Sovereign Lord, We pray for the people who are charged with
representing our nation as they bridge culture, race, and
religion to painstakingly negotiate terms of trade and forge
alliances of security. May they view their task as sacred
and be filled with hope, creativity, and endurance so that
the bonds they forge among nations may bring mutual benefit
and lasting peace.

Lord, help our leaders to look beyond grand palaces and
corporate offices to consider carefully the effects that the
policies they are creating will have on the humble homes of
average citizens. May America be girded by the spirit of
cooperation and generosity that recognizes the needs of others
alongside our own so that the entire world might enjoy a
common wealth of food, drink, shelter, education, and recreation.
Lord, may America not succumb to imperial temptations; rather,
through persons of character, remind us of our shared religious
heritage of servanthood. May we use our power in concert with
the international community so that we might together bring
in a new era marked by justice and peace.

Paul Brandeis Raushenbush in Prayers for the New Social Awakening