Praying Scripture: During a Pandemic (or World Disaster)

As you watch the news, keep your Bible close. God has words of hope and authority to flow into you and out of you as you pray out Scripture. It is important to be more consumed with what He says than with the perspective of man. Do not succumb to fear, but overcome that fear with faith. This happens as you begin to speak out God's truth in the midst of the disaster. Keep Reading...

​Use the following Scripture references to pray into the pandemic or disaster that is facing your nation and the nations around you.

Psalm 3:3-4 - But you are a shield around me, O Lord; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. To the Lord I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill.

Pray: Dear Lord, You are our shield. Surround us with Your protection at this time. Reveal Your glory to me. Reveal it to the world who desperately needs to know You. Hear our prayer. We believe You will answer us. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Psalm 18:16-19 - He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.

Pray: Dear Father, please reach down from on high and take hold of us. Draw our community out of the deep waters. We trust in You to rescue us in this day of disaster. For You are our support. Out of Your great delight in us, bring us into that spacious place of safety. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Psalm 19:1-4 - The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.

Pray: In this day of disaster, we look up and recognize that You are the Creator. Your beauty is still on display for all to see. Today, let people look up and realize that You are alive, that You are faithful. In my community, draw people to Yourself as they look outside and see Your beautiful creation. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Psalm 20:6-7 - Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed; he answers him from his holy heaven with the saving power of his right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

Pray: Dear Lord Jesus, I believe in Your saving power. Answer me as I call to You. Save us in the midst of this disaster with Your strong right arm. We do not trust in man to save us. We trust in You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Psalm 21:1-2 - O Lord, the king rejoices in your strength. How great is his joy in the victories you give! You have granted him the desire of his heart and have not withheld the request of his lips.

Pray: Dear Lord, we pray for the leader of our nation. Let him/her receive wisdom from You for how to lead in these turbulent times. Please hear and answer the silent prayers from his/her lips that would bring peace and safety to our nation. Thank You for our leaders. Protect them. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Psalm 23:1-4 - The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Pray: Dear Lord, You are our Shepherd. You provide for us during this time of testing. You are the One who leads and restores us in the midst of dark times. I will not fear the evil around me, because You are close at hand. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Psalm 25:12-14 - Who, then, is the man that fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him. He will spend his days in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land. The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.

Pray: Dear Lord Jesus, I want to walk in the fear of the Lord. In this time, I want to hear Your instructions and obey right away. I trust that You will keep Your promises to the generations coming after me. Please show me Your perspective in the midst of this disaster. Whisper Your secrets to me. I am listening. Amen.

Psalm 27:4 - One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.

Pray: Thank You, Father, that I can dwell in Your house even as I might feel isolated from the world. I want to spend my time gazing upon Your beauty. I want to seek You in greater earnestness. Help me not waste this time and miss Your beauty. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Psalm 46:1-3 - God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

Pray: Dear God, You are our refuge in this day of disaster. Let those who don't know You look to You for strength in this time. Be close to them and reveal Yourself as the ever-present God. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Isaiah 60:1-3 - Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

Pray: Dear Lord Jesus, there is a darkness covering our earth. It is the disease of sin and rebellion against You (more than the physical pandemic among us). Rise up, oh Lord. Reveal Your glory. Let people come to You who have not known You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Isaiah 62:6-7 - I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.

Pray: Oh Lord, we will keep praying and not stay silent. Our greatest desire is that You are worshipped in all the nations. More than the elimination of the disaster, we pray that You are glorified by men and women across the earth who have yet to worship You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Habakkuk 2:14 - For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.

Pray: Dear Lord, let many come to know You personally during this time of disaster. Let Your name become famous. Fill the earth with the revelation of who You are. We pray for multitudes of salvations across the earth. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Matthew 9:35-36 - Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Pray: Dear Jesus, show Your compassion again at this time. You care, and You heal. Please stretch out Your hand again to heal those afflicted with sickness. We trust in Your power. In Your name, Amen.

Matthew 10:7-8 - As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

Pray: Dear Jesus, move through Your church at this time to exercise Your authority - to preach, heal, and draw many into Your kingdom. Do not allow us to fall back into fear and isolation. In Jesus' name, Amen.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 - Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

Pray: Father of Compassion, we call out for Your comfort. Please reveal Your comfort to those who desperately need You. Let me be one that You use to bring comfort to others today. In Jesus' name, Amen.

2 Corinthians 12:9 - But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

Pray: Dear Jesus, thank You for your promised strength in this time of weakness. You will provide all the grace that we need to come through this disaster. Come, give us Your power. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Philippians 4:4-7 - Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Pray: Dear Jesus, we rejoice in You. We choose joy in the face of this disaster. And we ask that You would remove the sickness and bring an end to this pandemic. We pray for Your peace that You have promised. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.

Philippians 4:19 - And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Pray: Dear Jesus, You have promised to meet all our needs in this time. When so many have great financial and physical needs, will You come and keep Your promise? We look to You as the Provider and Promise-keeper. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Hebrews 13:17 - Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.

Pray: Dear Lord, thank You for our leaders. We will submit to their leadership through this crisis. Please lighten the load on them. Give them strength for the road ahead. In Jesus' name, Amen.

James 1:2-3 - Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

Pray: Dear Lord Jesus, we will rejoice in You during this crisis. Though the world would think this is ridiculous, we know the truth that You are good, and You care. That's why we rejoice. Strengthen our faith and perseverance during this time. In Jesus' name, Amen.