Throughout the Scriptures, God calls His people to pray for their communities and their leaders, and we do just that regularly in our life together. In our Eucharistic service each Sunday we pray for “our nation, for those in authority, and for all those in public service.” In Morning and Evening Prayer we pray: “O Lord, guide those who govern us; and lead us in the way of justice and truth.”
As we come to the day of inauguration in Washington D.C. next week during a time of great national anxiety, we believe the Lord is calling us to join together as a family to pray with one voice for our nation and government.
Our fervent hope is that as many of us as possible can come together in prayer, in one or more of the following ways:
Daily Midday Five-Minute Prayer
Take five minutes (or more) between noon and 12:30 on weekdays, January 14-22, to pray for our nation in this hour. We will be posting a short Scripture passage on Facebook each day and I would suggest that we use that Scripture as a prompt for our prayers. The diocesan staff prays daily at midday each year – so in your five-minute vigil we will be together in prayer across New England.
48 Hour Prayer Vigil: Beginning at 8 pm, January 18.
We would encourage as many of us as possible to sign up to pray during our 48 Hours of Prayer starting at 8 pm, Monday, January 18, and ending at 8 pm on Wednesday, January 20. If you need suggestions to prime or guide your prayers, there are a number of appropriate prayers in the Occasional Prayer section of the Book of Common Prayer (pp. 642-683). You can also find these prayers on the ACNA website. Follow the “More” link on the home page to “Resources.” A link to sign up for a specific prayer slot will be sent out in the coming days.
Zoom Worship & Prayer Event
Join me and Elena for a concluding time of worship and prayer via Zoom at 8:00 pm on January 20. A zoom link will be sent out as we approach Inauguration Day.
Watchman Nee, a Chinese pastor, theologian, and author wrote: “Our prayers lay the track down on which God’s power can come. Like a mighty locomotive, His power is irresistible, but it cannot reach us without rails.”
May the Lord bless us all as we pray together.
In His great love,
Bishop Andrew & Elena Williams
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