A Prayer for God to Turn Hearts Back to Him in America
By Lynette Kittle
“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord”—Acts 3:19
Many might agree that America is currently in a state of distress, with Christian values being tossed by the wayside. Although various politicians and organizations diligently work to keep Christian beliefs within our national foundation, only so much can be done to try and transform people with policies and laws. Real transformation only comes from the inside out, when the hearts of Americans are softened and turned toward God.
Without real heart changes, just like the law of the 10 Commandments didn’t keep people from straying away from God, only hearts transformed and made new by the gospel of Jesus Christ turn back to Him.
2 Corinthians 5:17 describes the transformation that takes place, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
Because real change comes only from within, what does it take for hearts to be turned back toward God?
Turning hearts back to God takes prayer. First and foremost must be prayer. As 1 Timothy 2:1 encourages, “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people.”
Turning hearts back to God takes repentance from sin. In Acts 26:20, the Apostle Paul describes the process for people to turn back towards God.
“First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, then to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds.”
Likewise, 2 Timothy 2:25 explains how “Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth.”
Turning hearts back to God takes believing in Jesus Christ. Again, Paul explains what needs to happen, “The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord” (Acts 11:21).
Turning hearts back to God takes humbleness before God. 2 Chronicles 7:14 urges, “If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
Turning hearts back to God takes seeking God. To “seek” God doesn’t mean to do so in a half-hearted kind of way, expecting God to put forth all the effort but rather, to seek Him until we find Him, being unwilling to give up until we do.
Deuteronomy 4:29 explains, “But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
Let’s pray:
Dear Father,
Thank you that 1 Timothy 2:4 tells us Your desire is for all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. Today, we come to You, as Your word instructs us to do, making prayers, petitions, intercessions, and thanksgiving for the people in America.
We repent from the evil and wickedness pervading our nation for the sinful, rebellious attitudes and actions against You and You alone. Move across our land, O Lord, to soften and transform hearts to believe and receive the forgiveness, You so freely and generously give to all who come to You through Jesus Christ. In humbleness, we turn away from sinfulness and turn towards You, seeking You wholeheartedly, as Your word commands us to do.
Thank You that in Ezekiel 11:19, we find that when we return to You, You will remove the stones from our hearts and give us a heart of flesh.
In Jesus' name, Amen
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/carles miro
Lynette Kittle is married with four daughters. She enjoys writing about faith, marriage, parenting, relationships, and life. Her writing has been published by Focus on the Family, Decision, Today’s Christian Woman, kirkcameron.com, Ungrind.org, StartMarriageRight.com, and more. She has a M.A. in Communication from Regent University and serves as associate producer for Soul Check TV.
Editor's Note: We're proud to announce we've just launched a new nighttime companion to Your Daily Prayer: the Your Nightly Prayer devotional. You'll soon be able to subscribe to receive Your Nightly Prayer via email, or as a podcast, but for now you can find it on the website at crosswalk.com/devotionals/your-nightly-prayer. We hope it's a relaxing and soothing way to wind down your day with rich meditations on who God is.
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