Prayer for Election Time

I have many books of prayers in my office. Sometimes I turn to them for solace—in times of loss or when I need to fill my soul after an incident. Some books I look to for inspiration—I have a book of prayers by teenagers that helps me remember how younger folks look at the world. I have a very formal Oxford collection of prayers that holds many prayers from previous centuries that help me remember how the church fathers saw prayer and then I have more casual collections that seem to make prayer very simple. I have treasured resources of prayers from non-Christian traditions which teach me new ways of understanding and help me pattern prayers that are appropriate when I am in interfaith settings. I have prayers in poetry and prayers for ecology—basically about a shelf and a half. So I was surprised by a small prayer pamphlet from National City Christian Church that put together a statement and resources for prayers for the election. In makes sense, National City Christian Church is the Disciples of Christ congregation in DC and is the denomination’s witness in the Capital. What struck me was that I hadn’t realized the importance of corporate community prayer at this time – when our nation is poised for an important election considering vital issues and yet is also embroiled in the pettiness of attack ads that now seem to characterize US politics. Sometimes the obvious sneaks up on me.

So as this week’s devotion I wanted to include Peter Morgan’s prayer. I hope you find it inspiring and as thought-provoking as I did.

 O God of all peoples, lands and nations, we join the chorus of nations to sing

our celebration for our homeland. We praise you for the gift of America.

We offer our thanksgiving for all our ancestors who envisioned freedom,

expressed their passion for freedom, struggled for freedom, sacrificed for freedom.

They did not give up. They did not cease to struggle. They did not abandon hope.

They did not forget that one day they would be free at last.

Move us by the courage of their enduring witness to value and to honor freedom.

God of our nation and all nations, in your mercy we dare approach you

with our concerns and our commitments.

In this election season we claim liberty’s privilege to help

form our own national destiny.

Elevate us to lay aside contentious wrangling and insulting,

strident campaign rhetoric.

Lift us to a higher plane where our vote is offered as a sacred trust of liberty.

Guide us in this holy stewardship of preparing to vote by prayerful

and diligent study. Accompany us to the polling places as we cast our votes.

Lead us to be a people of generous hearts so that we honor the vote

of those who voted differently than we voted.

In your mercy heal our nation and all who will stand for election.

By your Spirit may we be “one nation under God.”

O God of all lands and our land, give us vision so that our land

is not only a land of the free, but a land of the noble free,

a beacon of peace illuminating the world

with grace and compassion thriving in freedom.

O God, author of liberty, hear our prayer in Christ’s name.  Amen.

By Peter M. Morgan, Historian, National City Christian Church
President Emeritus, Disciples of Christ Historical Society

Please register to vote if you haven’t yet and be in prayer for our country, our leaders and our community.

Blessings, Stephanie