Almighty God, who hast given us this good land for our heritage: We humbly beseech thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of thy favor and glad to do thy will. Bless our land with honorable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues. Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in thy Name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that, through obedience to thy law, we may show forth thy praise among the nations of the earth. In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in thee to fail; all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayer for the Country
Book of Common Prayer Pg. 820
During worship on the last Sunday in September, I called everyone to prayer. This past Sunday I intentionally prayed the prayer above during the prayers of the people. I did this as we prepare for another major election in our country. November 6th is fast approaching and for some it is a reminder of our freedom as citizens of the United States of America, for some it is a reminder of the deep divisions that exist, and for others it is just another Tuesday in November. Since my ordination I have heard numerous people preemptively tell clergy or me to never get in the pulpit and tell them which way to vote. This has always given me great pause because I never believed I should preach politics, but always preach the Gospel. I cannot speak for all ministers in the country or world, but it seems that most share the same sentiment as me. However, we are fooling ourselves as Christians if we do not let our faith invade every aspect of our lives from our jobs, to our marriages, to our friendships, and yes to the ballot box. The constant call on our lives is to seek God in all that we do and in the complex areas of our life we are to wrestle. My encouragement to you is to pray the above prayer as we move closer to November 6th. As people of prayer we can pray for our nation daily. Also, I invite you to get out and vote whichever way your prayer life, Gospel understanding, and conscious push you. This is all we can do as Christians and it is an awesome responsibility. We are the body of Christ and it is important that we join in the work of making the kingdom of God known everywhere.
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