My church meets in a small city in the metropolitan area of Houston, Texas. Our city council meetings always begin with an opening invocation. A local pastor is invited to lead the prayer at each meeting. I am grateful to be in the regular rotation of pastors. It is an honor to represent Christ before elected officials and pray for them as the Bible commands (1 Timothy 2:2).
How should a pastor pray at such meetings? Praying at a public event can be intimidating. Any type of person, with any type of belief, might be in attendance. You have to assume that a variety of religious and political affiliations will be present: Christians, non-Christians, conservatives, liberals, and anyone in-between. You know going in that not everyone will like your prayer. Some might be offended by it.
Because of this, a pastor could be tempted to offer a shallow prayer. A short, generalized prayer would avoid controversy. Being vague would keep everyone happy. But this temptation must be avoided by every minister of the gospel. We shouldn’t be controversial for the sake of being controversial, but we must proclaim the truth boldly and clearly.
As a public representative of Christ, a pastor should want to emphasize the basics of the faith: The Triune God (not a generic “God”), the sinfulness of man, redemption through Jesus’s death and resurrection, and that Jesus is Lord of heaven and earth. The prayer should then address city-specific issues: That elected officials would rule according to godly wisdom, that judges and police officers would be a terror to evildoers, that crime would cease, and that there would be true peace in the community. At the end of the prayer, no one should have to wonder what you believe or what kind of Christian you are.
That is how I pray at city council meetings. Below is the manuscript from a recent invocation:
“Almighty and Triune God, we give you thanks and praise for all of your mighty works. You are loving, and good, and gracious. Thank you for creating us and sustaining us day by day. Thank you that you made us, in your image, to exist in community with other people.
“We thank you for our city. Thank you for our elected officials, the businesses, the churches, the families, and the individuals that make our city the great place that it is.
“But Lord, we acknowledge that we do not deserve these good gifts. We are not worthy of your favor, for we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed. We do things that we should not do, and we don’t do the things that we should do. We have not loved you with our whole heart, and we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We appeal to the lamb of God, Jesus Christ, who died for our sins. Forgive us, and give us hearts of obedience to your holy scriptures.
“Thank you that Jesus rose from the dead and now reigns as king over heaven and earth. Grant that our city would be known as a righteous city – a city that confesses Jesus as Lord, a city of peace and hope, a city with happy homes, a city that welcomes the stranger, a city that cares for the needy, a city that defends the innocent from evildoers.
“Lord, thank you for civil government. Those who bear the sword do so, as your ministers, to be a terror to crime. I pray that our civil servants would acknowledge this calling and perform it faithfully. Be with our judges, attorneys, and law enforcement. Grant that they would never neglect or abuse their authority, but that they would stand firm for truth and justice. Keep them safe from harm as they serve our community.
“I pray for this council meeting tonight. Give the councilmembers wisdom and guidance as they deliberate on the items before them. May every decision be righteous in your sight, for our benefit and for your glory.
“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
A beautiful and perfect prayer for a city council meeting environment.