O God, we acknowledge we do not see clearly, nor fully understand: open our eyes and our perception.
O God, we acknowledge we have too often been unwilling to march on the seat of power to cleanse church, government and the marketplace from corruption which defiles man and defiles God.
O God, we acknowledge, we have too often been unwilling to take a stand and keep it no matter what the cost:
grant us wisdom, grant us courage
for the facing of this hour.*
O God, we acknowledge we have too often been unwilling to face the agents of corrupt power without fear or flinching: grant us the moral power to hold our ground.
O God, we acknowledge we have too often retreated and given ground under the backlash of the Establishment; we have too often run away and deserted those called by God to lead the eternal confrontation of injustice and evil:
grant us wisdom, grant us courage
for the living of these days.
O God, we acknowledge that too often we have failed under cross examination on the witness stand; too often we have lost our nerve when prosecutor, witnesses, jury, and judge have conspired with a blood-thirsty mob to render a verdict of “guilty” and a sentence of “death”:
grant us wisdom, grant us courage
lest we miss thy kingdom’s goal.
O God, we acknowledge that too often we have refused to become involved, we have sought refuge from the battle by being a sightseer or spectator: may we be inspired to follow the example of Thy chosen ones who have been involved until the bitter end, even at the cost of their life.
O God, we acknowledge that too often we have not had confidence in Thy power to bring light out of darkness, good out of evil; by faith we believe through Thy chosen one Jesus the Carpenter, People’s Leader, Chosen One, Prisoner, Defendant, Condemned Man and Confident Man, that good will indeed overcome evil, love overcome hate, and life overcome death.
[May we] go forth into the world with courage and confidence, [and] be ready to confront evil without retreating, knowing that men and women, young and old, chosen and called by God will receive power to stand fast against evil, and to triumph day by day.
*This quotation is from Harry Emerson Fosdick’s great hymn titled “God of Grace and God of Glory,” which can be found in most Protestant hymnals.
— M. Moran Weston in Conversations with God: Two Centuries of Prayers by African Americans by James Melvin Washington