A Prayer for Merciful Politics
This prayer was offered by Rick Barry as part of our May 22 Faith and Politics Prayer Call. You can sign up for future calls at the bottom of this page.
“For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, free of hypocrisy.”
God of Mercy,
You called the world into being out of your generosity. You created every living thing and actively give us every good gift. You send life-giving, seed-growing rain to the people who we think of as deserving and to the people we think of as undeserving. You are, in short, a God of pro-active, persistent, patient, and practical mercy.
And you made us to exist in your image. We are our truest, healthiest, selves—and your most dutiful and faithful and honest and effective ambassadors—when we think, speak and act in ways that reflect your character.
We want to reflect you at all times. In every dimension of our lives. Especially in the ways and places where who you are seems absolutely radical compared to what our people do and what our people have built.
And, Father, our civic life is one of those places.
Our politics is marked by ego, by jealousy, by selfish ambition, by competition, and by love of power. Those are too often the qualities we reward when we vote, when we donate, when we forward emails, when we decide what to read or watch or listen to, when we post or re-post online, when we talk with our friends and neighbors about the issues that concern them the most.
Forgive us for the ways in which we have rejected your wisdom—a wisdom that James says is marked by loving peace and bearing mercy. And forgive us all for the damage our failure to deliberately practice mercy in the public square has inflicted on our cities, our states and our country.
By the power of your Spirit and the support of our brothers and sisters, help your people in this country to resist the ways that politicians, political operatives and our political culture tempt us toward jealousy, toward selfish ambition, toward love of power and disdain for peace and mercy.
We want our neighbors to see your kingdom coming, no matter where in this world they look. Give your people the strength and courage to be people of mercy in a merciless place. To think, speak and act in ways that stand in stark contrast to the patterns of the world.
Let the way we act in the public square bring honor to your Son and bring shame to those who are at peace with the way things are.
We get to pray for this because we know your kingdom is coming, whether we win or lose. And we pray these things in the name of your son, who is the one bringing it with him.
Amen.
Rick Barry is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Center for Christian Civics.
Throughout the 2024 election season, the Center for Christian Civics will be leading twice-monthly prayer calls, featuring guided prayer for the complex relationship between faith and politics in a polarized era. To get reminder emails and login links about these calls, fill out the form below!