January 20th, 2009 Inaugural Invocation – Dr Rick Warren
“Almighty God, Our Father, everything we see and everything we can’t see
exists because of You alone. It all comes from You; it all belongs to You;
it all exists for Your glory. History is Your story. The Scripture tells us,
‘Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God.’ The Lord is One, and You are the
compassionate and merciful One and You are loving to everyone You have made.
Now, today we rejoice not only in America’s peaceful transfer of power for
the 44th time, we celebrate a hinge point of history with the inauguration
of our first African-American President of the United States. We are so
grateful to live in this land, a land of unequalled possibility, where the
son of an African immigrant can rise to the highest level of our leadership.
And, we know today that Dr. King and a great cloud of witnesses are shouting
in heaven!
Give to our new President, Barack Obama, the wisdom to lead us with
humility; the courage to lead us with integrity; the compassion to lead us
with generosity. Bless and protect him, his family, Vice-President Biden,
the cabinet and every one of our freely elected leaders.
Help us, oh God, to remember that we are Americans united not by race, or
religion or blood, but to our commitment to freedom and justice for all.
When we focus on ourselves, when we fight each other, when we forget You,
forgive us. When we presume that our greatness and prosperity is ours alone,
forgive us. When we fail to treat our fellow human beings and all the earth
with the respect that they deserve, forgive us. And as we face these
difficult days ahead, may we have a new birth of clarity in our aims,
responsibility in our actions, humility in our approaches and civility in
our attitudes, even when we differ. Help us to share, to serve and to seek
the common good of all.
May all people of goodwill today join together to work for a more just, a
healthier and a more prosperous nation and a peaceful planet. And, may we
never forget that one day all nations and all people will stand accountable
before You.
We now commit our new President and his wife Michelle, and his daughters,
Malia and Sasha, into Your loving care. I humbly ask this in the name of the
one who changed my life – Yeshua (Hebrew), Isa (Arabic), Jesus (Spanish),
Jesus (English) – who taught us to pray, “‘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. For Thine is the kingdom, and the
power, and the glory, forever. Amen.'”
~~
Dr Bob Griffin
“Jesus knows me, this I love”