Prayer written and prayed by Dave Machemer, based on "the Lord's prayer”, his prayer outline for almost 10 years.
Our heavenly Father, you created the entire cosmos—
it is the work of your hands, and its immensity and exquisite beauty and genius display your glory.
And yet, from within the limitless breadth of that creation, you take special notice of human beings,
calling us your sons and daughters and inviting us to call you Abba!
May all your handiwork reflect your glory and conform with your purposes,
even the dark spaces of this world, still living defiantly outside your will,
especially humankind, whom you had designated as the crucial link between you and the world you established!
In this season of elections, we acknowledge that as important as it is to be informed and vote from our faith and convictions,
ultimately we must not anchor our trust in human beings at all;
parties, platforms and candidates in this world are neither our greatest hope nor our greatest dread;
nor do we presume that you are on in league with any of them.
Rather, we pray for your rule to come to fruition—
that rule that was forecasted by John the Baptist and then proclaimed by Jesus at the inauguration of his ministry—
the divine rule that was demonstrated in Jesus’ teachings and signs,
and powerfully vindicated by his resurrection from the dead!
Your kingdom that will ultimately break forth in a transformed heaven and earth.
That’s the anchor of our hopes.
It’s also our certain inheritance and our blueprint and inspiration as we seek to align our lives and the gifts you’ve given us with your will.
May that divine will take deep root in our lives and be put into action
as a foretaste in the world around us here and now according to your heavenly plans.
Father, we ask that you send laborers into your harvest field.
As our brother Chris suggested some months ago,
we ask that you give us eyes to see the true nature and breadth of that harvest and how you want each of us to contribute.
For as our brother Darrel also pointed out, we are your witnesses,
and we need your Spirit in that endeavor in order to be, to do and to speak of the hope of resurrection—
of Jesus as the first fruits, and next, of all of us
together with the transformation of creation.
But Father, we feel so unequal to this awesome calling and so ill-equipped.
So we ask you to equip us now with the gifts, the skills and the wisdom we need, day by day.
We also ask for your mercy because we find it so easy to lose the plot and fall short of your plans for us.
Forgive us
and let our own frailties make us a contrite church, enhancing our ability to show mercy on those who injure us—
even those whom we are tempted to feel “do not deserve” our forgiveness,
because you have never been one to give us what we deserve!
Instead, make us merciful as our Father is merciful.
And make us, your church, into agents of your mercy.
Dear Father, these days our land is divided, and many relationships have been strained or broken.
But we are your church.
Empower us to be the people who step forward and lead the way by example,
in repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation in our society and culture.
To this end, we pray fervently for our president—
for his good health, for a calm heart, for a sense of your peace that frankly he has not demonstrated to date.
We pray for him, Lord, because he has evidently not experienced the kind of unconditional love and acceptance that you have lavished on most of us.
Raise up around him right now real friends,
the type who stand out when the chips are down, and the world turns away.
The type of friends to talk him off the ledge.
We pray for your grace, your peace and your acceptance to envelop President Trump.
And I for one repent of any gratuitous sentiments I felt or shared in my extreme relief yesterday.
Especially at this time, when the stakes for a peaceful transition are so high,
we as your people need to do better than that.
Forgive us and empower us to be your agents of mercy.
We also pray, Father for our president-elect Joe Biden and vice-president-elect Kamala Harris.
As they begin the transition to governing, we pray for their protection and good health,
and also for peace, for wisdom, for prudence and for humility
that they may govern this nation justly and help facilitate our healing as a unified society.
May our leaders be strengthened and blessed in every just endeavor
and may your people, your church, uphold them in our prayers and hold them accountable to their charge
that the body of Christ might be the conduit of your peace for our divided society—
sowing in peace and raising a harvest in righteousness.
Finally, holy Father, protect us, deliver us and continue to restore us into your divine plan
for living into the fullness of our calling and all that you designed us to be in your everlasting kingdom
in a renewed heaven and earth!
Amen