Develop a Discipleship System
Praying for Change: Daily Prayers for Anti-Racism
By Derek Weber
While the headlines may have receded, the sin of racism continues to be seen and felt on both individual and systemic levels. Dismantling racism is not a short-term task but a lifelong moving forward to perfection in love—to use founder of the Methodist movement, John Wesley’s words. Therefore, Discipleship Ministries and other agencies and bodies of The United Methodist Church will continue to provide resources and guidance on how to become anti-racist individuals and churches. Please seek out the help you need to maintain your efforts to transform your community into an anti-racist fellowship.
The Worship Team of Discipleship Ministries believes, however, that such a change will not happen unless the whole process is bathed in prayer every step along the way. To that end, we will continue to provide daily prayers to help keep us all centered on the ongoing journey of transformation. From Monday through Friday, a new prayer will be posted here for your use as personal devotion, to share in your small group, or for use in corporate worship.
If you wish to receive these prayers each day in your email, the process for signing up is outlined below. If you would like to submit a prayer for anti-racism, click here to contact us. Join with us in this season of prayer and change in our denomination and beyond.
June 20, 2025
Our Father, grant us the courage to stand firm against injustice, to raise our voices for the voiceless, and to act with conviction in the face of wrongdoing.
Fill our hearts with strength and wisdom, that we may be instruments of Your peace and advocates for truth.
May we never waver in our pursuit of justice, reflecting Your love in all we do.
Amen.
Mason Caldwell, “Prayer for Courage to Speak against Injustice,” 29 Unique Prayers for Racial Harmony, St. Michael’s Parish, https://stmparish.org/prayer/prayers-for-society/race-prayer/.
June 19, 2025
We pray, O Lord, for change.
Jesus, you revealed God through your wise words and loving deeds, and we encounter you still today in the faces of those whom society has pushed to the margins. Guide us, through the love you revealed, to establish the justice you proclaimed, that all peoples might dwell in harmony and peace, united by that one love that binds us to each other and to you. And most of all, Lord, change our routine worship and work into genuine encounter with you and our better selves so that our lives will be changed for the good of all. Amen
“A Prayer for Hope and Justice,” Archdiocese of Baltimore, cited in Inspirational Juneteenth Prayers You Can Say to Honor the Day, Woman’s Day, https://www.womansday.com/life/a39829643/prayers-for-juneteenth/.
June 18, 2025
Padre nuestro, our Father, thank you for calling each of us to you together to be the family of God. Now on earth and in heaven, Lord, may we be one. Through your glory, may we be one with God and one with each other, even as the Father is in Jesus and Jesus is in the Father. Bring us to complete unity so that the world may see, know, and believe. Lord, as we work to live this prayer, this vision, lead us; transform our hearts, our minds, our very eyes to see, love, and live as you have taught us. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Reverend Doctor Andrea Godwin-Stremler, “’Our Father in Heaven’” (Matthew 6:9a) Justice and Reconciliation Devotion,” Faithward, https://www.faithward.org/our-father-in-heaven-matthew-69a-justice-and-reconciliation-devotion/.
June 17, 2025
My dear Father in Heaven, today our world feels more divided than ever. Please guide us as we strive to find our way to reconciliation. Jesus was able to reach across ethnic boundaries - Romans, Jews, Samaritans - to bring people together. He gave them a chance to see the truth. God, help us to break down those same barriers in our community today. Enable us to dismantle the racial systems we have in place, so that our community can come together and heal. Help us learn from and honor each other. Amen.
“Prayer for Unity,” Prayers for Ending Racism, BeliefNet, https://www.beliefnet.com/faiths/prayer/prayers-for-ending-racism.aspx.
June 16, 2025
Yesterday was Father’s Day in the US, God, our Nurturer and Source of Wisdom. We still see the ads for outdoor grills and dress shirts. Tradition taught us to pray to you as our father. So, what do we get for the one who has everything? Nowhere is that truer than when we consider our God as our parent. What could we possibly give to you that would express our devotion and love? What could we buy or create that would somehow signify our alignment to your vision for us and for all of creation? Except to continue to work away at the call to do justice and to love mercy and to walk humbly with you and one another. Except to tear down the barriers that we have erected between people and cultures, between races and nations. Except to love, to try to love, to even believe in love of God and neighbor as though that were more than a nice thing to say in some settings, but instead the very definition of life itself. Happy Father’s Day, God our Father and our Mother. May we continue to claim the family relationship with every decision we make. Amen.
Derek Weber, June 2025
Rev. Dr. Derek Weber, Director of Preaching Ministries, served churches in Indiana and Arkansas and the British Methodist Church. His PhD is from University of Edinburgh in preaching and media. He has taught preaching in seminary and conference settings for more than 20 years.
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