September 1, 2020 | Prayer by Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner, NCNW National Chaplain and President of Skinner Leadership Institute
Almighty God, Creator of all that lives, we bow before you in the heaviness of heart over the wretched state of our great nation. Hate, racial slurs, and shouts of praise go out daily from the Peoples’ House to White vigilantes, state-sanctioned killer cops, White supremacists, and White people weaponizing police against Black people without reason. We are in a life and death struggle for the very soul of America and the endurance of our fragile democracy. God, you are strong, and you want your people to be strong. So, we who fight for a nation big enough for all your children now put on the full armor of God so we will be able to stand up to every evil and cunning attack by those captured in a dizzying spirit of hate and bigotry.
Shore up our hearts, minds, and spirits, right now, O God, for we are up against far more than we can handle on our own. Just laws and public policies ensuring freedom are on the books. But we, Black Americans and our allies are up against the deadly notion that Black citizens have no right to be in an America built up by the blood, toil and tears of our ancestors. We are up against hateful actions to reverse long-standing fair housing measures and instill fear in White suburbanites that Black people are the enemy against whom they have every right to take up arms to protect life and property, even as the suburbs grows more diverse.
Today, we "put on the armor of God" (Ephesians 6:10-11) beginning with the power of love over hate. Today, we clothe ourselves with the armor of truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation. And, today, we arm ourselves with your word, and the indispensable power of prayer, even as we utilize the weapon of our vote for leaders committed to a fair and just nation for all your people. This is our solemn petition to a prayer-answering God. In your mighty and matchless name, we pray, Lord Jesus. AMEN.