Tag Archive for "General election prayer"

Posts Tagged ‘General election prayer’

Against Domestic Insurrection

Posted on: January 7th, 2021 by Alden

This is a prayer in response to the rioting and attacks on the U.S. Capitol, an attack on the great history of the peaceful transition power in the United States of America.

Against Domestic Insurrection
Oh, my people,
What have we become as a nation?
And what will we become,
In the wake of violence and insurrection,
In the face of armed assault against our democracy?
Rioting. Criminality. Attempted coup.
Domestic terror fomented
By the lies, fear, and anger of a President.
Death and destruction in the Capitol.
This doesn’t happen in the United States.
But it did.
And it can again.

Woe to the land that teeters on the brink of fascism.
Woe to the people who stay silent.
Woe to the politician who cannot stand against this outrage.
Woe to us all as the tide of history turns against our Republic.

Shame on those who have hardened their hearts,
Shut their eyes,
Closed their minds,
And empowered those who
Attempt to banish justice
And free elections from our midst,
Those who bring swords and guns
Against our sovereign land.

Source and Shelter,
Grant safety and security
To the people and democracy of the United States of America.
Protect us from violence, rebellion, intimidation,
And attempts to seize our government.
Save us from domestic terror.
Save us from leaders who cannot say no to attacks
On our legacy and our future.

God of nations and history,
Let truth and justice resound
To the four corners of the earth.
Let the light of freedom
Shine brightly in the halls of power,
As a beacon of hope
For every land and every people.

Please check out my CCAR Press Grateful/Joyous/Precious trilogy. The individual books are: This Joyous Soul , This Grateful Heart, and This Precious Life. For reprint permissions and usage guidelines, see “Share the Prayer!” To receive my latest prayers via email, please subscribe (on the home page). You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter. For a taste of my teaching, see my ELItalk video, “Falling in Love with Prayer.”

Photo Source: WikiMedia Commons

For Wisdom during U.S. Presidential Elections

Posted on: October 6th, 2020 by Alden

Time to vote. Cast your vote wisely. The future depends on it. Then, pray that others will also think, vote, and act with the best interests of the United States and all citizens at heart. Here’s a related Psalm of Protest against voter suppression.

For Wisdom during U.S. Presidential Elections
G-d of Justice,
Protector and Redeemer,
Grant guidance to our nation
As we select leaders,
Members of the Senate,
Members of the House of Representatives,
And a President,
The people who promise
To uphold the Constitution,
To uphold our values,
To serve and to govern,
To bring prosperity to our land,
To protect our homes and secure our future.

Grant wisdom and courage to voters
To select a visionary President
And steadfast leaders,
People who will serve our citizens,
And all who reside within our borders,
With honor and integrity
To forge a flourishing and peaceful future.
Bless our future President with
Wisdom and strength,
Fortitude and insight,
Balanced by a deep humanity
And a love of peace,
Leading us to a time
When liberty and equality will
Reign supreme throughout the land.

G-d of Truth,
Source and Shelter,
Grant safety and security to all nations,
So that truth and harmony will resound
From the four corners of the earth.
Let the light of our U.S. democracy
Shine brightly,
A beacon of hope
For every land and every people.

Postscript: This prayer is based on “For Wisdom during Democratic Elections” and first appeared here on July 16, 2016.

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Photo Source: WikiMedia Commons

For Wisdom during Mid-Term Elections

Posted on: November 1st, 2018 by Alden

Go out to vote. With wisdom. And encourage others to vote, as well. Early mid-term voting is open in most U.S. states. This prayer has a much different tone than my Psalm of Protest 12, sung on the eve of an election.

For Wisdom during Mid-Term Elections
G-d of Justice,
Protector and Redeemer,
Grant guidance to our nation
As we select leaders
To serve and to govern,
The men and women who promise
To bring prosperity to our land,
The men and women who promise
To protect our homes and our democracy.

Grant wisdom and courage to voters
To entrust our government to visionaries,
To consensus builders and peacemakers,
To those luminaries who will serve our citizens –
And all who reside within our borders –
With honor and integrity
To forge a flourishing and peaceful future.

Bless our current and future government
With vision and strength,
Fortitude and insight.
May this new government lead us to a time
When liberty and equality will
Reign supreme throughout the land.

G-d of Truth,
Source and Shelter,
Grant safety and security to all nations,
So that truth and harmony will resound
From the four corners of the earth.
Let the light of our democracy
Shine brightly,
A beacon of hope
For every land and every people.

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Postscript: This is an adaptation of “For Wisdom during U.S. Primary Elections.”

Please check out my ELItalk video, “Falling in Love with Prayer,” and This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day. For reprint permissions and usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” To receive my latest prayers via email, please subscribe (on the home page). You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter.

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Voter Suppression: Psalm of Protest 12

Posted on: October 9th, 2018 by Alden

This Psalm of Protest is to be “sung on the eve of an election.” The third stanza quotes verses from Psalm 94. The fourth stanza echoes those lines with a modern voice and a modern response: a call to action. See also “Psalms of Protest 1, 2 and 3,” “Psalms of Protest 4, 5 and 6” and “Psalms of Protest 7 to 10.”

Voter Suppression: Psalm of Protest 12
A psalm of protest,
Sung on the eve of an election,
Before the seats of power.

What malice,
What cynicism,
What blatant manipulation of democracy,
To perpetrate injustice and pervert the will of the people!
Voter suppression.
Gerrymandering.
Turning a blind eye to attacks from hostile governments.
Woe to the usurpers who gain power falsely.

G-d of retribution, (Ps. 94:1-2)
G-d of retribution, appear!
Rise up, Judge of the earth.
Repay the arrogant what they deserve.
Can a corrupt throne be aligned with you? (Ps. 94: 20-21)
Can injustice be framed into law?

People of conscience,
People of conscience, appear!
Rise up to reclaim the ballot box,
Repay the deceitful,
Reject them and deny them office.
Will a corrupt government stand?
Will injustice be left unanswered?

Rise up, you of faith,
You of hope.
Rise up, to stand stalwart
Against threats to democracy.

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Postscript: See also “For Wisdom during Democratic Elections.”

Photo Source: Dayton Daily News

In Thanks for U.S. Democracy, Revised

Posted on: October 20th, 2016 by Alden

Unlike any other nation in history, the United States has a resilient system of electing leaders that consistently yields the peaceful transition of power, a system that’s being challenged by those currently in power. This is a simple prayer of thanksgiving for our democracy. Here’s a related prayer “For Wisdom during U.S. Presidential Elections.”

Addendum: I added reference to the 25th Amendment on Feb. 19, 2017, after seeing this video. In the wake of Covid-19 and social justice protests, I made further adjustments July 3, 2020.

In Thanks for U.S. Democracy
G-d of history,
We give thanks for the blessings
Of democracy in the United States,
Blessings unparalleled throughout the world.
No nation can match these gifts.

We give thanks:
For free and fair elections,
For the 15th Amendment,
For the 19th Amendment,
For the 25th Amendment,
For the Voting Rights Act,
For decentralized control of balloting,
For decentralized control of vote tallying,
For the peaceful transition of power,
For the two-party system,
For third party and independent candidates,
For robust debate and political compromise,
For patriotism above partisanship,
For the separation of power,
For leaders taking an oath of office,
For leaders taking an oath to serve the people,
For leaders taking an oath to defend the Constitution,
For a military and judges sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution,
For a free press and the right to assemble,
For three branches of government, two chambers of Congress, and the Supreme Court, our checks and balances,
For accountability to constituents,
And for one another, citizens of a great nation.

Let us cherish the right to select our government.
Let us cherish the right to select our representatives,
The national, state and local leaders
Who will steer our nation and guide our communities.
Our system is strong.
On election day, our voices are heard.
We, the People, are blessed.

Postscript: Like many prayers aimed at fostering gratitude, the core of this prayer is about recongnizing and counting our blessings. See also: “For Wisdom during U.S. Presidential Elections.”

Photo Source: Eagle Mountain Flag

For Wisdom during U.S. Presidential Elections

Posted on: July 28th, 2016 by Alden

Soon, we’ll cast our votes. When I posted a prayer “For Wisdom during U.S. Primary Elections,” some took offense at my dismay that Donald Trump might be nominated. Politics and prayer don’t mix, they said, missing the fact that my politics were claimed only in the introduction, not in the prayer itself. This is a prayer for wisdom, silent on politics. To me, however, there’s only one meaning: wisdom, experience and a life of public service (Hillary Clinton) must prevail over racism, misogyny, authoritarianism, xenophobia and bravado (Donald Trump).

For Wisdom during U.S. Presidential Elections
G-d of Justice,
Protector and Redeemer,
Grant guidance to our nation
As we select leaders,
Senators, Congresspersons and a President,
The men and women who promise
To uphold the Constitution,
To uphold our values,
To serve and to govern,
To bring prosperity to our land,
To protect our homes and secure our future.

Postscript: This prayer is based on “For Wisdom during Democratic Elections.”

Photo Source: WikiMedia Commons

Posts Tagged ‘General election prayer’

Against Domestic Insurrection

For Wisdom during U.S. Presidential Elections

For Wisdom during Mid-Term Elections

Voter Suppression: Psalm of Protest 12

In Thanks for U.S. Democracy, Revised

For Wisdom during U.S. Presidential Elections

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