This week’s prayer is rooted in passages from the New Testament book of Ephesians, chapter 4.
“I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle;
“Be patient, bearing with one another in love.”
“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”
“Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”
“Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.”
“Be kind and compassionate to one another.”
“Forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Please join us as we pray for a change in the President for the Common Good.
The prayers are structured in seven parts for use daily for the week.
Prayer 1 – Be humble and gentle.
Gracious God of all, we ask for a spirit of gentleness from this President. We know that gentleness is not a weakness, and we pray that he would know this as well. It seems evident to many of us that this President resists leading with a spirit of humility. We ask for humility and gentleness in him for the common good.
Prayer 2 – Be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Gracious God of all, we ask for a spirit of patients from this President. We know the call of every leader is to care for people in ways of love. We pray that he would know this as well. And, that he would recognize the importance of his role providing steady, caring leadership, not flippant erratic statements and behavior. We ask for patience from him for the common good.
Prayer 3 – Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
Gracious God of all, we ask for a spirit of unity from this President. We know the power a leader of our country can have to bring people together for acts of greatness and generosity. We pray he would know this as well. And that he would understand his role as President not as a divider but as a wise leader who can draw on the nation’s spirit of peace. We ask for unity from him for the common good.
Prayer 4 – Put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor.
Gracious God of all, we ask for a spirit of truthfulness from this President. We are well acquainted with his lies, distortions, and exaggerations. We know the damage that comes from leaders who traffic in falsehoods. We pray he would take seriously his responsibility to speak truthfully to us as his neighbors and fellow citizens. We ask for truthfulness from him for the common good.
Prayer 5 – Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, brawling, and slander, along with every form of malice.
Gracious God of all, we ask for a changed spirit in this President. We witness his hostility toward those who question him. We hear him calling people derogatory names. We listen to him spreading slanderous accusations against citizens of this country. We know that we are all harmed when leaders devolve into bitterness, anger, and malice. We pray he would be rid of all of these for the common good.
Prayer 6 – Be kind and compassionate to one another.
Gracious God of all, we ask for a compassionate spirit from this President. We assign great respect and influence to the office of the Presidency and expect him to use that role to set a positive example. We see this President acting arrogantly when he does not follow protocols of social distancing and wearing a mask in public, which are designed to keep us all safe during this Covid-19 pandemic. We pray he would live and lead in kindness and compassion for the common good.
Prayer 7 – Forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Gracious God of all, we ask for a spirit of forgiveness in us for this President. We have seen his personal failures in fulfilling his role as President. We have witnessed his antipathy toward the “better angels of our nature.” We have grown frustrated with his dismissal of acts of humility, patience, truthfulness, and kindness. We know the power of forgiveness. We pray he would also know the power of forgiveness and will seek your forgiveness and change his ways for the common good.