I’ll be honest, many American holidays have been transformed into nothing more than political parties fighting on their day off. I fear MLK Jr. Day will be no different. It would be easy to tune out and try to ignore all the hostility a party can bring up, but as Christians we are not called to bury our heads in the sand. There is a reason our God is a lion and not an ostrich; our calling is therefore to emulate his bravery in addressing cultural issues with truth and love.
Unfortunately, not all of my family recognizes the equality that God has given us. I come from the heart of Georgia, from a family with deep Southern roots, the kind of roots that go back to a history of men who believed it was their right to own other men. However, these roots eroded from below, as all roots of destruction do.
The sad, short truth is that I have family members who are racist to the bone, knowing nothing about a stranger except the skin pigment they can’t control, and they instantly label them as less than, as if they aren’t humans who bleed red blood and have souls that live forever. This cruel mindset reflects how they view every other aspect of the world and ultimately I had to cut ties with them.
The reality of sin
Yes, of course, we all have biases to some extent. We often think that the way we think or the way we grew up is correct because that’s all we know. Naturally, anything different is considered incorrect. I’m not saying I’m better than the family members I no longer speak with, but I’m suggesting that rather than living so narrow-minded, God has called us to surrender our sinful, blinded, ignorant hearts to Him so that He can soften them and free them from the preconceived notions that the enemy hopes will trip us up and deter us from properly loving others.
When we discover certain sins rooted deep in our hearts, it is an instant invitation from God for us to pursue His freedom, to enter into a new way of thinking and seeing the world. This is the opportunity to be transformed into the image of Christ.
So as we pray for our nation on MLK Jr. Day, we must begin with our own hearts. After all, our nation is built on families and their personal values. So, as we prepare to honor the progress MLK Jr. made to ensure equality for all Americans, regardless of race, consider these four prayers:
1. A prayer to dismantle personal pride
Father, in a culture desperate for identity, we too easily look to man-made systems to define our worth. We look to relationships, finances, possessions, and even politics. But Father, allow us to recognize that as eternal beings, who we are and who we should become cannot be based on anything finite. So, you are our lifeblood, our purpose, our reason and our destiny.
Allow us to put aside our pride and all the preconceptions that politics has placed on MLK Jr. Day so that we can celebrate the beautiful truth that in our God-given differences we display your rich creativity. You are not a boring God, content with routine monotony. May we never allow our pride to convince us of anything different.
May we never see who we are, whether by the color of our skin, our social class, or our personal success, as anything other than human beings created in your image. May this be all the value we need. May this truth soothe our souls and allow us to humbly accept that we are all equal, all capable of approaching your throne through your Son, Jesus Christ.
We praise your almighty and creative name, Father. Amen.
2. A prayer to respond to conviction
Father, it is no secret that each of us struggles with prejudice. With our limited perspectives, it’s easy to assume that the way we think and/or do things is the right way. Bless us with the conviction of your Holy Spirit, revealing to us where we need to change our hearts. As you reveal the truth to us, give us the boldness to respond in humble obedience.
Let us have the courage to face the parts of us that need to be let go and give us the strength to move away from them and toward your goodness and your light. Grant us the God-given desire to pursue freedom, even if it costs us our comfort, even if it costs us relationships, and even if it costs us everything we thought we were.
In a world that loves to excuse sinful behavior in the name of an identity crisis, may we know deep in our souls that our identity lies within you, and that such giving should be accompanied by a gratitude that invites us to listen to your voice and respond to your convictions with desperate surrender.
We praise your brave and strong name, Lord. Amen.
3. A prayer to end political division
Jesus, when you came to earth, you chose to enter a historical era rotten by political manipulation. Rome has been brutal, even heinous, in its rule over your people. However, your mission was not to overthrow the military or oppressive governments. Your mission was to save and radically change the hearts and souls of sinners, and through this miraculous gift, we were promised that you would bring beauty to our pain and peace to our chaos. And, in the end, we are guaranteed that your kingdom will be the only one that reigns, where there will never be tyranny or deception, only rest and freedom for your children forever.
On MLK Jr. Day, as both sides of the political aisle weaponize a holiday meant to celebrate the equality God gave us, allow us to end the division. Grant us the wisdom to disconnect from social media, news channels, and any other political platform that would have us do nothing but point fingers and hate. May we remember that hating others will never bring us value or fulfillment. Instead, it will spread the false message that some of us are better than others, as if we are not all in desperate need of the grace and mercy of the cross.
The political noise is exhausting, but love, the one that sets aside hate, is what brings us back to life. May we run after your heart and find that your love heals the wounds of us all, no matter what we look like.
We praise your lovely and merciful name, Jesus. Amen.
4. A prayer to love one another
Lord, help us to recognize that if loving others were easy, it would not be a commandment. You would not need to charge us with this beautiful vocation. It would just be natural. But our natural state is rooted in selfishness, oriented toward personal elevation, and it easily uses fear to keep us from doing what is right. Don’t let us settle for such a superficial life, God.
Make us too uncomfortable with mere lukewarm devotion to your Golden Rule. Get under our skin so that we have no choice but to fully surrender to the truth that You are the God of all, creating a spiritually level playing field no matter where we come from.
In this truth, may we humbly put others before ourselves, considering the impact of our words and actions on them. May we see each other as mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, friends and co-workers. May we see each other as people with trauma, with fear, with a past, and with a desperate need to be known, loved, and safe. May we see ourselves as beating hearts and souls that will live forever.
Let us think of your example of love, Father, where we have no other excuse than to follow in your footsteps of total, all-loving sacrifice.
We praise your devoted and selfless name, God. Amen.
The call behind the celebration
Some holidays are not just celebrations but a call to become more. This MLK Jr. Day, regardless of your political association or personal views, open your heart to God’s Word and ask Him to reveal to you how you can better love your neighbor and humbly accept equality for all nations and all skin colors, all year long.
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