Prayer For Diversity
God of Love, Your Word declares that there is no Greek and Jew circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. Lord You do not regard a person's nationality because we are Your people regardless of the national identity we hold. I pray that I remember this when I encounter different people, I pray that I look not at an individual's nationality, but I pray that I see them as Your child, Amen.
Righteous Savior, I thank You for being an all-loving, faithful and everlasting God. Your Word says that You do not show favoritism because You do not prefer one nation over another. I pray that You renew my mind so that I can reflect Your love to all people. I pray that I embrace diversity and do not exclude people because of prejudices I hold in my heart. Have Your divine way in me, Amen.
Dear Lord, Your Word reveals to us that in Your kingdom there is an immeasurable amount of people from every nation, from all tribes and people; and from all languages. This diverse multitude are all worshipers of You who stand before the throne and before the lamb clothed in white robes crying out that salvation belongs to You. In heaven, there is diversity and inclusion, so let this be my mind-set here on earth too, Amen.
Oh God, in Your church is diversity as Your Word declares that just as the body, though one, has many parts to form one body, so it is with Christ. We were all baptized with one Spirit to form one body. Thank You for including everyone so that we could all contribute to being a reflection of You. I pray that I appreciate the diversity among my church brothers and sisters and embrace their different nationalities, talents, gifts etc, Amen.
God, thank you that you have made us different from one another. Thank you that you did not make one gender, but two. Thank you that you did make one race, but many. Thank you that we do not speak one language, but you can be praised in many languages. We thank you for the beauty of diversity.
But Lord, we confess that we have taken these beautiful differences and made them a means of oppression. Our country has a dark history of racism that has continual and ongoing effects today. We confess this sin and we cry out for your mercy. We confess the sin of sexism and allowing men and women to be treated differently. We confess how often conversations about diversity can be marked by judgmentalism. We confess a lack of listening. We confess the assertion of opinion instead of hearing from our hearts. God, we lament how we have used our differences to bring division. That is not how you intend things to be, but that is what has happened. We lament this. We grieve this. We grieve this as a country and we grieve this as your church. This is not how you have intended things to be and yet your church has so often been silent on this issue and allowed it to be co-opted by political pundits. We confess that as sin. We lament this. We grieve this.
We pray that you would unite us. We pray that you would bring us to your cross, which equalizes all of us. It is at your cross that we all equally receive your love and, as we receive that love ,we then love one another. And so Lord, we pray you would take us to your cross and keep us there. We want our diversity, our ability to appreciate and celebrate our differences, we want that to glorify you as the great God of unity. Lord Jesus we pray, as you prayed on the night before you died on the cross for our sins, we pray that you would make us one as you are one with the Father and Spirit. Unite us, so that the world might see the power of your love that can bring different people together with one shared bond. The bond of being brothers and sisters in the family of God through faith in Jesus. Lord, would you do this and would you start this with each one of us individually.
Amen.
Loving God,
We thank You for we are richly blessed with a world of diversity and beauty. Thank You for giving us opportunities to share and celebrate diversity. As human beings, You have given us minds to explore and learn as we move together through a world of varied cultures, customs and languages. There are estimated to be over seven and a half billion people in the world, and we are all accepted by You. We are all held by your Love. Please fill our hearts with your Love so that your light may shine through each one of us.
Amen.
O God,
you created all people in your image.
We thank you for the astonishing variety
of races and cultures in this world.
Enrich our lives by ever-widening circles of friendship,
and show us your presence
in those who differ most from us,
until our knowledge of your love is made perfect
in our love for all your children;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Almighty God, through your Holy Spirit you created unity in the midst of diversity;
We acknowledge that human diversity is an expression of your manifold love for your creation;
We confess that in our brokenness as human beings we turn diversity into a source of alienation, injustice, oppression, and wounding.
Empower us to recognize and celebrate differences as your great gift to the human family.
Enable us to be the architects of understanding, of respect and love;
Through the Lord, the ground of all unity, we pray.