This is the prayer I will pray at Indian Trail's National Day of Prayer service held at my church, Indian Trail UMC.
National Day of Prayer:
Let us pray, creator God, you
imbedded into humanity in your image and it is because that divine spark that
each one of us strives to know you. Long
ago people came to this country because they desired religious freedom. They were striving to find a new place to
live their faith openly and properly. We
give you thanks that our country, the United States of America, still allows us
to worship freely, openly and without fear of punishment or persecution. Lord God, you have blessed America, and for
that we give you thanks….Lord in your
mercy…hear our prayer.
God of love, today as a
nation, we have set aside a time for prayer and we give you thanks for this
gift. Prayer is a time we can connect
with you, our God. It is a time that we
empty our soul into you but also a time when we are quiet and listen to you
speak into us. As we come together to
pray today, may we talk and lift up our concerns and dreams but may we also
listen to how you are directing us and speaking to us this morning… Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer.
Prayer is also a time of
confession and we would not use this time justly if we did not confess our sins
to you, forgiving Father. We are a
nation who’s history, both past and recent, is soaked in blood and
turmoil. We ask your forgiveness for how
we as a nation have not lived up to the ways that you have taught us to
live. We pray for the native people who
lived hear before the explorers claim to discover them. We pray for the settlers who came to find
freedom but found indentured servitude instead.
We pray for the slaves that were brought over and whose backs broke
building and farming our nation. We pray
for the immigrant who arrived on Elis Island with big dreams and hopes but only
found corruption and starvation. Lord we
pray for the current crisis in our country now as communities and cities work
through the injustice, fear and hate between residents and police. Lord, we ask for your forgiveness and your
peace today…Lord in your mercy…hear our
prayer.
Gracious God, we have come so
far as a nation. We are one of the
richest countries in the world and you have blessed America. Yet, we also have children who are homeless
and hungry. We have people who are
struggling even thought they work two jobs.
We have cities and towns that are thriving and others that are
dying. Now the divide between rich and
poor is growing ever wider and how wide that gulf gets is unknown. So Lord, we pray to you, we reach out to you,
to show us the way and teach us how to live and treat each other with dignity
and respect. Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer.
We give you thanks for this
beautiful land we call our home. We
thank you for the wonderful gift of the resources and splendor that is our
country. May we always recognize it’s
beauty. As we gaze upon blue hued
mountains or emerald seas; as we hear the rush of traffic or trains and yet can
still smell the sweet scent of fresh cut grass; may we never take this gift for
granted. May we strive to be stewards of
this land like you have commanded and leave it in good standings for
generations to come. Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer.
Lord, we lift up the leaders
of our country. We pray for our
Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches of government. We pray for our President and Vice-President
and their families. We pray for the
leaders of our state, our governor and his family. We pray for those who lead this town, our
mayor and council members and their families.
Lord, we pray for wisdom and guidance in their lives. As all of these people, who truly are simply
people, guide, direct and lead our country, state and town, we pray that their
hearts be open to your will. May our
leaders never be far from our prayers…
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer.
Look graciously, O Lord, upon
this land. Where it is in pride, subdue
it. Where it is in need, supply it. Where it is in error, rectify it. Where it is in default, restore it. And where it holds to that which is just and
compassionate, support it. Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer.
For it is in the name of our
Savior, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
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