Ahead of the UK General Election set for 4 July 2024, Christians do not simply need to work out who to vote for.
We need to pray.
Please use the prayer points below and join with us on Wednesdays at 12:30 as we pray together for God to work powerfully and graciously through the election and in the years to come.
“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” (1 Timothy 2:1-2 NIV)
You can now download and print this prayer guide. Could you use it with your church or small group?
Foundations
- Give thanks to God for our nation’s Christian heritage. Thank him for all the prayers he has answered in the United Kingdom’s history.
- Pray that he would answer our prayers in this election season and beyond – that he would show us undeserved grace.
- Pray that we would see widespread repentance and faith – that all kinds of people would turn to the Lord Jesus Christ and put their trust in him. Pray for the King and the Royal Family, for the Prime Minister and other politicians, and for everyone else to see the goodness of God and seek to follow him.
- Pray that our nation would increasingly recognise that society cannot be built on an atheistic, humanistic, secularist worldview.
- Pray that the United Kingdom would not turn to Islam as the foundation for society, but would recognise the uniqueness of Jesus Christ and his pattern for our lives.
Life
- Give thanks for his precious gift of life – that he has made us in his image and values us all deeply.
- Give thanks for the ways our laws still uphold life – that murder, manslaughter, violence, euthanasia and assisted suicide remain illegal.
- Lament that we fail to protect the lives of unborn children, allowing over 250,000 abortions every year, most of which are for social reasons.
- Give thanks that the snap election put a stop to an attempt to decriminalise abortion altogether – pray that the MPs selected in this election would oppose similar attempts in the next parliament.
- Pray that society would wake up to the wickedness and dangers of euthanasia and assisted suicide – that we would see through the deceptive arguments of campaigners and that MPs would vote against liberalising the law.
- Pray that society would recognise the valuing of life, from fertilisation to natural death, and that this would lead to fewer people feeling purposeless, unvalued and alienated.
Family
- Give thanks that God made us male and female, giving us the precious gift of family to nurture children who love and follow Jesus Christ.
- Lament the confusion in society about the differences between men and women – particularly shown through LGBTQ+ ideology and laws that allow ‘gender recognition’ and same-sex ‘marriage’.
- Give thanks that so many are realising the harms caused, particularly to children, through the chaos of transgender ideology – pray that more people in society would recognise that this all comes down to our rejection of God’s pattern for marriage.
- Pray that our nation would once again recognise the importance of real marriage and loving families – that the next government would support policies that strengthen rather than undermine families.
- Pray that our nation would recognise the centrality of parents in education, allowing them to direct their children’s learning whether at a public school, a private school or through home education.
Freedom
- Give thanks that God made us in his image to fill and subdue the earth – that we are free to serve God in so many different ways, for his glory.
- Give thanks that through Jesus Christ, we are released from slavery to sin and freed to worship him.
- Give thanks for the great freedoms God has enabled in the United Kingdom’s history – that Christians enjoy much more freedom to follow God than in many other countries around the world.
- Give thanks that the dangerous, ongoing attempts to ban so-called ‘conversion therapy’ have failed to this point, protecting Christian ministries.
- Lament that Christian freedoms have been eroded in past decades with many Christians losing their jobs or being arrested for living like faithful Christians – pray that the next government would change course and better protect Christians.
- Pray that the next government would better uphold free speech – by not implementing Islamic blasphemy laws and by addressing ways that people have been punished harshly for holding or speaking legitimate views.
- Pray that society would use its freedoms well – not becoming enslaved to debt, drugs, pornography, or other idols that harm them.
Church
- Pray that Christians would understand the centrality of these issues in the life of our nation – that we would not be distracted by policies that fail to get to the heart of our problems.
- Lament the church’s failures to speak clearly and courageously on the uniqueness of Christ, the value of human life, the beauty of family and our God-given freedom.
- Pray that there would be a reformation in the Church, with many Christians waking up to the great calling to love the Lord with all of their hearts, minds, souls and strength, and to love their neighbours as themselves.
- Pray that churches would speak boldly and prophetically to the nation, upholding the whole counsel of God.
- For Christians to have boldness to challenge candidates on key issues, including through hustings events held at churches.
- For Christians to be wise and to use their votes well – rightly weighing the choices before them under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
- For strong Christian MPs, who have understanding and courage, to win seats and gain positions of influence in the next parliament.
You can now download and print this prayer guide. Could you use it with your church or small group?
Please join with us on Wednesdays at 12:30 as we pray together ahead of the election.
