Almighty and everlasting God, who hast given unto us thy servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of thy Divine Majesty to worship the Unity: We beseech thee that thou wouldst keep us steadfast in this faith and worship, and bring us at last to see thee in thy one and eternal glory, O Father; who with the Son and the Holy Spirit livest and reignest, one God, for ever and ever.
Grant us, O Lord, not to mind earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to cleave to those that shall abide; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.As we remember the terrible events of 9/11 and the Benghazi attack that killed our civil servants last year, we mourn the presence of evil, plead for the grace and redemptive power of the resurrected and reigning Lord Jesus to heal broken hearts, wounded spirits, and thaw the winter of political coldness that would deny the reality of terrorized citizens in need of acknowledgment and care. Grant bold moral leadership to our political leaders to navigate the darker human impulses that would trade the tears of a grieving mother for a popularity poll point or the hollow eyes of a fatherless child for a calculated score against an opponent across the aisle. Help our leaders to lead from magnanimous conviction rather than Machiavellian calculation; by self-effacing prayer rather than self-absorbed politics; so that Thou art glorified in honor and we discover that true dignity is only achieved in due submission to Thee as the Almighty Creator and Lord of all.
Therefore, on this day of remembrance of 9/11, we confess our sins, appeal to Thy mercy, pray for the heavenly balm of the Holy Spirit for those souls who still mourn, appeal for a pouring out of Spirit-saturated revival in Thy Church, and plead for some sense of victory of righteousness over evil in this life, that we may taste a portents of that Promised Land—that Paradise Regained—that Eternal Life without malice, without tears, without suffering, and without death, in the New Heaven and New Earth, through Jesus Christ our Lord who ever lives with Thee O Father and the Holy Spirit, One God now and forevermore. Amen.
I offer a David Foster and Carol Bayer-Sager standard that became a veritable anthem after 9/11: The Prayer performed in this video clip by the Welsh mezzo soprano Katherine Jenkins. The song is not a Christian hymn, but I found it so compelling after 9/11. It reminded us that there is only safety in God. It became a tremendous opportunity in the weeks that followed to share Jesus Christ as the One Surety in this life and the next, the only hope for our nation and our world. We named the God of The Prayer as Christ Jesus. Today we name Him again: Lord of our protection now and forever.
Note: Use of this video is not an endorsement in any way of performers. Use is for artistic value.