Thomas Jefferson
A Prayer for the Nation
Almighty God, Who has given us this good land for our heritage; We humbly beseech Thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of Thy favor and glad to do Thy will. Bless our land with honorable ministry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion, from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people, the multitude brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues. Endow with Thy spirit of wisdom those whom in Thy name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that through obedience to Thy law, we may show forth Thy praise among the nations of the earth. In time of prosperity fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in Thee to fail; all of which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.*
—Washington D.C., March 4, 1801
* -Thomas Jefferson, as quoted in “The Life and Selected Writings of Thomas Jefferson” (NY: Random House, 1944), p.341.
May God bless America and empower our people to make a wise decision on Tuesday.
Lord, in Jesus’ name I ask you for mercy on this sinful, rebellious nation. We have been living on, and enjoying the fruits of the “borrowed righteousness” of previous generations who feared and humbled themselves before You. We observe the masses of those who support turning this republic over to our enemies, both temporal and spiritual, and we grieve.
We ask you to keep the forces of the enemy from our government, from the presidency, from congress, and from all judicial branches.
We also ask you to pour out Your Spirit upon this wicked culture, and we ask for a spirit of repentence upon all fifty states.
“Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and supplications with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.
4.I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and terrible God, who keepest covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments,
5.we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from thy commandments and ordinances;
6.we have not listened to thy servants the prophets, who spoke in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
7.To thee, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us confusion of face, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those that are near and those that are far away, in all the lands to which thou hast driven them, because of the treachery which they have committed against thee.
8.To us, O Lord, belongs confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee.
9.To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness; because we have rebelled against him,
10.and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God by following his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.
11.All Israel has transgressed thy law and turned aside, refusing to obey thy voice. And the curse and oath which are written in the law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out upon us, because we have sinned against him.
12.He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and against our rulers who ruled us, by bringing upon us a great calamity; for under the whole heaven there has not been done the like of what has been done against Jerusalem.
13.As it is written in the law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us, yet we have not entreated the favor of the LORD our God, turning from our iniquities and giving heed to thy truth.
14.Therefore the LORD has kept ready the calamity and has brought it upon us; for the LORD our God is righteous in all the works which he has done, and we have not obeyed his voice.
15.And now, O Lord our God, who didst bring thy people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast made thee a name, as at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly.
16.O Lord, according to all thy righteous acts, let thy anger and thy wrath turn away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy hill; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people have become a byword among all who are round about us.
17.Now therefore, O our God, hearken to the prayer of thy servant and to his supplications, and for thy own sake, O Lord, cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary, which is desolate.
18.O my God, incline thy ear and hear; open thy eyes and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name; for we do not present our supplications before thee on the ground of our righteousness, but on the ground of thy great mercy.
19.O LORD, hear; O LORD, forgive; O LORD, give heed and act; delay not, for thy own sake, O my God, because thy city and thy people are called by thy name.” - Daniel 9: 3-19