PRAYERS AGAINST CORRUPTION

PRAYERS AGAINST CORRUPTION 4p A4 20251030

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PRAYER AGAINST CORRUPTION

Father in heaven, 

You always provide for all your creatures, so that they may live as you have always willed. 

You have blessed our country Kenya, 

with rich human and natural resources to be used in honour, glory and for the well-being of every Kenyan. 

We are deeply sorrowful for the abuse of these your gifts and blessings through acts of corruption. 

As a result of this crime many of our people are hungry, sick, homeless and displaced, ignorant and defenceless. 

Father, you alone can heal us of this sickness which leads to death. 

We humbly beg you,  touch our lives and those of our leaders so that we may realise the evil of corruption and work hard to eliminate it. 

For any citizen who has acquired anything through corrupt means, 

Lord, give him or her the spirit of courage to make a restitution and come back to you. Raise up for us God-fearing citizens and leaders who care for us, who will lead us in the path of peace, justice, prosperity, progress and above all, Love. 

We make our prayer through Christ our Lord. 

Lord graciously hears us. 

PRAYER AGAINST CORRUPTION

Father in heaven,   You always provide for all your creatures, so that they may live as you have always willed. You have blessed our country, with rich human and natural resources to be used in honor, glory and for the well-being. We are deeply sorrowful for the abuse of these your gifts and blessings through acts of corruption.  As a result of this crime many of our people are hungry, sick, homeless and displaced, ignorant and defenceless. Father, You alone can heal us of this sickness which leads to death. We humbly beg you, touch our lives and those of our leaders so that we may realize the evil of corruption and work hard to eliminate it. For any citizen who has acquired anything through corrupt means, 

Lord, give him or her the spirit of courage 

to make a restitution and come back to you. 

Raise up for us God-fearing citizens and leaders who care for us, who will lead us 

in the path of peace, justice, prosperity, 

progress and above all, Love. 

We make our prayer through Christ our Lord. 

Lord graciously hear us. Amen! 

Jesus l Trust In You! 

GENERAL PRAYER

• “Heavenly Father, you provide for all your creatures so that all may live as you have willed. We are grateful for the human and natural resources you have blessed our country with, and we are sorry for the injustice, bribery, and corruption that have resulted from their wrong use.”  

• “We ask for your divine intervention to protect the poor, the powerless, and the oppressed who face the brunt of corrupt systems. Strengthen them, meet their daily needs, and raise up leaders who will champion their cause.”  

PRAYER FOR WISDOM AND INTEGRITY:

“Deliver us, Lord, from the insatiable desire for power and the greed that fuels injustice. Grant our leader’s wisdom, integrity, and courage to serve with fairness and honesty, following the path of righteousness and justice”.

PRAYER FOR A NATIONAL RENEWAL:

“We beg you, touch our lives and the lives of our leaders and people so that we may all realise the evil of bribery and corruption and work hard to eliminate it. Raise up for us God- fearing people and leaders who care for us and who will lead us in the part of peace, prosperity and progress”.

PRAYER AGAINST SPECIFIC ACTS OF CORRUPTION:

“We cry out against corruption and bribery. Lord, expose and bring down those who sell their souls for silver—who are bought to betray justice, twist the law, or harm the innocent. Break the influence of blood money, political manipulation, and selfish gain in this nation”.

Catholic prayers against corruption often include pleas for righteous leaders, the exposure of corrupt practices, and the repentance and restitution of those involved. Prayers can also ask for the protection of the poor and oppressed, guidance for citizens to vote with integrity, and the personal sanctification of individuals to live a life of purity and purpose.

PRAYER FOR RIGHTEOUS LEADERS AND SYSTEMS

• “Raise up for us God-fearing citizens and leaders who care for us and who will lead us in the path of peace, justice, prosperity, progress and above all, Love,” 

• Ask God to remove unjust leaders or to work through them for good, with faith placed in God rather than politicians.  

• Pray for greater transparency and just laws in political and economic systems. 

PRAYER FOR THOSE INVOLVED IN CORRUPTION

• “For any citizen who has acquired anything through corrupt means, Lord, give him or her the spirit of courage to make a restitution and come back to you,” as described by the Catholic Biblical Federation.  

• Pray that those in power who accept bribes or misuse funds would be convicted, turn from their sin, and experience forgiveness.  

• Ask for the exposure of those involved in deception and “back door dealings”.  

PRAYER FOR THE VULNERABLE AND FOR CITIZENS

• Pray for the poorest and most powerless members of society who are most often the victims of corruption.  

• Ask for wisdom when voting, so that citizens can choose leaders who honor God and are committed to justice.  

• Pray for courage for those who stand up against corruption and for the protection of their families.  

• Ask for personal grace to live a life of integrity and to not compromise with corruption.  

PRAYER FOR LEADERS

• “Father, we ask that you raise up leaders with wisdom, integrity, and courage to serve with fairness and honesty. We pray that our leaders will stand against corruption and that the truth will be revealed in all systems of power.”  

• “Lord, we repent for the wrong use of your blessings through injustice, bribery, and corruption. We ask that you touch the lives of our leaders and people so that we may all realize the evil of corruption and work to eliminate it.”  

PRAYER FOR INDIVIDUALS

• “Lord, we ask that you remove every individual involved in deception and expose every corrupt scheme. We pray that those who have acquired things through corrupt means would have the spirit of courage to make restitution and return to you.”  

• “In the name of Jesus, we bind the spirits of corruption, covetousness, and selfish ambition. We declare that our lives, our institutions, and our nation will be marked by justice, equity, and righteousness, and not by decay.”  

PLEASE PRAY WITH US…

• For changed mindsets—that we would not believe the lies of appeasing or glorifying those in power. Pray that societies would increasingly value integrity. 

• That the Church all over the world would model justice and transparency. Pray that the bride of Christ would be a haven for the oppressed, would show no favoritism toward the rich, and would be a voice for truth and justice in society. 

• For God to raise up political leaders on every continent who will stand against corruption. Pray for protection over those leaders who refuse bribes and call others to be accountable. Pray for the Holy Spirit to convict those who have been accepting bribes or misusing money, that they would turn away from this sin and experience forgiveness, like Zacchaeus did. 

• That just laws would be passed and upheld that do not favor the rich or allow rampant corruption, that require appropriate accountability and oversight. Pray that God would establish just governments, business, and churches. 

• For the light of truth to shine on corruption, for unlawful activities to be revealed and stopped. 

• For those who are poor, powerless, or oppressed to receive justice. Pray that God would intervene on their behalf and protect them from corruption that would exploit them. 

Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? 

Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless, 

Who does what is righteous, 

Who speaks the truth from their heart; 

Whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbour,  and casts no slur on others; 

Who despises a vile person 

but honours those who fear the Lord; 

Who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change their mind; 

Who lends money to the poor without interest; 

Who does not accept a bribe against the innocent. 

Whoever does these things will never be shaken. 

Psalm 15 

PRAYER FOR WISDOM AND INTEGRITY:

“Deliver us, Lord, from the insatiable desire for power and the greed that fuels injustice. Grant our leaders wisdom, integrity, and courage to serve with fairness and honesty, following the path of righteousness and justice”.

PRAYER FOR A NATIONAL RENEWAL:

“We beg you, touch our lives and the lives of our leaders and people so that we may all realise the evil of bribery and corruption and work hard to eliminate it. Raise up for us God- fearing people and leaders who care for us and who will lead us in the part of peace, prosperity and progress”.

PRAYER AGAINST SPECIFIC ACTS OF CORRUPTION:

“We cry out against corruption and bribery. Lord, expose and bring down those who sell their souls for silver— who are bought to betray justice, twist the law, or harm the innocent. Break the influence of blood money, political manipulation, and selfish gain in this nation”.

Ephesians 5:11:

“Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.” Pray for the courage to identify and speak against corruption and to not participate in it.

Proverbs 4:23:

“Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.” Pray for the protection of your own heart and the hearts of others from corruption, greed, and deceitful desires.

1 Corinthians 15:33:

“Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.’” Pray that you would surround yourself with people who uphold godly values and that you would influence others toward integrity.

2 Peter 1:4:

“By which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” Pray to have a part in God’s divine nature, escaping the corruption in the world through sinful desire.

PRAYER TO SAINT JOSEPH FOR THE EXORCISM OF NATIONS

Saint Joseph, terror of demons, protect and heal our nation!

Saint Joseph, show us the enemy.

Saint Joseph, break the devil’s hold.

Saint Joseph, go to war against evil.

Saint Joseph, cast out impurity.

Saint Joseph, expose corruption.

Saint Joseph, silence every lie.

Saint Joseph, shine light on darkness.

Saint Joseph, reveal all deception.

Saint Joseph, cease all thievery.

Saint Joseph, shout God’s glory.

Saint Joseph, give us courage.

Saint Joseph, share your humility.

Saint Joseph, cast out all fear.

Saint Joseph, vanquish despair.

Saint Joseph, fight for good.

Saint Joseph, help the poor.

Saint Joseph, guard the unborn.

Saint Joseph, guide our children.

Saint Joseph, renew marriage.

Saint Joseph, strengthen families.

Saint Joseph, encourage fathers.

Saint Joseph, inspire good leaders.

Saint Joseph, pray ceaselessly.

CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING AND POLITICAL CORRUPTION

As political corruption has plagued civil society for centuries, Sacred Scripture and the Church from earliest times have commented on its detrimental effects, particularly on the poor. 

 You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in his suit…And you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the officials and subverts the cause of those who are in the right. Exodus 6:8 

The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church (447) recognizes that political corruption is one of the causes that greatly contributes to underdevelopment and poverty especially in developing countries. This is particularly true of countries that are in debt which are not repayable in part due to corruption, poor administration of public finances or improper utilization of loans already received (450). In these situations the people who suffer the worst brunt of political corruption are the poor and the powerless. 

The Church, while drawing on Pope St John Paul II’s works and the Code of Canon Law is also aware that she herself and her institutions are not immune from corruption: “The Church, aware that her essentially religious mission includes the defense and promotion of human rights … profoundly experiences the need to respect justice and human rights within her own ranks (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 159). 

The Church has drawn attention to the context and consequences of corruption by noting that “in every part of the world stark inequalities between developed and developing countries … inequalities marked by various forms of exploitation, oppression and corruption have a negative influence on the internal and international life of many States” (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 192). 

Both Church and secular commentators have noted the particularly adverse effect that political corruption can have on democratic institutions and societies. Especially in democratic governments, the Church states that  “political corruption is one of the most serious [deformities]  because it betrays at one and the same time both moral principles and the norms of social justice…Corruption radically distorts the role of representative institutions,” because it makes the political sphere a place for a bartering of priorities of those who have wealth and influence instead of working towards the common good with a preferential option for the poor (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 411). As Pope Francis recognised in Laudato Si’,  it is essential to developing a culture of integrity to have transparent political processes with a free and well informed debate (182). 

“The absence of stability, together with the corruption of public officials and the spread of improper sources of growing rich and of easy profits deriving from illegal or purely speculative activities, constitutes one of the chief obstacles to development and to the economic order.” Pope St John Paul II, Centisiumus Annus, 48 

Pope St John Paul II in his Message for World Day of Peace 1999 recognized that “All citizens have the right to participate in the life of their community … But this right means nothing when the democratic process breaks down because of corruption and favoritism, which … prevents people from benefiting equally from community assets and services, to which everyone has a right.”