September 29, 2022 | by Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner | NCNW National Chaplain and President of Skinner Leadership Institute| barbarawilliams-skinner.com
Oh Lord our God, Ruler, Maker, Creator of heaven and earth, we bow before your throne of grace and mercy, for in you, and you alone, we live, breathe, and have our being. Loving God, you promised "blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD" (Psalm 33:12) and whose leaders rule in truth, righteousness, and justice for people of every background and persuasion in a country of growing racial and cultural diversity. You command us to love our neighbor as ourselves---by not harming, obstructing, or hindering, our neighbors’ rights to live lives of dignity, value, and worth.
But today, O God, the foundations of law and order have collapsed through self-dealing, power, and wealth-obsessed leadership that has made a mockery of our fragile democracy. They have enacted laws that limit or deny the precious, blood-bought right of Black, Brown, poor, elderly, disabled, students and formerly incarcerated to vote their convictions and values in free, fair, and safe elections for leaders and policies that guide their lives and future.
In the coming November Midterm election, Lord, we pray for leaders who will no longer deny such human basics as clean water, quality education with all children fully taught American racial progress and challenges; affordable health care, safe streets, fair criminal justice, and the court system, and the most sacred freedom to vote.
We bind the spirit of intimidation, disinformation, scurrilous challenges, and violence in polling places, especially those serving our most vulnerable citizens. We pray for the protection of every election worker, poll worker, and poll monitor, and for the Poll Chaplains who will provide a moral presence to protect the vote. We pray for every leader fairly elected, that you will give them the mind and heart to honor, respect, and value all lives in the power they hold and that your blessing may forever be over our nation. In the name of our Lord and Liberator, we pray. AMEN
