Holy God, Father of Jesus Christ,

You are righteous and holy, the One who created the heavens and earth by the Word of your mouth. In Noah's time, your heart broke when you looked down on the world and saw those people continually thinking and doing evil. Today your heart breaks anew when you see humans blinded by Satan repeating the wickedness of Noah's generation.

And you do see, Jesus. You see every sin and failure. Every wicked thought and action. You see our nation, which is comprised of individuals, rushing madly away from you like lemmings over a cliff. We?ve been willfully ignorant of your laws . . . and suffered as a result. Those of us who know you are able to sense your presence -- and protection -- departing from our nation. We know that every nation who turns its back on you collapses, but we don?t know what to do about it. We feel powerless to stem the tide of such huge evil when we struggle simply to overcome our personal failures.

But there is hope. Every time we fail and subsequently confess, you forgive. No matter what we've done you lift us up and allow us to press on to know you intimately. You strengthen and transform us. You recreate us.

And you can do the same for our nation because it is comprised of individuals.

Together we, the people praying today as well as thousands of other ordinary individuals -- form this nation. Our country will be rebuilt one person of character at a time. If we press into you, believing and trusting you while we pray for others to do the same, you will rain righteous on us. If enough of us choose to fervently seek you, the nation will heal. You have saved other nations who returned to you in the past; you will save us . . . if we return to you. Thank you for your steadfast love and faithfulness, Jesus. Amen.

Supporting verses:

But they do not consider that I remember all their evil. Now their deeds surround them; they are before my face. By their evil they make the king glad, and the princes by their treachery. -- Hosea 7:2

Woe to them, when I depart from them! -- Hosea 9:12

For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. -- Hosea 6:6

Come, let us return to the LORD: for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down and he will bind us up.. . . Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD; his going out is sure as the showers, as the spring rains the water the earth.--Hosea 6:1 -- 3

Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the LORD, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.--Hosea 10:13