May-June 1997
ONE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS
A Prayer for Unity
One nation, under God
by J. Michael Feazell
Our Loving and Merciful Father,
By your infinite grace we come together on this National Day of Prayer, united in faith before your throne of mercy, lifting our collective voices to you in full assurance of your salvation, praying for your work to be done in our nation, in our states and in our cities.
As we pray, we see ourselves standing in need of repentance. As we pray for cleansing, for peace and for unity in our land, we realize that you call on us to set the pace in the name of our Lord and Savior.
We realize that we, as Christian churches of varying denominations, theologies, histories, emphases, distinctives and backgrounds have fallen short, in so many ways, of the true peace you give so freely in Jesus Christ.
In our weakness, we pray for your strength, that we might lay aside our pride and humble ourselves, realizing that as members of the body of Jesus Christ we are indeed united with all who believe in him.
We know that you have called your children to walk in freedom, but not in self-serving independence, because by your grace manifest in our precious Savior, we are all members of one body--his body.
We praise you, Lord, for making us members of one body by one Spirit. We pray for zeal to walk in the unity of the faith that the Spirit provides.
We pray for the will and the resolve to work for unity, allowing our diversity to be a source of strength and vitality rather than a source of division.
Help us to remember what unites us as your people: faith in your Son, Jesus Christ, and the unifying power of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us.
Help us to focus not on ourselves but on you: the supreme giver of life and the author of eternal salvation to all who believe.
Help us to lift our voices to you in united prayer in the midst of the kingdom of this world as a faithful barrier against the encroachment of evil in our community, against the destruction of the families in our land, against the division, the prejudices, the hatreds, the rivalries and all those instruments of evil over which we have been given the victory through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
We bow before you, having nothing to offer you, grateful for your mercy toward us and for the power of your Spirit as you lead us to stand in the gap, united in Jesus.
Help us to blaze the trail of peace and harmony in our cities by beginning with ourselves, laying aside our own divisions and strife as we follow in the footsteps of the Master.
Grant us your grace through your Spirit.
Jesus prayed that his disciples would be one, and all in whom your Spirit dwells by your grace are indeed one.
We pray for the power to live like it, that we might be the light of the world and the salt of the earth you made us to be.
We thank you for never leaving nor forsaking us as you draw us ever deeper into the joy and power of your kingdom.
In the name of Jesus our Lord, our Savior, the Head of the body, who brings good news to the poor, who proclaims release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, and who lets the oppressed go free, we dedicate this day, our land and ourselves, to you.
Amen.
The National Day of Prayer will be held on May 1. For more information about how the day will be observed across the nation, contact the National Day of Prayer Task Force at (719) 531-3379 or fax (719) 548-4520.