A Collect Prayer for Those Who Govern

I have adapted a prayer from the Church of England and contextualized it to our American political landscape. I've also included below Eugene Peterson's translation of 1 Timothy 2. I'll be praying this prayer for the days and months to come.

A Collect Prayer for those who Govern

Eternal God, fount and source of all authority and wisdom,
hear our prayer for those who govern.
Give to our president, as the symbol of unity in our country,
grace for all our different communities.
Give to all those who rule,
especially to our governors, senators, representatives, justices and council members,
wisdom and skill,
imagination and energy,
in order to do the work to which you have called them.
Grant to the members of all governing bodies
humility and joy,
understanding and integrity,
honesty and compassion,
along with a desire for justice and mercy,
so that all may live in the shalom of God.
To us who are governed, grant faith, hope and love.
This we pray, in the name of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Amen.


1 TIMOTHY 2:1-8 (The Message) 

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live.

He wants not only us but everyone saved, you know, everyone to get to know the truth we’ve learned: that there’s one God and only one, and one Priest-Mediator between God and us—Jesus, who offered himself in exchange for everyone held captive by sin, to set them all free.

Eventually the news is going to get out. This and this only has been my appointed work: getting this news to those who have never heard of God, and explaining how it works by simple faith and plain truth.

Since prayer is at the bottom of all this, what I want mostly is for men to pray—not shaking angry fists at enemies but raising holy hands to God.