for every person. I pray, too, that the leaders we elect this year will show true affection for the electorates they serve.


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DAY 24

Fidelity

: the quality of being faithful or loyal

: the degree to which something matches or copies something else

Psalm 89:1-2 (MSG)“Your love, God, is my song, and I’ll sing it! I’m forever telling everyone how faithful you are. I’ll never quit telling the story of your love—how you built the cosmos and guaranteed everything in it. Your love has always been our lives’ foundation, your fidelity has been the roof over our world. You once said, ‘I joined forces with my chosen leader, I pledged my word to my servant, David, saying, “Everyone descending from you is guaranteed life; I’ll make your rule as solid and lasting as rock.”’”

PRAY: As we approach election day, Lord, I lift up our leaders to you—all those we will elect in the days ahead. Your fidelity, God, gives us, your people, safety and security like a “roof over our world.” I pray that the leaders of our nation would demonstrate that same kind of fidelity—a faithfulness to their positions and to the people they represent that will bring a sense of security to the American people.

For further reading: Luke 11

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DAY 25

Softhearted

: having feelings of kindness and sympathy for other people

: emotionally responsive

Isaiah 54:7-8 (MSG)“Your Redeemer God says: ‘I left you, but only for a moment. Now, with enormous compassion, I’m bringing you back. In an outburst of anger I turned my back on you—but only for a moment. It’s with lasting love that I’m tenderly caring for you.’”

PRAY: You have been softhearted with me, oh Lord, and I am grateful. I pray today that you would be softhearted with your people in America and make us softhearted with our neighbors. Show us how our votes might be sympathetic to the needs of those around us. May our elected leaders have softhearted spirits. May they have sympathy for the people they serve, and may they be emotionally responsive to their needs.


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DAY 26

Faithfulness

: steadfast in affection or allegiance: firm in adherence to promises or in

observation of duty: having or showing true and constant

support or loyalty: deserving trust

Jeremiah 31:3 (AMP)“The Lord appeared from of old to me [Israel], saying, Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn you and continued My faithfulness to you.”

PRAY: Father God, I thank you for your faithfulness to me. Thank you for your everlasting love. Thank you for your faithfulness to your people in America and to our nation. I pray, Lord, that in your faithfulness you would lead your people to your heart. I pray that you would make us a nation of people faithful to you, drawn by your loving-kindness and everlasting love.

For further reading: Hebrews 11

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DAY 27

Allegiance

: devotion or loyalty to a person, group, or cause

Psalm 100:1-5 (MSG)“On your feet now—applaud God! Bring a gift of laughter, sing yourselves into his presence. Know this: God is God, and God, God. He made us; we didn’t make him. We’re his people, his well-tended sheep. Enter with the password: ‘Thank you!’ Make yourselves at home, talking praise. Thank him. Worship him. For God is sheer beauty, all-generous in love, loyal always and ever.”

PRAY: Lord, I thank you today for your allegiance to me—your eternal loyalty to love and lead me. I pray today that you would mold my heart in perfect allegiance to you. I pray that during this election, you would consistently remind your people in America that our allegiance is to you alone. Make our hearts loyal to you, and may our participation in the political process flow out of our response to you.

For further reading: Revelation 11

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DAY 28

Steadfastness

: firmly fixed in place; not subject to change: firm in belief, determination, or adherence

Hebrews 6:19-20 (NKJV)“This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”

PRAY: Jesus, I praise you today for your steadfastness. I thank you that regardless of the outcomes of this election, we have your hope to anchor our souls, sure and steadfast. No matter the policies or leaders put in place this November, we can trust in the steadfastness of your kingdom and your sovereignty. I pray that you would remind your people of your steadfastness as we participate in the political arena this year.


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DAY 29

Thoughtfulness

: done or made after careful thinking

: showing concern for the needs or feelings of other people

Luke 12:22-23 (AMP) “And [Jesus] said to His disciples, Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious and troubled [with cares] about your life, as to what you will [have to] eat; or about your body, as to what you will [have to] wear. For life is more than food, and the body [more] than clothes.”

PRAY: Your thoughtfulness toward me, Lord Jesus, gives me peace and assurance for all my life. Today, I pray that you would give me thoughtfulness as I approach election day this year. I pray that you would make thoughtful toward my neighbors, and give me wisdom and insight as I consider issues and candidates on the ballot. I pray that you would make your people thoughtful toward the world just as you have been thoughtful toward us.

For further reading: Hebrews 12

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DAY 30

Relief

: removal or lightening of something oppressive, painful, or distressing

: things that are given to help people who are victims

2 Thessalonians 1:5-7 (NIV)“All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels.”

PRAY: In so many ways, Jesus, you have brought me relief through your grace, and I thank you. I pray that you would draw near to your people this election season and use us to bring your relief to the world around us. May our votes and our participation in this election affect relief, especially for those who are experiencing oppression, pain or distress. Make us your relief for victims in our world today.


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DAY 31

Long-suffering

: suffering for a long time without complaining: patiently enduring lasting offense or hardship

1 Timothy 1:15-16 (AMP)“The saying is sure and true and worthy of full and universal acceptance, that Christ Jesus (the Messiah) came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am foremost. But I obtained mercy for the reason that in me, as the foremost [of sinners], Jesus Christ might show forth and display all His perfect long-suffering and patience for an example to [encourage] those who would thereafter believe on Him for [the gaining of] eternal life.”

PRAY: God, you have been long-suffering with us, your people in America. You have saved us, sinners, and you have given us mercy. You have been patient with us, even when we have complained against you. Today, I pray again for the leaders we will elect this November. I pray that you would give them a spirit of long-suffering. Give them patience as they endure the scrutiny of our nation, and give them peace as they suffer the offenses and hardships of their respective offices.

For further reading: Isaiah 53

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DAY 32

Acceptance

: the act of accepting something or someone: a favorable response

2 Corinthians 6:2 (AMP)“For He says, In the time of favor (of an assured welcome) I have listened to and heeded your call, and I have helped you on the day of deliverance (the day of salvation). Behold, now is truly the time for a gracious welcome and acceptance [of you from God]; behold, now is the day of salvation!”

PRAY: Lord, I thank you for your acceptance—for your gracious welcome and salvation. I pray today that you would fill my heart with the acceptance you have extended to me. Show me how to respond favorably to those around me and especially how your spirit of acceptance might inform my votes this November. May your gracious acceptance and salvation spread across our land through your people this election.


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DAY 33

Availability

: the quality or state of being available: presence and ability or willingness to talk to someone

: qualification or willingness to do something or to assume a responsibility

Psalm 34:17-19 (MSG)“Is anyone crying for help? God is listening, ready to rescue you. If your heart is broken, you’ll find God right there; if you’re kicked in the gut, he’ll help you catch your breath. Disciples so often get into trouble; still, God is there every time.”

PRAY: I praise you today, oh Lord, for your availability. I thank you that every time I am in trouble, you are there, ready to rescue me. I thank you for mending my broken heart and responding every time I cry for help. I pray that you would be available to your people in this nation during these days. I pray that we would turn to you, remembering always that you are always available to hear our cries.


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DAY 34

Understanding

: a mental grasp: the power of comprehending, especially the

capacity to apprehend general relations of particulars

: the power to make experience intelligible by applying concepts and categories

Isaiah 11:1-3 (NIV) “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch [Messiah] will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears…”

PRAY: Father, I pray that you would equip me with your spirit of wisdom and understanding during this election season. As I research, participate, advocate and vote, I pray that I would be filled with your counsel and knowledge. May my decisions be motivated by “delight in the fear of the Lord.” I pray, also, that your spirit of understanding would fall on all your people in America today.

For further reading: Ephesians 1

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DAY 35

Awareness

: having or showing realization, perception, or knowledge

Psalm 139: 1-6 (MSG)“God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand. I’m an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking. You know when I leave and when I get back; I’m never out of your sight. You know everything I’m going to say before I start the first sentence. I look behind me and you’re there, then up ahead and you’re there, too— your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful— I can’t take it all in!”

PRAY: Your awareness of me, oh God, speaks to me of your overwhelming love for me. You love me even as you search and know me. You are always aware of what I am doing, where I am going and what I am saying. I pray, Lord, that you would make me aware of you—aware of your thoughts, your desires and your will—as I consider the issues and candidates on my ballot this November.


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DAY 36

Support

: to show that you approve of someone or something

: to give help or assistance to someone or something

Romans 15:5-6 (AMP)“Now may the God Who gives the power of patient endurance (steadfastness) and Who supplies encouragement, grant you to live in such mutual harmony and such full sympathy with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, That together you may [unanimously] with united hearts and one voice, praise and glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah).”

PRAY: God, I pray that you would show me where your support falls in this election. Direct my support to issues and candidates that have your support. I pray, also, that you would support your Church in America in your grace—make us live in “mutual harmony” and “full sympathy with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus,” that we would demonstrate your love to the world around us through our participation in this election.


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DAY 37

Concern

: marked interest or regard usually arising though a personal tie or relationship

Deuteronomy 30:3-4 (MSG)“Here’s what will happen. While you’re out among the nations where God has dispersed you and the blessings and curses come in just the way I have set them before you, and you and your children take them seriously and come back to God, your God, and obey him with your whole heart and soul according to everything that I command you today, God, your God, will restore everything you lost; he’ll have compassion on you; he’ll come back and pick up the pieces from all the places where you were scattered. No matter how far away you end up, God, your God, will get you out of there and bring you back to the land your ancestors once possessed.”

PRAY: Lord, I pray today that you would give me your heart of gracious concern for my neighbors as I approach the election in my nation this November. I pray that you would use my vote to minister your restoration and your compassion to your people and to the lost in America. I pray that you would nudge the hearts of your people to remember, God, that when we respond to you and obey you, you will restore us.


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DAY 38

Sensitivity

: awareness and understanding of the needs and emotions of others

Hosea 6:2-3 (NLT)“In just a short time he will restore us, so that we may live in his presence. Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.”

PRAY: Today, I pray for the leaders we will elect in the coming days. Father God, I pray that the men and women we choose would have sensitive hearts. Make them especially sensitive to you, Lord. May they “press on to know” you so that you will respond and heal our nation. Make them sensitive, also, to the needs of the people they are elected to represent.


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DAY 39

Involvement

: to engage as a participant: to occupy absorbingly; especially to

commit emotionally

Hebrews 5:7-8 (MSG)“While he lived on earth, anticipating death, Jesus cried out in pain and wept in sorrow as he offered up priestly prayers to God. Because he honored God, God answered him. Though he was God’s Son, he learned trusting-obedience by what he suffered, just as we do.”

PRAY: Jesus, I humbly thank you today for the way you involved yourself in humanity, that you might understand our pains, our sorrows and our sufferings. I pray that you would show me how to become involved in the lives of my neighbors, that I might see them through your eyes of grace because I understand their sorrows and sufferings. May my votes bring relief because of my involvement in the plight of those around me.


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DAY 40

Restoration

: the act or process of returning something to its original condition

Acts 15:16-18 (NLT)“Afterward I will return and restore the fallen house of David. I will rebuild its ruins and restore it, so that the rest of humanity might seek the Lord, including the Gentiles— all those I have called to be mine. The Lord has spoken— he who made these things known so long ago.”

PRAY: God, I rejoice that your Kingdom has come to earth through your Son. I know we are in an age of “now-and-not-yet”—your Kingdom is here, but it is still to come. Today, I pray that you would make our nation part of your restorative work on earth. I pray that the results of this election would usher America into an age of joyful participation in the ultimate restoration of your Kingdom on earth.


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FREE UNITED STATES PRAYER MAP

How to get your free map: Call 1-800-944-4693 or visit www.ehc.org/map (U.S. addresses only, limit one per individual)

JOIN A WALL OF PRAYER FOR AMERICA

1. Devote one hour per week (or even one hour per day) to be a part of a Wall of Prayer for our nation.

Visit www.ehc.org/prayer to register and to receive daily prayer targets to help you participate in a Prayer Watch for America.

2. Consider organizing a complete Wall of Prayer for your church, community, or prayer network. Visit www.ehc.org/prayer to organize and register your very own wall of prayer.

A “Wall of Prayer” consists of all the hours in a week (24/7—168 hours) covered by participating intercessors praying for common goals, such as revival and spiritual awakening in our nation and world evangelization. We invite you to consider two objectives in helping establish continuing Walls of Prayer for our nation (and the world):

This prayer map features all 50 states of the United States broken down into a 31-day prayer calendar. The map shows the physical location of every state and provides up-to-date information on state leaders and population figures. Request your free United States Prayer Map today.

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Now that you have a United States Prayer Map, get your free World Prayer Map!Every Home for Christ’s World Prayer Map helps you focus your prayers on a different region of the world every day of the week, providing you with general information on the region, photos, and specific prayer points.

Taken from Dick Eastman’s classic book, The Hour That Changes the World, this Prayer Break series explores a set of five-minute, powerful teachings that will help energize and strengthen your prayer life! You will also learn steps to cultivating delight through practical prayer in your personal times with the Lord.

A resource that gives you access to prayer requests straight from the front lines of the global evangelism movement. Prayer requests from real-life pioneer missionaries ministering in some of the hardest and darkest places on earth are displayed every 60 seconds. As you lift these requests before the Lord, be a part of seeing the Gospel spread! Join the movement to pray for the fulfillment of the Great Commission!

MORE FREE PRAYER RESOURCES

www.ehc.org/prayer

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By dividing an hour into 12, five-minute segments, you can pray daily for one full hour. Use this model to sustain prayer for the USA, the people in your personal sphere, and your own life. Then watch God work!

PRAISE Recognize God’s Nature (Ps. 63:3)WAITING Silent Soul Surrender (Ps. 46:10)CONFESSION Temple Cleansing Time (Ps. 139:23)SCRIPTURE PRAYING Word-Enriched Prayer (Jer. 23:29)WATCHING Develop Holy Alertness (Col. 4:2)INTERCESSION Remember the USA (1 Tim. 2:1,2)PETITION Share Personal Needs (Matt. 7:7)THANKSGIVING Confess My Blessings (1 Thess. 5:18)SINGING Worship in Song (Ps. 100:2)MEDITATION Ponder Spiritual Themes (Josh. 1:8)LISTENING Receive Spiritual Instruction (Eccl. 5:2)PRAISE Recognize God’s Nature (Ps. 52:9)

1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.

10.11.12.

BE

GIN

AN

D E

ND

IN P

RA

ISE

From Dick Eastman’s book, The Hour That Changes the World, Chosen Books, 2004. Used by permission. To order, call 1-800-423-5054 or

visit www.ehc.org/books (U.S. addresses only)

THE HOUR THAT CHANGES THE WORLD

An Initiative to Reach Every Home in America

To participate in the movement or to get your church involved, visit

www.everyhomeusa.com

INSPIRING TO LOVEEQUIPPING TO ENGAGE

JOIN WITH US IN A SEASON OF FASTING AND

PRAYER FOR REVIVAL AND AWAKENING IN AMERICA.

www.fastforwardamerica.comFor additional materials and to sign up to fast, please visit:

National Prayer Committee

www.nationalprayercommittee.com

National Day of Prayer Task Force

www.nationaldayofprayer.org

Harvest Evangelism

www.harvestevangelism.org

Generals International

www.generals.org

Intercessors for America

www.ifapray.org

Mission:America

www.missionamerica.com

Every Home for Christ

www.ehc.org

TheCall

www.thecall.com

Harvest Prayer Ministries

www.harvestprayer.com

Pulse

www.pulsemovement.com

First Nations Counseling Ministries

www.fncm.us

International Prayer Council

www.ipcprayer.org

Men for Nations

www.men4nations.com

Dutch Sheets Ministries

www.dutchsheets.org

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