prayer for america

this is hilarious. i was asked to pray for my country today at the national day of prayer. i'm not usually comfortable in those scenarios, so i took some time and prepared. through a few hours of prayer and reflection i was able to pen something i truly feel and deeply believe.

only en route to the event did i discover my error. i had been asked to pray for my county, not my country.

i fessed up to the audience, telling them that perhaps god's providence could work through my stupidity.

who knows?

here is my prayer for america, the one i wrote by mistake:

Father - you are good. there is none higher, none better, no one who compares.

Yours is the name above every name.

You are the King of kings,

the Lord of lords,

and True God above all gods.

You tell us if we ‘remain in you, and your words in us, then we may ask for anything and it will be granted.’

Well...I’m asking.

I’m asking for an America I can be increasingly proud of

because I see us acting, collectively, to heal the world.

I’m asking to turn on the television and feel blessed every time I see our flag or hear our song.

I’m asking for opportunity for those who try,

who believe,

who dare,

who suffer,

who endure,

and who refuse to wallow

or wane

or be wasted in this life.

I’m asking for a place that feels like home to the world.

Safe.

Energetic.

Full of promise and hope

for those victims of despair and deceit,

hopelessness and broken promises.

I’m asking for my President to continually grow as a man of peace.

I’m asking for my government to be dominated by competent idealists

and self-sacrificing men and women

who roll up their sleeves,

put on their own pants,

and stay until things are put right.

There is no heaven for America - we are a country, not a soul - but I want to believe America can be heaven-on-earth for those who are tired of living in hell.

I want to believe there’s something worth fighting for:

Hospitality. Integrity. Virtue.

Justice. Hope. Peace.

And I want to believe we are, in fact, fighting for those things

and not for power, position, or profit.

Lord - I believe. Help me with my unbelief, as I co-operate with those who have sacrificed to make this the land of the free and home to the brave.

Amen.