When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.

Leviticus 19:33-34

Lord of the nations,

Your Old Testament people knew what it was to be strangers in a foreign land, as they were oppressed for many years in slavery in Egypt. Later, the people of Israel were taken into captivity in Assyria and Babylon. Although we are not in such situations now, Christians today do recognize that we are all “strangers and exiles on this earth,” desiring to reach our true home in heaven (Hebrews 11:13-16). We know the feeling of being out of place. Therefore, help us to reach out in love and support of those who come here from other countries, making them feel welcome in our communities and reaching out to them with the message of the Gospel. We know that You care for all people, and Your Word affirms that “The Lord watches over the sojourners” (Psalm 146:9). Move us to do the same, O Lord. There is much division in our country over the issue of border control, and we pray that You give us wisdom to find a proper balance between national security and compassion for those who desire to come to our country for the opportunities that exist here. We know it is not a sin to strive for secure borders, for You blessed Nehemiah in his task to rebuild a wall around Jerusalem when the exiles returned from Babylonian captivity, making the city secure. Yet one’s status as a native citizen, an immigrant, a migrant, or any other such designation does not matter in Your eyes, for You love everyone equally, and Your family is made up of people from every nation and tribe. You grafted foreigners into Your chosen people of Israel, such as Rahab and Ruth in the Old Testament, and much to the surprise of Your New Testament saints, You grafted Gentiles into Your family as well. Clearly, Your love is all-inclusive. Grant us equal measures of wisdom and compassion, that we may keep our nation secure while showing kindness toward all people, knowing full well that we are sojourners on this earth as we look forward to our homecoming in heaven.

I pray today for…

In Your name I pray. Amen.

Side note: If you are so moved to reach out to those who are new to America, there are many organizations that strive to help. One such example is Disciples of the Way, a ministry in Dallas, TX, that reaches out to the large influx of immigrants from Muslim countries, helping them with practical matters of adjusting to a new country, as well as sharing the Gospel with them.

For a full explanation of this challenge, see the post 12-Minute Prayer Challenge. If you are just joining us, feel free to continue on with us from the current day, or if you prefer, you can go back and start at Day 1.