September 24, 2020 | Prayer by Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner, NCNW National Chaplain and President of Skinner Leadership Institute
Almighty God, Creator and Maker of heaven and earth, you alone are worthy of all glory, honor, worship, adoration, and praise. Lord, you reign over all nations and rulers, for all time and eternity. You alone made every person in your divine image and likeness and deemed them worthy of love, respect, dignity, and honor. You, alone, expressed your redeeming love by placing humankind on such an exquisite and breathlessly beautiful earth and charging them to steward your world in righteousness and love.
But now, O Lord, sinful, stony hearts, of some of your children have polluted the earth physically and soiled it spiritually with the lingering impact of the massacre of indigenous people, enslavement of African people, and systemic injustice on Latinos, Asians, and poor whites that is a stench in your nostrils. Lord, the America that you have blessed mightily with a democratic form of government now stands on the brink of fascism, cruel dictatorship, and tyranny that will sustain white supremacy on which the nation was built-- indefinitely. Hope for “We the People” to finally include your children of every hue and race now stands on the verge of being shattered in the coming elections.
God, we cry out like the prophet Jeremiah, “Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.”(Jeremiah 32:17) God, we align our hearts with the prophet’s wail: “The harvest is past, The summer is ended, And we are not saved!” [from racism, sexism, and exploitation of vulnerable people like Beonna Taylor and George Floyd, killed by state-sponsored hatred of people of color]. God, we ask you from the silent cry in our bellies, “Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there?” (Jeremiah, 8:5). Jesus, you are the Great Physician, so we ask you to heal our sin-sick nation, grant America in November free, fair, and safe elections, and stand firmly against those who would destroy our very democracy. In the name of Jesus, we pray, AMEN!
If you would like to join us in our 40 Day Prayer Fast for a Free, Fair & Safe 2020 Election visit http://chng.it/dWqTpyr7jP for more information and regular updates.