A Prayer against Racism
By Emma Danzey
"Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”'" - Mark 12:29-31
No matter where we are in the world, the adverse effects of racism are evident. There is partiality and prejudice in every town. Whether it is cultural differences, family heritage, or physical genetics, people can be easily persuaded to create barriers between others who are different. As believers in Jesus, we attempt to model Christ in how we live. God commands us to show love to our neighbors and all people.
It is easy to judge, thinking other people need prayers for their racism. However, we have all sinned against others, having considered or shown partiality. Today, as we pray, let's ask the Holy Spirit to work in our world and within our own sinful hearts.
Let's pray:
Our Creator God,
Thank You for making men and women in Your image. You have created us, each unique with various cultures, colors, and backgrounds. We praise You that just as You made different types of land, bodies of water, various plants, colorful animals, and many stars and galaxies, You made people intentionally diverse. Thank You for being creative and making each of us in Your image, bearing the beauty of who You are as our Maker. Thank You that we get to model You in the way that we are unifiers and love each other well for Your glory. You say in Romans 2:11 that You do not show favoritism.
We pray today against all forms of racism. We acknowledge that sin is very real in this world, and the enemy would love to taint and tear apart the beauty of Your creation. We pray those who have hate in their hearts towards others against their background or color would come to the point of conviction and realize You have made all people in Your image. We pray You would open their eyes to see that everyone deserves Your love, grace, and kindness.
Forgive us for when we misjudged others and had racist or hateful thoughts, words, or actions. We confess that these decisions are directly sinful against You and our neighbor. We know this goes against Your commandment to love You and to love people. Lord, help us to be better representatives of who You are. We pray You will mend the damage we have caused through the power of the work of the Holy Spirit. We ask that You redeem the areas of brokenness and sin we have caused to hurt others and cause division.
Transform our hearts. Move within the church. Where we have modeled segregationist or separation due to differences in culture or color, we ask for forgiveness and reconciliation. We pray boldly for unity, peace, and clarity as we seek You for direction in any areas that need healing. Thank You to the leaders, pastors, and congregants actively pursuing to create spaces of unity where there has been division. We pray that You would continue to guard Your people against falling into the temptation to divide due to preferences of style or what they have known in the past. May we always stand by your Word and live it out even when challenging or uncomfortable. We praise You that we are not alone in this battle. We thank You for being with us as we learn, listen, and grow. Guide us in every decision with the Bible and by Your Holy Spirit.
Help us to prepare for our future in heaven. You say in Revelation 7:9 that there is a great multitude no one can count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and the Lamb. We praise You that Your people come from every tribe and nation. In Your glorious name, Jesus. Amen.
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