Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
– Matthew 6:9–10
On this election day in the United States, I want to lead us to pray according to two passages, Matthew 6:9–10 and Revelation 22:20-21. First Matthew 6:9, Jesus says, “Pray then like this. Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven.” This is how Jesus taught us to pray.
We pray that God’s name would be exalted and feared on Election Day.
Then this is the culmination, consummation of the answer to that prayer in Revelation 22:20-21. This is how the Bible ends. “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.”
This Verse Leads Us to Pray for the Exaltation of Christ’s Name
Let’s just go straight into praying according to Matthew 6:9–10, the beginning and the end of the New Testament. As we pray on election day in the United States of America, we pray our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. God, we pray for the exaltation of your name, for the exaltation of Jesus’ name in this country and in every country, among every people group in the world. God, we pray for the hollowing of your name, the fearing of your name, the knowledge of your name, the glory of your name.
We pray over and above, far above, infinitely above the name of any presidential candidate or political leader, we pray that the supremacy of the name of Jesus would be made known in the United States, and every country in the world, and every people group on the planet. We pray for the hollowing of your name. Cause your name to be made known as holy, your name alone to be exalted as Holy. God, may it be so in our lives, may it be so in your Church. Cause your name to be glorified in and through us.
Matthew 6:9–10 Leads Us to Pray for Jesus’ Second Coming
May your kingdom come. We long for your kingdom to come, for your justice to reign, for your righteousness to rule in all the Earth fully and finally, for there to be no more sin, and no more evil, and no more sorrow. We long for this. May your kingdom come. May your will be done, your perfect, good, just, merciful will be done on the Earth in every way as it is in heaven, perfectly. God, we pray for this. We ask for this.
Come, Lord Jesus, Revelation 22:20. We pray it together right now. Come, Jesus. Come back we pray. Return. We ask for this. We plead for this. Come quickly we pray. We see your promise in your Word that says you’re coming soon. We know you’re patient, not wanting any to perish and all to come to eternal life. So God, we pray that until that day comes, you would help us to be faithful to glorify your name and to live according to the gospel of your kingdom and to proclaim the gospel of your kingdom.
Matthew 6:9–10 Leads Us to Pray for Our Leaders
God, we pray that today, that far more than even talking about this candidate or that candidate, you help us to talk about the King, to talk about Jesus with others, to lead people to Jesus today and tomorrow. God, we pray that there would be people who come to faith in Jesus through our lives today. We ask for this. We plead for this. Far more important than even who we put on a ballot that people’s lives would be saved from sin for all of eternity through faith in you, Jesus.
Oh, we long for your full and final reign as King to be made known, manifest among all the nations in a new heaven and a new Earth. So we pray that you would help us to glorify you as citizens in the United States or other countries where people are listening. Help us to glorify you as citizens here, even as we long for our heavenly country and we long for your return for the day when we will see your face and worship you, serve you in the fullness of your presence. Come, Lord Jesus. Come quickly. We pray in your name. We pray this according to your Word in your name. Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
