What if all the people of God joined together in prayer for our country?  What if we genuinely cried out to God to heal our land every time the National Anthem is played? What if this song which represents, America’s fight for freedom became the catalyst for true freedom?  What if this song and the flag, spurred God’s people to battle in the heavenly and earthly realms for our country and our world?

May we bow our heads in humility, and repentance, seeking the face of our God, asking Him to do what humans have been powerless to do–Heal our land.

This is what I plan to do every time the National Anthem is played.  Will you join me?

“…if my people who are called by my name would humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I WILL HEAR from heaven and will FORGIVE SIN and HEAL THEIR LAND.  Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place.”  2 Chronicles 7:14-15

This is what I’ll be praying:

Oh Lord, heal our land of these divisions, of the hatred, of the affects of slavery, Jim Crow, and the dehumanization of people of color, of the massacre of Native peoples, of the encampment of people of Japanese decent, of the belittling of any people group who were different from those in power, and considered a threat to the safety to those in positions of privilege.

Lord heal our land of the schisms that take place because of religion, skin color, economic status, gender, sexual orientation, political parties, etc. etc. etc.

ONLY you can heal our land. Only YOU CAN heal our land.  Only you can HEAL our land. 

Only you can make us truly free.

Free from hate. 

Free to love every person we encounter no matter who they are or what they believe.

Free to listen to each other.

Free to be compassionate towards each other.

Free to view every single person as a person made in the image of God–no matter how evil they may be.

Expose my own sin. Help me to love people who are different from me.  Give me the humility to listen with the intent to understand their point of view.  

Oh Lord, Heal our land.

Amen.