A Prayerful Nation

“I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

In the wake of the recent tragedies from terrorism in Orlando, Florida and Turkey; and most recently a massacre in Dallas - I am reminded that we were once a nation under God. There was a time when we prayed as a whole for God’s instruction and intervention and were blessed by it. Today we are divided by race and religion. Instead of walking the path of true brotherhood we are killing one another and setting a most unfortunate precedent for our children who will grow in all of this hatred and division. God asks two things of us. That: 1. we love Him above all else, and that 2. we love one another. Two things which we are clearly not doing. Loving one another is as easy as prayer. A simple prayer. It doesn’t have to be complex or elegant but a simple prayer of love for each other.

We are all blessed as a family in Christ. We are spiritual siblings. I am a firm believer that my love for all is best expressed through prayer. Scripture tells us to pray for one another at all times. “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much,” (James 5:16) We are given access to people who are not our flesh and blood but nevertheless are like family. I have a spiritual family and praying for you is my privilege. One such prayer that I like to pray is the “Our Father” which brings believers together under the scope of one and the same God. Jesus taught us this prayer in Matthew 6:9-13:

Our Father, Who art in heaven
Hallowed be Thy Name;
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen.

“Grammatically, "our" qualifies a reality common to more than one person. There is only one God, and he is recognized as Father by those who, through faith in his only Son, are reborn of him by water and the Spirit. The Church is this new communion of God and men. United with the only Son, who has become "the firstborn among many brethren," she is in communion with one and the same Father in one and the same Holy Spirit. In praying "our" Father, each of the baptized is praying in this communion: "The company of those who believed were of one heart and soul," (CCC 2790).

“For this reason, in spite of the divisions among Christians, this prayer to "our" Father remains our common patrimony and an urgent summons for all the baptized. In communion by faith in Christ and by Baptism, they ought to join in Jesus' prayer for the unity of his disciples,” (CCC2791)

“Finally, if we pray the Our Father sincerely, we leave individualism behind, because the love that we receive frees us from it. The "our" at the beginning of the Lord's Prayer, like the "us" of the last four petitions, excludes no one. If we are to say it truthfully, our divisions and oppositions have to be overcome” (CCC 2792).

If we only humble ourselves and pray, God will heal us. It is of utmost importance that we hear this message with an attentive ear and follow its simple direction to bow down and pray. The hatred that stems from race and religion can only be healed in Christ. Only through prayer will we conquer this wickedness of division and become an abundant nation once again.

“My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land, (2 Chronicles 7:14).