Josh GriffinMore PostsRick Warren’s Inauguration Invocation

Here’s Pastor Rick’s prayer at Obama’s inauguration. Here’s the transcript, too, from Rick Warren News:

“Let us pray…

Almighty God, Our Father, everything we see and everything we can’t see exists because of You alone. It all comes from You; it all belongs to You; it all exists for Your glory. History is Your story. The Scripture tells us, ‘Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God.’ The Lord is One, and You are the compassionate and merciful One and You are loving to everyone You have made.

Now, today we rejoice not only in America’s peaceful transfer of power for the 44th time, we celebrate a hinge point of history with the inauguration of our first African-American President of the United States. We are so grateful to live in this land, a land of unequalled possibility, where the son of an African immigrant can rise to the highest level of our leadership. And, we know today that Dr. King and a great cloud of witnesses are shouting in heaven!

Give to our new President, Barack Obama, the wisdom to lead us with humility; the courage to lead us with integrity; the compassion to lead us with generosity. Bless and protect him, his family, Vice-President Biden, the cabinet and every one of our freely elected leaders.

Help us, oh God, to remember that we are Americans united not by race, or religion or blood, but to our commitment to freedom and justice for all. When we focus on ourselves, when we fight each other, when we forget You, forgive us. When we presume that our greatness and prosperity is ours alone, forgive us. When we fail to treat our fellow human beings and all the earth with the respect that they deserve, forgive us. And as we face these difficult days ahead, may we have a new birth of clarity in our aims, responsibility in our actions, humility in our approaches and civility in our attitudes, even when we differ. Help us to share, to serve and to seek the common good of all.

May all people of goodwill today join together to work for a more just, a more healthy and a more prosperous nation and a peaceful planet. And, may we never forget that one day all nations and all people will stand accountable before You.

We now commit our new President and his wife Michelle, and his daughters, Malia and Sasha, into Your loving care. I humbly ask this in the name of the one who changed my life — Yeshua (Hebrew), Isa (Arabic), Jesus (Spanish), Jesus (English) — who taught us to pray, “‘Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.’”

JG

UPDATE: Now this is the official transcript of the prayer from Rick Warren News.

0 Comments

  1. He did well! It was a powerful, powerful prayer.

  2. thats whats up….

  3. He did well, just wish he would have instead said ” In the name of Jesus, the Only way to the father in heaven…”

  4. On ABC, Charlie Gibson and Stephanopolous were talking about how Rick Warren just took off all his anti gay stuff he had on his website, and “trying to build bridges with the gay community”, I pray that Rick Warren doesn’t sell out.

  5. Noah,
    You can still find what Saddleback Church believes by going to the Bible Q and A. Check it out it. No sell outs. It is a audio file so enjoy.

  6. He did an amazing job! God Bless him!

  7. In your “word for word” analysis of Rick’s prayer, it says “43rd time” instead of “44th time”. Looking out for ya man! ;)

  8. Wow. I got chills. That was really, really cool. Thank God for providing Rick with such a compassionate, sensitively-crafted yet absolutely truthful prayer for such a time as this.

  9. Obama reverses abortion-funding policy

    http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/23/obama.abortion/

    WASHINGTON (CNN) — President Obama struck down a rule Friday that prohibits U.S. money from funding international family-planning clinics that promote abortion or provide counseling or referrals about abortion services.

    ——I wish that President Obama lived a real Christian life instead of a fake one. He needs to pick up one of Rick Warren’s books.

    What a disgrace. What a disgrace. I’m ashamed this man is President.

  10. I speak the truth in love here… I had problems with Rev. Warren’s prayer… Yes He used the name of Jesus, and He used the Hebrew version of the name Yeshua; however even before he used the name of Jesus He mentioned Isa the Islamic name of Jesus , who according to the Koran was not the Son of God, nor did He die on the cross……
    while this does not seem like a big issue, its such a little thing one would say…we must examine the dangers of doing so..
    The apostle Paul wrote to the Galations that A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. (Ga 5:9)…to place leaven in prayers like that waters down the effectiveness that could have been had on that monumental day.

  11. Listen to RW’s sermon about his prayer … he will remove all doubt about praying in the name of Jesus.

    http://saddlebackfamily.com/mediacenter/services/currentseries.aspx?site=yDi0V4EwP58=&s=5vQH85HaZFg=

    JG

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