National Day of Prayer: Prayer for Media

This is my prayer from the National Day of Prayer Service at Voice of the Martyrs.  I was asked to pray for the media.

Our Great Father,

We humbly come before you today as we cry out for our city, our state and our nation.  You are the answer for our world.  You created us in your image and redeemed us through the blood of your Son, Jesus Christ.  You have given us your Spirit to empower us as we influence the world in which we live as the light of Christ, preaching the Gospel to all nations, beginning with our own.  It is through the power of the Holy Spirit within us that we are given the power of the resurrection to be the light in the midst of darkness.  You have called us to be the truth in a world of lies.  Jesus said to Nicodemus, “But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”  Help us, the Church, be the bearers of Truth.  Let us recognize Truth and call out that which is a lie.

With that foundation, we lift up our media to you.  We know that a strong media which upholds truth helps hold our leaders accountable.  But in our world today it is increasingly difficult to know what is true.  I pray you raise up journalists that bear truth.  I pray that you put believers in positions of authority that will influence what our nation understands.  I pray for Christians to find places of authority in newspapers, radio stations, news shows, tv networks, blogs and all other forms of news providers.  May we see a return of trust as we are set free by the truth revealed to us.  I pray for believing journalists to rise up as possessors of truth.  May they find favor with their supervisors and boldly proclaim truth through a world-view that understands you as Creator, Savior and Lord.

John tells us, “They are from the world; therefore, they speak from the world, and the world listens to them.  We are from God.  Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us.  By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”  I pray, therefore, that you give us as believers the wisdom to see the truth through all the noise of social media.  Let us not become victims to fake news that we wish to be true or even fear to be true.  Protect us from wrong conclusions as we sort through competing ideology.  May we recognize truth and avoid untruth.  May we experience what Jesus said, “and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Thank you Father for the gift of eternal life that has come through the payment of Jesus Christ who gave his life on the cross for us.  We humbly surrender to you every influence and possession in our lives as we call upon you here this evening.  During these days of confusion, we walk in faith, knowing Jesus Christ is the foundation of your Church. We do not ask these things in our own name or power.  We ask these things in the name above all names, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.