(RNS6-JAN07) The Rev. Wilfredo DeJesus is pastor of New Life Covenant Ministries in Chicago and served as an adviser to Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. For use with RNS-10-MINUTES, transmitted Jan. 7, 2009. Religion News Service photo courtesy C. Rivera-Burgos/Heavenly Shots Photography.
(RNS6-JAN07) The Rev. Wilfredo DeJesus is pastor of New Life Covenant Ministries in Chicago and served as an adviser to Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. For use with RNS-10-MINUTES, transmitted Jan. 7, 2009. Religion News Service photo courtesy C. Rivera-Burgos/Heavenly Shots Photography.
(RNS6-JAN07) The Rev. Wilfredo DeJesus is pastor of New Life Covenant Ministries in Chicago and served as an adviser to Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. For use with RNS-10-MINUTES, transmitted Jan. 7, 2009. Religion News Service photo courtesy C. Rivera-Burgos/Heavenly Shots Photography.
(RNS6-JAN07) The Rev. Wilfredo DeJesus is pastor of New Life Covenant Ministries in Chicago and served as an adviser to Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. For use with RNS-10-MINUTES, transmitted Jan. 7, 2009. Religion News Service photo courtesy C. Rivera-Burgos/Heavenly Shots Photography.
(Editor’s note: Religion News Service tried, but was unsuccessful, to solicit an inaugural prayer from a Muslim leader.)
WASHINGTON-President-elect Barack Obama drew heavy criticism from gay rights groups when he tapped California megachurch pastor Rick Warren to pray at his upcoming Jan. 20 inauguration after Warren campaigned for a state constitutional amendment that banned gay marriage.
Religion News Service asked several religious leaders what they would have prayed for if they had been asked. Some responses have been edited for length and clarity:
“Lord God Almighty, you are the author and initiator of change. Today, we stand on the precipice of change, faced with war, as well as economic, environmental, and immigration crises. Yet as in the words of Martin Luther King, Jr.: “Let us not wallow in the valley of despairâÂ?¦ even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow,” may we hold on to our dreams.
Our country was founded on the dream of brave Americans, and throughout our history, you have raised up prophetic men and women to help us stay the course. Humbly, we ask for the strength to put our hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day-one of freedom and peace.
We pray for our new leader, President Barack Obama. Our hope as a nation does not rest on him, but on you alone, Lord. And yet, we pray he would be a man of his word and remain faithful to the promises he has made. May he walk with integrity. Bless him with a double portion of your anointing, with courage and wisdom to lead this great country towards peace.
We also pray for our nation, that we would not be divided by our past but be united by your purpose and plan for our future. May we realize our potential as one nation under God, according to our ideals of liberty and democracy. May we pursue our dreams in this land of opportunity.
In this time of great turbulence and change, we give all the glory and honor to the one who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We surrender all these things in Jesus name, Amen.”
-The Rev. Wilfred De Jesus, pastor of New Life Covenant Ministries in Chicago, and an adviser to Barack Obama’s presidential campaign.
“Known by many names and called upon in many languages, we stand before You, God, as one nation.
The Psalmist declares that the heavens belong to you, and that you have given the Earth to humanity. Strengthen this president, vice president, and each of us to be good stewards of this planet and our country.
Help us remain honest in all of our actions, honoring our past and being open to new ideas, nurturing the dignity of human life, and remaining ever hopeful about the future of our country and our ability to achieve continued greatness as a nation.
We ask for physical strength, moral courage, and humility in our application of both. We pray that this president, vice president, and each of us find blessing and success as we move forward from this historic moment. And we pray that all people know peace and prosperity soon in our days.”
-Rabbi Brad Hirschfield, president of CLAL-The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership.
“We bow before you as the one, true, living God.
In a world of confusion, you are the way. In a world of political correctness, you are the truth. In a world of death, you are eternal life.
Thank you for our freedom which has not come easily, and is even now being defended by the courageous sacrifice of those willing to lay down their lives. May we never abuse it or take it for granted.
Protect us from enemies outside our borders and from the sinful influences that have torn down the barriers of safety around our hearts and minds.
Restore our families, schools, churches, and communities: that parents would step up as leaders; pastors would shepherd their flocks; teachers would impart wisdom with their instruction; and individuals would take responsibility for their own lives.
We ask that you would bless President Obama with wisdom to make decisions that are right; courage to stand against that which is wrong; innovative ideas to solve problems; heartfelt compassion to meet human needs; patience to respectfully work out differences; counselors who speak the truth; family members and friends who love, encourage and support him.
Give our new president a powerful, fresh encounter with yourself, so that on your behalf, he would exercise kindness, justice, and righteousness in this nation, and in the world.
Most of all, we pray that we would be reminded that the change we long for, and the change we can truly believe in, is in the human heart as we turn in repentance and trust to you. Give our country the strength, the power, and the means to live out your will to your glory.
In the name of your son, our savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.”
-Author and speaker Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of evangelist Billy Graham.
“Loving God, who created all of us in your image, today you remind us of your truth:
That those who were poor can be made rich;
That those who were on the margins can stand proudly in the center;
That those who were considered outcasts, or worthless, or undignified, are in fact essential, have abundant worth, and possess infinite dignity because they are your beloved sons and daughters.
You remind us that the stones that the builders rejected can become the cornerstones. Help us remember, God, that with you all things are possible. Amen.”
-The Rev. James Martin, associate editor of America magazine and author of “My Life With the Saints.”
“Righteous God, heavenly father, we give you praise and declare that your mercy endures forever. In the midst of moral relativism, a global war on terror, economic uncertainty, social injustice and strife, we declare that what America needs most is a fresh move of God’s Holy Spirit.
Let the spirit of truth move from New York to Los Angeles, from Dallas to St. Paul. Let the spirit of freedom sound the alarm of righteousness and justice, from Wall Street to Main Street, from our classrooms to the courtrooms.
As we give you the glory for the election of Barack Obama, Almighty God, we pray that all Americans come together: black, white, Hispanic, Asian. Let us unite under the canopy of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
We stand against the voices that attempt to draw us apart and commit ourselves to focusing on what holds us together: our love of God, family and country. Let this generation arise as the firewall against the spirit of violence, poverty, death and injustice.
Lord, we present unto thee Barack Obama. Cover, protect and anoint him as he leads the charge in defense of faith, family and freedom. At the end of the day, Lord, may we declare thy kingdom come, thy will be done. For the kingdom of God is not red state or blue state, man or woman, native or immigrant, but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. We hereby consecrate Barack Obama as president of the United States. In the name above all names we pray, Amen.”
-The Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference
“Oh God, we find ourselves in a moment of both excitement and worry, the paradox of hope and pain. Many tired souls have been lifted up by the promise and possibility that lies before our nation and the hopes of a new generation are giving strength and encouragement to many.
But it is also a time of great fear and growing pain as our economic crisis threatens the future, leaving many of us vulnerable. We are faced with the challenge to celebrate hope in the midst of insecurity and uncertainty.
We turn to you, oh Lord, in a time of shifting sand to put our trust on a rock that will not be moved. Teach us the lessons of putting false hopes in the material world, and forgive us for succumbing to the allures of consumption and greed.
May this structural crisis reveal our spiritual crisis and cause us to repent of all that led us to this place. Change us, renew us, and remind us of what is truly important. May we learn that the common good is our own good. Quicken our hearts for the most vulnerable in our country and world, and help us to remember that each of us is a precious child of God.”
-The Rev. Jim Wallis, founder of Sojourners/Call to Renewal
“We meditate on the transcendental glory of the deity supreme, who is inside the heart of the earth, inside the life of the sky and inside the soul of the Heaven. May he stimulate and illuminate our minds.
Lead me from the unreal to the real; lead me from darkness to light; lead me from death to immortality.
Fulfill all your duties; action is better than inaction. Even to maintain your body, you are obliged to act. Selfish action imprisons the world. Act selflessly, without any thought of personal profit.
Strive constantly to serve the welfare of the world; by devotion to selfless one attains the supreme goal of life. Do your work with the welfare of others always in mind.
May we be protected together. May we be nourished together. May we work together with great vigor. May our study be enlightening. May no obstacle arise between us.
United your resolve, united your hearts, may your spirits be at one, that you may long together dwell in unity and concord!
Peace, peace, peace be unto all.”
-Rajan Zed of Reno, Nev., who in 2007 became the first Hindu clergyman to offer the opening prayer at the U.S. Senate.
