O Thou who art as the shadow of a mighty rock in a weary land,
Comfort our distraught, distracted, and bewildered Nation.
Enable us to discern Thy judgements and Thy grace in the distress, confusion, and anxiety of our time.
Keep us from cynicism.
Hold us steady in honor,
Peaceful in integrity,
Steadfast in faith,
Confident in truth and justice,
Assured in judgment,
And patient in tribulation.
Quicken our conscience.
Sharpen our wits.
Deepen our discernment.
Fortify our wills in all good purposes.
Sustain us, that we grow not weary in well-doing,
And renew a right spirit within us.
May Thy strength be made perfect in our weakness.
Deliver us from self-righteousness.
Save us from hypocrisy.
Purify by Thy mercy what we have spoiled by our wickedness.
Purge us of the vanity that frustrates our councils.
Bestow upon our leaders and our people the clarity
of wisdom, the courage of conviction, the humor
of kindness.
Champion the defenseless.
Protect the innocent.
Guide the confused.
Uphold those who are despairing.
Confound the treacherous.
Expose the false.
Subdue the proud.
Teach us to cherish all that is wholesome, lovely,
and of good report.
Confirm in us what is true, and right, and virtuous,
Lead us out of our wilderness
Into a quiet land,
Worthy of the few who dreamed it, the many who died
for it, and all who continue to hope in it.
Through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Until his death in 2009, R. Maurice Boyd was pastor of The City Church in New York City.
