PRAYER GUIDE: INAUGURATION DAY

PRAY ON INAUGURATION DAY

1 Tim. 2:1-2 says, “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 tumultuous election has come with a less than peaceful transition.  Let us pray for the U.S. throughout the day during the presidential inauguration. Pray every hour, on the hour, according to the guidelines below:

  • 9am. Pray for Truth. 

    • Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, so we should be a people committed to truth (John 14:6). Pray that the people of God would know the difference. Pray for God to help us sort through, and adhere to, that which is true and reject that which is not.

  • 10am. Repent for Racism

    • As America recognizes and faces the hard reality of its inception, we see the dark history, and we repent for the sin of racism. We repent for the ways we may have participated in it.

  • 11am. Pray for real Unity.

    • As political divides create opposition, we can choose to remain unified in Christ. But we pray against artificial unity that supports unjust systems or silences marginalized people.  Let us pray for unity that collects around the Godliness and the holiness of Christ and fullness of His Gospel.

  • Noon. Transitions of Power.

    • Jesus treated power much differently than the world does.  He opted for humble service rather than kingly authority and honor, because love submits (Luke 22:24-27). We pray that leaders and those in authority would lead with humility, a heart to serve others, and with wisdom. May God remove any powers that attempt to utilize fear, hatred, and force as a means of operation.

  • 1pm. Pray for Healing and Comfort.

    • We pray for People of Color throughout the nation, who live under the weight of our racialized culture.  We ask for an end to the systems of oppression, for healing, and for relief from anxiety and fear caused by generations of injustice.

  • 2pm. Pray for Shalom.

    • May our prayers for violence to end be embedded with a true commitment to justice and not a form of “order” that embraces false harmony. May we see the world become as it was in Eden and as it will be in the Kingdom to come.

  • 3pm. Pray for Solidarity.

    • Marginalized people, victims of racism, and all kinds of prejudice cannot experience unity without solidarity.  Pray that majority communities would rally around those who are hurting, oppressed, and marginalized and that they would join in with concerted efforts to bring equity in all circumstances.

  • 4pm. Praying for Allegiances. 

    • As followers of Jesus, our true allegiance is to one King and His Kingdom. May we pledge our ultimate loyalty to Him and Him alone rejecting any form of idol worship that may inhabit our hearts, minds, and souls.

  • 5pm. Pray against “Christian” nationalism.

    • As nationalism intertwines with a form of “Christianity” in our country, it crystalizes in violent protests, prejudice, and idolatry. May we pray that God would destroy this wicked entanglement and the powers that support them.

  • 6pm. Pray for Safety.

    • As the potential of heated protests builds, pray that there would be no violence today against security enforcement or targeted officials.  Pray for those involved to engage in peaceful demonstrations of protest only.

  • 7pm. Pray against white-supremecy.

    • The legacy of white supremacy has caused barriers to advancement, as well as violence, trauma, and death for People of Color. Pray that the stronghold of white supremacy would be deconstructed and destroyed in our country. Pray that God would reveal casual white supremacy where it exists in our culture and eliminate it.

  • 8pm. Prayer for Citizenship.

    • As citizens of heaven, we live as exiles on this earth. Still, God tells us to pray and seek prosperity and peace in the places we reside (Phil. 3:20). Pray that our identity would still be found in the Kingdom of Heaven. Pray for peace, prosperity, and the good of this nation (Jer. 29).

  • 9pm. Pray for God’s will.

    • Nations throughout history rise and fall according to the hand of the Lord (Job 12:23). We don’t know what God wants for the future of this nation so, while we pray for the good of this nation (Jer. 29), we also join with Jesus’ words in the Garden of Gethsemane, “not my will but yours be done.” Let us submit our agendas under the Lordship of Christ and ask that every prayer we mention today be filtered through our ultimate desire to see your Kingdom come to earth as it is in heaven.

Katie Erickson