Isaiah 26:3 (KJV) “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee.”
I have walked in many magnificent cathedrals the world over, heard emotionally passionate artisans play gorgeous pipe organs, and have been inspired by articulate and creative pastors. Until my own church closed due to the pandemic, never before have I been so in awe of our own Washington National Cathedral and its loving and caring pastors and other clergy from many denominations and non-denominational American churches, mosques, and synagogues.
The National Cathedral was built so that all may have a place to pray in times of sorrow and in times of celebrations. God has many names, but He answers all our prayers, regardless of our religions. He gives us peace; all He asks of us is that we love Him. It is for this reason, prayer, that I write this blog.
Since the beginning of 2021, my faith and that of many Americans has been tested as violence, corruption, and an attempt to overthrow the government sought to destroy what all of us love and in deed, need: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. As we struggled with America going in the wrong direction for far too long, our National Cathedral has provided a place to bring our prayers and supplications. Its pastors have sought to heal our souls through a multi-religious organization of varied faiths. Nightly virtual services were organized by the dean, The Very Reverend Randolph Marshall Hollerith and The Right Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde, bishop of the Washington, D.C. Episcopal diocese. Highlighting the prayers of many pastors from many denominations of churches and non-denominational churches from across our country, each night brought a peace and serenity I have been needing throughout the past year. What follows is my own prayer based on the prayers I heard on those nights.
A Healing Prayer
O Lord, grant us healing from hatred, lies, and self-pride.
Bring us peace and unity for none are truly free until all are free.
Help us to be worthy of our past and blessed for our future.
Make our priorities be Your priorities.
Stop the arrogance and boastful hatred so that we can tear down the walls between us and build a loving country.
Help us to see each other with new eyes of truth, hope, and love.
Grant us wisdom in all situations and help us to live up to the responsibilities You have given us.
Heal the divisions and inequalities of our nation with justice and peace.
Grant us the courage to walk through the chaotic darkness to the brighter light of truth.
Affirm that all Your children matter and help us to remain true to our American values and our native land.
Help us to surrender to You, the only permanent Being, and to be blessed with Your love.
Grant us Your spirit under the banner of peace and love.
By Your will, grant us Your loving mercy.
Guide us as we seek to overcome fear and violence and help us to be peace seekers.
Grant wisdom, strength, and courage to our leaders so that we may all know the truth.
Send us partners to help shoulder the responsibilities, sustain us through our trials, and inspire us to desire a better nation.
Following You, O Lord, help us to speak Your words of love, compassion, hope, and grace.
Let our lights shine as a nation so that the world will know our good works.
Transform the divisions of many into unity for all so that we may forgive as You have forgiven us.
Call to us, Lord, and we will draw closer to You.
Help us to not be overcome by evil but help us to overcome evil with Your love.
Lord, we know for peace to exist, we have to be at peace with ourselves. Teach us to rely on Your strength and to accept the responsibility for our nation.
Just as darkness cannot drive out darkness, so the light is the only way to the truth. Help us to know the only true peace is the presence of justice.
Help us to live and speak Your truth so that we can learn how to love.
Forgive our nation’s short comings and grant us wisdom, steadfastness, mercy, justice, and good will so that we may heal our nation.
Guide us forward and do not allow us to return to lawless chaos.
Lies exist only a little while; truthful speech abides forever. Help us to abide in Your truth and peace so that we can be set free to love and care for one another.
Help us to respect and revere all so that we can become eloquent, courageous, and joyful followers of Your will.
Winter always turns to spring, not to autumn. Bring light out of the darkness and grant us the warmth of a new life, a new spring.
Open our hearts and mercifully grant Your love and grace according to Your will.
Help us, Lord, to be a justice-driven, multi-racial democracy that heals through the truth and that makes caring our highest responsibility.
Unite us as one, Lord, so that we may find our way together in love.
Help us to repair the breaches between us so that we can move forward, victorious over the evil of the world.
A great nation is a compassionate nation. Grant us, O Lord, the courage, strength, determination, and caring to do everything in love. With love, we will become One Nation under You once again. Amen.
From my perspective, the beginning of so much discontent in our country was the pandemic. It caused the hearts and minds of many to become overwhelmed with darkness. As peoples’ faiths were tested, so were their souls. However, on January 19, 2021, our new administration made known their highest goal was to bring this disease under control. Along the Reflecting Pool in Washington were placed 400 lights to represent the 400,000 people lost to the disease. The National Cathedral tolled 40 times for those souls, and “Amazing Grace” was heard once again around our nation’s capital. Into this “Tribute to Our Angels,” Vice President-elect, Kamala Harris, and President-elect, Joseph Biden, offered these words. “Grieving by ourselves, help us to become united in Your spirit so that we may cherish our simple times together, and our imaginations may be led by new possibilities.” To those words, Joseph Biden added: “To heal, we must remember the hard times. Help us, as a nation, to shine the light onto the darkness so that we may walk in Your light and follow Your way. Amen.”
Anna Hartt
