Prayer for Rulers

How long, O Lord, Judge of the earth,

How long shall the wicked exult?

They pour forth words, they speak arrogantly;

All who do wickedness vaunt themselves.

They crush your people, Lord,

And afflict Your heritage.

They slay the widow and the sojourner,

And murder the fatherless.

They say, “The Lord does not see,

Nor does the God of Jacob pay need.”

But You are the Lord.

You kill and make alive;

You bring down to death and raise up.

You make low and rich;

You bring low, You exalt.

You raise the poor from the dust

And lift the needy from the ash heap.

You make them sit with nobles,

And inherit a seat of honor.

The pillars of the earth belong to You

And You set the world on them.

Father, we thank You for Your faithfulness to the John Jay Institute.

We thank you for the ten fruitful years of service.

We thank you for the many fellows who have been trained as public servants, as Your servants in the public sphere.

Continue to bless and prosper this work, we pray.

That we may have rulers who rule righteously

And in the fear of God.

Rulers who are like the morning sun when it rises

On a morning without clouds,

Rulers like sunshine through rain.

Rulers like rain upon the mown grass,

Like showers that water the earth.

Continue to use the John Jay Institute to form rulers

Who will judge this people with righteousness

And the afflicted with justice;

Who bring peace to the people

Who vindicate the afflicted

And save the children of the needy

And crush the oppressor.

Use the John Jay Institute to make righteousness flourish in this land

And abundance of peace.

Through Your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ we pray, He who is King of kings and Lord of lords, and who ever reigns with You in Your Spirit, to ages of ages.

Amen.

(This prayer was delivered as the invocation at the tenth anniversary gala for the John Jay Institute, Philadelphia, November 7, 2015.)