Almighty God, our Father, everything we see and everything we can’t see exists because of You alone. It all comes from You. It all belongs to You. It all exists for Your glory.
History is Your story. The Scripture tells us, “Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God. The Lord is One.” And You are the compassionate and merciful one. And You are loving to everyone You have made.
Now, today, we rejoice not only in America’s peaceful transfer of power for the 44th time. We celebrate a hingepoint of history with the inauguration of our first African American president of the United States. We are so grateful to live in this land, a land of unequaled possibility, where the son of an African immigrant can rise to the highest level of our leadership. And we know today that Dr. King and a great cloud of witnesses are shouting in heaven.
Give to our new President, Barack Obama, the wisdom to lead us with humility, the courage to lead us with integrity, the compassion to lead us with generosity. Bless and protect him, his family, Vice President Biden, the cabinet, and every one of our freely elected leaders.
Help us, O God, to remember that we are Americans, united not by race, or religion, or blood, but to our commitment to freedom and justice for all. When we focus on ourselves, when we fight each other, when we forget You, forgive us. When we presume that our greatness and our prosperity is ours alone, forgive us. When we fail to treat our fellow human beings and all the earth with the respect that they deserve, forgive us. And as we face these difficult days ahead, may we have a new birth of clarity in our aims, responsibility in our actions, humility in our approaches, and civility in our attitudes, even when we differ.
Help us to share, to serve and to seek the common good of all. May all people of goodwill today join together to work for a more just, a more healthy and a more prosperous nation and a peaceful planet. And may we never forget that one day all nations and all people will stand accountable before you. We now commit our new president and his wife, Michelle and his daughters, Malia and Sasha, into Your loving care.
I humbly ask this in the name of the one who changed my life, Yeshua, Isa, Jesús [Spanish pronunciation], Jesus, who taught us to pray:
“Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen."
In case you missed it yesterday, these were the words to the invocation delivered by Pastor Rick Warren at the inauguration of the new president of the United States of America, Barack Obama.
Change has certainly come to America and I join in praying for Barack Obama and his government to lead this country with wisdom, courage and compassion. And I pray that they will be mindful of the fact that they, just like anyone else, are accountable to God for their actions. May this truth spur them on to make good and God-honouring decisions for their country. May they recognise their own weakness and the fact that the solution to America's problems is not found in presidents, senators, economists, generals or soldiers. And may they come to know the truth that God honours those who honour Him.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.
The LORD looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men.
From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth.
He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works.
There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength.
An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.
Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;
To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.
Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield.
For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.
Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.
(Psalm 33:12-22)
