I only have two more types of Psalms to cover on my prayingwiththepsalmists.com website!
One of those types is Salvation History Psalms, so I want to write another example. [You have to click on the Examples link to go from a page on prayingwiththepsalmists.com to see example psalms, but I’m hoping the number of examples will continue to grow. I’m also hoping that more and more readers will post their own examples in the comments on this blog. I’m using the Sonderjourneys blog for comments rather than try to put them on the main webpage, because WordPress already has moderation and spam filters.]
Salvation History Psalms in the Bible go over God’s history with Israel and make application today. I’m currently looking at Psalm 78 in my personal quiet times, and the psalmist goes over the story of the Exodus and how God’s people kept letting God down, but God was patient with them and never gave up on them completely. And it winds up by praying that God will, once again, have mercy and help them.
In my previous Salvation History psalm examples, I’ve used my personal history with God. But today is Memorial Day, so it seems fitting to talk about what I know about the history of the United States. And we could use some help.
A Prayer for Our Nation
Father, hundreds of years ago, some of my ancestors
came across an ocean
to be able to worship you
in the way they thought was right.
They founded a nation on the principle
that all are created equal –
though our nation’s talk
was better than its walk.
Over the years, our nation
perpetrated injustices
against Native Americans
against African Americans
against Hispanics
against Asian Americans
against women
against anyone who wasn’t white and wealthy.
But over two hundred and fifty years,
people worked for justice and freedom.
We fought a Civil War and ended slavery –
at least for those who could stay out of prison.
We erected a statue proclaiming welcome
to the world’s tired and poor immigrants.
In a time of financial ruin,
we passed laws promising a New Deal
– giving hope to those in poverty.
We fought a war in Europe
to conquer fascism
and rescue folks wrongly and cruelly imprisoned.
We passed civil rights legislation
through the hard work of persistent activists.
People began to realize the evils of racism.
And then we extended more rights to same-sex couples,
rights they should have had all along.
We loosened immigration restrictions,
getting closer to the promise on the Statue of Liberty.
Immigrants made our country
stronger and prouder.
Lord God, we’re getting some things right,
but so many things wrong.
We want to be a land of the free,
but new laws are pulling back freedoms.
We want to be a welcoming place,
and instead secret police are arresting hard-working immigrants
who had wanted to become part of us.
We want this to be a land of freedom,
and instead tell trans people what bathroom they can use.
Almighty God, so much good has come out of America,
but also so much evil.
We pray on this Memorial Day
for peace – that more servicemembers will not join the fallen.
And we pray that this would again
or for the first time truly
be a land of welcome,
a land of freedom,
a land of justice for the oppressed.
May the greedy plans of the wicked
be frustrated and fail.
May the racist plans of the evil
fall apart under the light of the truth
that all, indeed, are created equal.
May you make this nation
grow closer to
living up to its promise.
And bless America
as a land of opportunity, equality,
justice, and freedom.