Let Us Pray - National Day of Prayer

Dear Black Seminarians,

Let us pray. But before we do, let's talk about the National Day of Prayer, which falls on the first Thursday in May every year and has a long and complicated history. While this day is meant to be a time for people of all faiths to come together and pray for our nation, our leaders, and our communities, it has often excluded the voices of marginalized communities.

The National Day of Prayer was first established by Congress in 1952, during a time when America was grappling with the aftermath of World War II and the onset of the Cold War. The idea behind the National Day of Prayer was to unite the country in prayer and to demonstrate America's commitment to God and to the values of freedom and democracy. But if we are committing the country to God, where is the religious freedom in that? Hence why the history of this day is also a history of exclusion and marginalization. For many years, the National Day of Prayer was organized and led by conservative Christians, and the prayers that were offered often reflected a narrow and exclusionary view of faith.

Today, The Black Seminarians Table will be participating in the National Day of Prayer in a new way. We are coming together to liberate this day from its problematic history and to make it a more inclusive and representative event. We are committed to showing up for our people and ensuring that all voices are heard and valued. As black seminarians, we should must deeply aware of the challenges facing our communities. We must know that the issues of racial injustice, economic inequality, and political polarization are complex and deeply entrenched. But we also know that prayer is a powerful tool for healing and transformation.

So today, as we come together to pray on the National Day of Prayer, let us remember our history, but let us also look forward to a new and more inclusive future. Let us pray with open hearts and open minds, and let us be committed to the work of liberation and justice for all.

Let Us Pray:

Loving and gracious G/g-d, on this National Day of Prayer, we come to you with open hearts and minds, seeking your guidance and wisdom from the ancestors. We thank you for the gift of religious freedom, which allows us to express our faith in our own unique ways. We also thank you for the gift of liberation and justice and for the opportunity to amplify the voices of the margins.

Today, we lift up the black seminarians who are pursuing their education in the face of systemic injustice and oppression. We ask that you be with us every step of the way and give us the courage and strength to overcome any obstacles that we may face. We pray that our pursuit of knowledge and faith will be filled with joy and that they will find support and encouragement from their community.
We also lift up the voices of those who have been marginalized and oppressed and ask that you give them the strength and courage to speak their truth. May their voices be heard and amplified, and may their stories inspire us to work for a world that is just and equitable for all.

We pray for our leaders that they may be guided by your wisdom and filled with your compassion. May they work tirelessly to ensure that all people, regardless of race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation, are treated with dignity and respect.
Finally, we ask that you bless our communities with unity and love and that we may come together to support one another in our pursuit of liberation and justice. May our prayers and actions be guided by your love and grace, and may we work tirelessly to build a world that reflects your values of compassion, justice, and equity.

We ask all this in the name of love and justice; we pray. Amen and Asé