A snapshot of our nation right now would reveal the following: escalating violence; the border crisis; ceaseless and increasing campus protests; an ongoing war in the Middle East; rampant lawlessness; and an administration that sits idly by and allows all of it. For some, giving up seems like an easy option.

Fortunately, there are millions of Americans who are determined not to give up. These people are called “intercessors.”

America needs all the prayers she can get right now — but more than that, she needs faith-filled intercessors who will do more than just pray. These are the people who will stand in the gap, placing themselves between the nation and the Lord, crying out for mercy.

Here are five ways you can stand in the gap for America — not just on this National Day of Prayer, but every day. 

Pray for Godly Leadership 

In the Bible, godly leadership determined whether or not citizens served God wholeheartedly. We see this in the books of 1 and 2 Kings. Israel’s condition under the rule of Ahab and Jezebel was bad; most of the people had fallen under their monarchs’ wicked influence, giving themselves over to idolatry and immorality.

But national life under kings like Asa, Jehoshaphat, and Hezekiah was different. These kings weren’t perfect, but they prayed, sought the Lord’s prophets for counsel, trusted God, and tried to please Him.

America needs this kind of godly leadership desperately.

Pray for our authorities in the judicial, legislative, and executive branches — on both the state and federal levels. And don’t forget to include your mayor, city council members , school board members, and others at the local level (see 2 Timothy 2:1–4).

Pray that those who profess their faith while in office will represent God with integrity and courage (see Psalm 22:8).

Pray for the members of this current administration to repent and find salvation in Christ. Ask God to place Christians in their path to share the Gospel with them (see Romans 10:9–15).

Pray that our officials would have wise, God-fearing advisers around them (see Proverbs 11:14; 15:22).

Pray that evil, unrepentant leaders would be removed and replaced with godly ones (see Psalm 109:8).

Pray for Shalom in America

The Hebrew word shalom, found throughout the Bible, means “peace,” but also much more. One of the most compelling translations of the word is: “May things be the way they ought to be.” So when we pray for peace in America, our prayer is a deep, wide-sweeping petition to the Lord to right wrongs, bring justice, overcome evil, and more.

Jeremiah 29:7 says “And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.” God had sent the Israelites into exile in Babylon as judgment for their disobedience. Yet He also had a plan and a purpose for them to impact the Babylonians and their culture for good once they were there.

As violent and vile protests rock American universities, prayers are needed.

Pray for the peace and prosperity of the city where you live (Jeremiah 29:7).

Pray for the Lord to bring people together to stand up to violence and angry threats (Psalm 83).

Pray for God’s will to be done in your city, your state, and across the nation, especially at the universities currently experiencing chaos (Matthew 6:9-13).

Pray for the Church 

If you’ve been a Christian for a while, chances are you’ve heard this: “As goes the Church, so goes a nation.” The Bible is clear: The Church is accountable for the spiritual condition of a nation. In the book of Acts, we see how a group of disciples, filled with the Holy Spirit, turned cities upside down. They had none of the modern technologies or advances we’ve got today, yet their impact was so immense that, wherever they went, entire cities were transformed.

Do you see that kind of impact wherever you go, or where other Christians go? If we’re going to pray for America, let’s pray for the Church.

Pray for the Church to repent and return to her first love (see Revelation 2:1–5).

Pray for the Church to come back to walking in the fear of the Lord (see Proverbs 28:14).

Pray for the Church to be bold — even in the face of threats (see Acts 4:13, 29–31).

Pray for the Church to be like a city on a hill (see Matthew 5:14).

And pray that pastors and spiritual leaders would serve the Lord wholeheartedly, as they’ve been called to do (see Acts 20:28; Hebrews 13:17; Ephesians 4:11–12).

Pray for Revival 

I think every Christian loves this word, and we certainly pray for revival often. But do we understand what we’re asking?

To revive something means to bring it back from the dead. If we’re to pray for revival for America, it’s got to begin within the Church — but it can’t stay confined there. It’s got to spread beyond the Church if it’s going to mean anything at all. We’ve got to acknowledge that the Church in America is too much like the one in Sardis, as described in Revelation 3: We’ve got the reputation of being alive — but we’re actually dead. Ouch!

When did “revival” become so focused on external things like laughter, jumping around, dancing, and goosebumps? Revival isn’t about any of that; it’s about God breathing life back into His Church!

No revival has ever begun without repentance. And no revival has ever happened when a nation or city was experiencing prosperity. Just the opposite: Church history shows that revivals happen when nations are in turmoil and darkness — like what we’re seeing today.

We’re in a position to see God breathe on us again, if we’re willing to do things His way. The minute we try to manipulate, to merchandise, or to control any move of God is the minute it dies and becomes mere show.

So Pray that we Christians would examine ourselves before God and repent wherever needed (see 2 Corinthians 13:5; 2 Peter 1:10–11; Psalm 139:23–24).

Pray for unity in the Church (see Psalm 133:1; 1 Corinthians 1:10). This is huge.

Pray that resurrection power would fill us personally, in our homes and families, and in the churches (see John 11:11–44).

Pray for a mighty revival in our schools and on our college campuses (see Psalm 85:6).

Pray for a national sensitivity to the leading of the Holy Spirit (see Ephesians 4:30; 1 Thessalonians 5:19).

Pray for Intercessors Who Will Answer the Call

Here’s something interesting: Ezekiel 22:30 tells us the Lord Himself was seeking intercessors — with no success. The nation was in deep trouble, and the Lord looked for someone like Abraham, someone like Moses, someone who would stand on behalf of the people. He found no one.

Pray that He would find intercessors in our time, and that they would be many, not few (see Ephesians 6:18; Colossians 4:2). In leading Intercessors for America, I am daily encouraged by the number of people who are committed to sacrificially praying for the nation. Even though this ministry has a large reach, it is a fraction of the number of committed Christians on our shores.

The National Day of Prayer is a special day of praying for America, but it is only one day. We can use it, however, to start a habit of daily prayer for America. Pray that more Christians would commit to pray for our nation for at least a few minutes every day (1 Timothy 2:1-4).

Pray that God would awaken those watchmen already on the wall who’ve fallen asleep (see Isaiah 56:10; Habakkuk 2:1–3).

Pray for our obedience to step out wherever God would send us (see Isaiah 6:8; Exodus 3:10).

Prayer isn’t listed in Scripture as one of the gifts of the Spirit, but it sure does feel like a gift. What a privilege it is to be entrusted with something so precious and so powerful! Let’s all continue in prayer for our country, even after the National Day of Prayer has come and gone.

Dave Kubal is president/CEO of Intercessors for America, which serves more than a million praying Christians every month. He also serves on the National Faith Advisory Board and the National Day of Prayer Task Force and frequently appears in national news outlets such as Victory Channel, CBN, and Fox News.