This week we celebrated the declaration of our countries independence from Great Britain 240 years ago. In worship we shared this prayer, adapted very slightly from one by Nathan Attwood, pastor of Millbrook First United Methodist Church, Millbrook, AL, and offered by worship leader, Carla Gilbert.
Holy God: in this week in which we celebrate the founding of the nation in which we live, we are especially grateful that our freedom to worship you according to the dictates of our own conscience is guaranteed in law. Forgive us for failing to realize how rare this privilege is in our world. Strengthen and support our brothers and sisters who are singing your praises this day in places in which they must worship in secret and under threat.
You have told us to lift those in authority over us in prayer. And so we remember our President, Barack Obama, our governor, Matthew Bevins, our Mayor, Steven Connelly, and all our elected national, state, and local representatives. Help them to serve with honor and as servants of the public good rather than from personal ambition. Help them protect ALL of the citizens in a commonwealth of liberty and justice for all.
We also remember all who serve on our behalf in civic life—teachers, law enforcement, fire and rescue workers, and civil servants, service men and women, peace and americorp workers. We ask that you would guide and grace them all of them when their service puts them in harm’s way.
You have taught us to pray for our enemies, so we ask that you would bless those who curse us and teach us to make peace in your world. We pray for the peace of Jerusalem, for peace between the nations, and the strength to work for your promised day when swords would be beaten into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks, nation would not rise against nation, neither would they learn war anymore.
Many in our nation and throughout our world are suffering from economic troubles, so we ask that you would help us. Help each person who desires to work to find meaningful employment and the capacity to support their families with dignity in a land, in a country, in a world of opportunity.
The people of every nation with whom we are in communion, we ask you to bring your healing to those we love and those of our family of faith who are sick, bereaved, and broken in spirit. We remember them as we come to your table, a table for all nations and all people, and we give you thanks. Amen.
Leave a Reply