The following prayer is part of a larger article, “After” originally posted on our partner website from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship.
This prayer was written for the Sunday after the presidential election in the United States but could be adapted for other contexts.
Before praying, prompt those gathered to respond to the petition,
“May your kingdom come” with
“your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
Creator of the universe,
Lord of this time and place,
we come before you today declaring
that you’ve got the whole world in your hand.
We look forward to the day when you return.
May your kingdom come,
your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
You see those gathered here in person and online.
You see our concerns and our fears.
You see those of us who are unemployed or underemployed,
those who are struggling at school, are bullied, or feel the need to bully others.
You see those of us who are lonely,
those struggling with mental health
or other chronic conditions that are not easily seen.
You see those of us whose illnesses we know
and those of us who are recovering from or anticipating surgery.
You see those of us who are grieving.
Lord, you see all of this, and your heart breaks.
Today we especially pray for
[include your own prayers].
May your kingdom come,
your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Lord of all,
you see the conflicts, the horrors of war, poverty, and hunger.
You see the refugee, the unhoused, and the outcast.
You see, and your heart breaks.
Forgive us for the part we play.
Today we pray especially for
[include your own prayers].
May your kingdom come,
your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Sovereign God,
you see the political turmoil of our own country.
You see the joy of those whose candidate won.
You see the anger and fear of those whose candidate lost.
You see our actions, hear the words we speak about others, and know our thoughts.
You see the division and the mistrust, even among believers.
You see, and your heart breaks.
Forgive us for the part we play.
[include your own prayers].
May your kingdom come,
your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
This is not your desire for the world,
and as Christians, you have called us to join the Holy Spirit
in setting the world aright—
to build your kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.
Help us, your people, to emulate Christ,
doing nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit,
but in humility value others above ourselves,
not looking to our own interests
but to the interests of the others (Philippians 2:3-4, adapted).
And in so doing,
may your kingdom come,
your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
In these contentious times, may our thoughts and actions
be worthy of the name Christian.
May we be identified by our fruits—by love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).
Through the fruits that we bear,
may your kingdom come,
your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Whether or not we are happy with those who are in power
or the decisions they make,
you call us to respect them and pray for them.
And so today we pray for all our elected officials.
[Name specific officials.]
May you sustain them and protect them.
Surround them with wise voices,
and instill in them a listening ear.
Help them not to think of their own interests
or to be swayed by the interests of those with money or power,
but rather to truly serve the many and varied people who call this nation home.
May they use the power and authority they have been given
to bring about the flourishing of all,
domestically and around the world,
and in so doing may your kingdom come,
your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Lord, you have called us to work for peace—
for a world in which all people can flourish side by side.
You call us to work toward a world where all people
have access to health care, food, clean water, and housing.
You call us to work toward a world where children do not know what war is,
where they do not grow up surrounded by death and destruction.
We desire such a place for ourselves, our loved ones, and for those we do not know.
We recognize that sometimes we have different ideas for how to achieve this.
Teach us to work together.
We admit that sometimes doing your work brings us into conflict
with the actions and policies of governments and other organizations.
When that is the case, we ask you for wisdom and guidance
to know how to work to bring about change through nonviolent and peaceful ways—
ways that do not destroy or diminish others.
Let us be known by our fruit even in our acts of protest.
May all we do and say be in step with your Spirit
and so in this way,
may your kingdom come,
your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
We pray all this in the name of our triune God.
for to you belongs the kingdom,
glory, and honor,
for ever and ever. Amen.
—Joyce Borger, Reformed Worship © 2024 Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercial-ShareAlike. Used by permission.
Read the full article here: After