‘Pause our doom-scrolling. Quiet our hearts’: Resources offer prayer and care at height of election season

With national midterm elections just weeks away — which are set to become the most expensive on record — voices are clamoring for attention from televisions and computer screens, billboards and mailboxes. Much of the messaging is intentionally crafted to heighten emotion.

In the midst of it, the United Church of Christ’s Office of Public Policy and Advocacy in Washington, D.C., has invited people to ground in prayer with “Forty Days of Prayer: As Our Nation Heads to the Polls,” a season of daily prayer to offer the reminder that rest and prayer can act as resistance.

“God of all nations and peoples … We celebrate that you are bigger than any person, any nation, and any election,” the first prayer began on Sept. 24.

The focus on 40 days of prayer seeks to echo the sacred number of days of preparation, wilderness, and renewal found throughout scripture. Each prayer is intended to offer a moment of stillness for people before stepping into the work of civic life.

All are welcome to join the daily prayer practice with a new prayer shared each day through Election Day, Nov. 3, on each of the UCC Washington D.C. Office’s social media accounts: Facebook, Instagram, X, and Bluesky. 

‘Not to burn ourselves out’

“It is our Godly calling to embrace habits of rest, prayer, community, and renewal as we engage in faith-based advocacy,” said Rushad Thomas, domestic policy advocate for the D.C. Office. “We are not in this work to burn ourselves out, but rather to bring the best of our talents to the work of making the world a better place for all of God’s children.” 

“Pause our doom-scrolling. Quiet our hearts. Help us to regain our center,” one prayer reads.

The prayers were written by the Rev. Amber Henry Neuroth, senior minister of Hope United Church of Christ, and the Rev. Karen Winkel

“My hope for those reading the prayers is that they can take just a moment each day to be grounded in something beyond the stress of the election,” Neuroth said. “It can be hope, love, unity, God, or our common humanity. Then, the hope is that we can apply that centering in prayer back to our work for a stronger democracy, and hopefully it won’t feel as isolating and overwhelming,”

Prioritizing self-care

A new one-page guide for self-care is available for individuals, congregations, and communities to share: Taking the Time for Self-Care This Election Season.

“Over the past two years, many of us have experienced a range of emotions while addressing others’ anxiety and fears,” the guide reads. “We are exhausted in body and mind, and sometimes even in spirit, as we consider what comes next and how we can continue responding.”

The guide, created in collaboration between UCC Wellness Ministries and the UCC Office of Public Policy and Advocacy, includes options for breathing, breath prayer, and healthy reminders for creating moments for centering and grounding within the variety of feelings an election can raise.

Uplifting prayer, care, action in collective worship

The 40 days of prayer will include Vote Faithfully Sunday, which is designated as Nov. 1, the Sunday before the election. Nonpartisan resources, including related liturgical resources, blessings, prayers, and music for sharing within congregations and communities are available now.

“May our participation in our democracy be shaped by compassion, truthfulness, justice, and concern for those who are vulnerable and often unheard,” one prayer for Vote Faithfully Sunday offers. “Help us remember that our neighbors are more than political labels, and that our calling to love one another extends beyond any election.”

Find the full array of UCC Our Faith, Our Vote 2026 resources here.

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