The news from Afghanistan in the last few days has been devastating. The extremist group of the Taliban has taken control of large cities, displaced and abused countless people. Women and children are exposed to ungodly assault, rape and torture. A recent email sent by Christians in Afghanistan said that if things don’t change, most (Christians) expect to be killed within the next two weeks. With so much going on, we need to pray for our leaders more than ever. Whether or not we agree politically with those in the leadership, now is the time to put these differences aside and pray for the work of God in their hearts.
Prayer for wisdom
Father God
We pray for our country’s leaders and their role in foreign policy. We know, Lord, that true wisdom comes from you and that you can see every factor, every outcome, and every aspect of what is going on behind the scenes. We pray for wisdom for the leaders so that they can institute peace. Please give them a hunger for truth and a sense of duty to live their role as authority with honor and consideration for those who suffer. We pray that they will seek wisdom from you more than any other voice or entity, and we pray that you will work in their hearts as they speak. May wisdom be the atmosphere in which they carry themselves and may their hearts be aligned with yours.
In Jesus name
Amen
Father God
Today we come together in prayer asking for guidance for those who are able to make a difference. May their hearts hunger for righteousness and for Your Holy Spirit of peace. Give them judgment about actions to take over the next few hours and understanding that only you can give. Please Lord, guide their efforts and give them a new heart of flesh, not stone, guided by Your Spirit and Your decrees (Ezekiel 36). We pray that the Holy Spirit will abide in them and that they will willingly submit to you, O Lord. Because only through your might and your might true wisdom, true peace and true guidance are born. Holy Spirit, please stay with them not just for today but for all the days to come so that they can experience an intimate and holy relationship with you, one that shapes their actions in all facets of their future life.
In Jesus name
Amen
Prayer for strategy
Father God
We know that in order to end crises like the one in Afghanistan, a strategic plan must now be in place. Lord, as these plans are being forged and formed, we truly pray that all involved will invite Your Spirit when. Lord, it is a terrible time we live in, but you hold all eternity in your hands. We are now standing up for those in our government to plan, organize, and arrange, from a place of wisdom, how the United States will take a stand during this tense time.
In Jesus name
Amen
Peace prayer
Father God
Peace is something our hearts really long for in this fallen world. Real peace is something that can only be brought about through you. Lord, we are praying now for peace in Afghanistan in the Holy Name of Christ Jesus. We pray for those who are suffering, for those who are ruthlessly and brutally attacked, and for those who are so afraid that this takeover will end. Father, we pray that those who have influence and position in our land to bring about peace will do so by obeying your direction. We pray that the heaviness of what is happening weighs heavily on them, and Lord, we pray that the world will recognize that they need you in their life and that they will abandon the temptation to work from their own flesh, and instead lean on you for help. Father, we pray for peace, real peace. I pray for every man, woman and child in Afghanistan that they get to know you, the Prince of Peace, personally and experience the freedom that your child is. May there be peace in the atmosphere that surrounds us all and brings Your Kingdom to earth.
In Jesus name
Amen
Prayer of invitation to God
Father God
We stand today, brothers and sisters in faith, and invite your Holy Spirit into our midst. Lord, we know that true salvation comes from you and you alone. We humbly ask you as your children to move about in our world today. Today we pray for your children in Afghanistan who fear death at any moment because of their belief in you. We pray for those who do not know you that they will come into relationship with you through your Holy Spirit. Lord, we invite you to this struggle and this crisis today. Time and again the Bible is evidence that you can change any situation, that you can repent even on the darkest of days, and Father, we pray that you will do it again. Not that a single man has even a little fame, but that all honor, honor, and praise go to you and you alone.
We pray this in Jesus name,
Amen
What is happening in the Middle East right now is heartbreaking in every way, but we have a hope, and that hope comes through Jesus Christ. Regardless of our personal opinion of the commanders in our country, we must pray for them. They are in a place of influence and authority for a reason, and they desperately need our prayers. Because only through God they can turn their decisions to the effect of peace in the next few hours. Stay vigilant in prayer for them and for all affected in Afghanistan. He hears our prayers. Lord, please bring your kingdom into our world in Jesus’ holy name.
Photo credit: © Getty Images / Vadimguzhva
Cally Logan is a writer and US history teacher based in Richmond, Virginia. In her spare time, she enjoys leading a small group of high school girls, cooking, and spending time in tree houses. Your latest books, Dear young sparrow and Revealed are available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Check them out on Instagram and Twitter, @CallyLogan.