Rick Warren's Inaugural Invocation

The prayer by Rick Warren at the Presidential Inauguration

Let us pray.

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 hingepoint 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 unequaled
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, O 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 our
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 more
healthy 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,
Isa, Jesus [Spanish pronunciation], Jesus, 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."

source