A Prayer for the National Day of Prayer

If you find yourself wondering what to pray on the National Day of Prayer, here is a suggestion from a little booklet from 1994 entitled "Word, Kingdom & Spirit."

God our Father, Lord of heaven and earth
     You have come to us in your Son Jesus
     in whom all things hold together
     By your Spirit make us into a people
     who in words, works and wonders
     bear witness to the power and presence of your Kingdom

We confess that we have failed
     to live the Word we preach
     and in our brokenness
     we have torn apart
     the wholeness of your gospel

Give us the grace, O Lord
     to commit ourselves, as your body,
     to love our neighbor as a whole person
     in the costly woundedness of the cross
     and in the power of the resurrection

Grant us wisdom to commit ourselves
     to proclaim your good news to all people
     to care for your world
     and so to live that society is transformed
     by the daily renewal of the Spirit in us
     and by the power of the Kingdom

Make us one at the foot of the cross
     as we struggle to overcome the hostility
     that divides men and women, rich and poor
     young and old, races and nations

That the world may believe that Jesus is the Christ
     so that we may be liberated
     from the oppression of demonic powers
     and unjust social structures,
     and receive abundant life for the present
     and hope for the age to come.

Amen

[If you would like to read the entire booklet for yourself, it is: "Word, Kingdom & Spirit" published for Word, Kingdom & Spirit International Consultation by Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Centre for Community Studies Bhd, 1994. ISBN: 983-9796-02-X. This prayer is found on page 5.]