Inauguration Day of Prayer by Robert Socha

“Confess your faults to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” James 5:17 KJV

President Donald J. Trump marked his inauguration by surrounding the swearing-in ceremony with prayer. The initial ceremony at St. John’s church is a 92-year-old tradition that sets the tone for the day with solemn prayer. It reflects the original inauguration of George Washington, “and that following the swearing-in, both the Senators and Congressmen would accompany the new President in a ceremonial procession to St. Paul’s Chapel, in order to “hear divine service, to be performed by the Chaplain of Congress.”

The Episcopal Reverend Robert Fisher of St. John’s church said, “My intention this year is that the service should be actually timeless. Not something that is just for 2025 or just for the individual that’s becoming inaugurated, but rather something that speaks to the role of the office and the importance of our citizenship.”

Although the event is not recorded here on earth, those prayers for the office of the President and the responsibility of citizenship are recorded in heaven, awaiting their time to be poured like water from a bowl, washing the land with their effectiveness. As long as these United States remain and continue to lead the world, these prayers are necessary to her strength and integrity. I am glad inauguration day is treated with such piety to honor the Lord from the beginning.

Two prayers were offered for the incoming administration and our Nation immediately preceding the swearing-in of Vice President Vance and then President Trump. The first from Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York, who asked God to “mend our every flaw,” and the other from the Reverend Franklin Graham who declared, “Look what God has done, we praise him and give him glory.” And Reverend Graham concluded his prayer with a solemn reliance upon divine Providence, “So Father we take this moment to stand still, to remember the great things that You have done for this Nation. Thank you for the protection, the bounty, the freedoms that we so enjoy. We remember to keep our eyes fixed on you, and may our hearts be inclined to your voice. We know that America can never be great again if we turn our backs on you. We ask for your help and we pray all of this in the name of the King of kings, the Lord of lords, your Son, my Savior, and our redeemer Jesus Christ, Amen.”

Following the ceremony, Rabbi Berman delivered a Benediction that reminds us, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” The prayer’s conclusion calls for us to rise to the occasion, “May our nation merit the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s blessing, that like a tree planted by water, we shall not cease to bear fruit.”

Pastor Lorenzo Sewell’s prayer echoed the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King’s desire to be “free at last!” His fitting concluding prayer captures the innate desire of the soul to be free and declares it with such profundity that one might think the heavens would open up and we would be caught up together with the Lord in the air, but that is for another time.

Inauguration Day was a genuine blessing marked by reliance on Providence so that these United States would continue to be a light to the nations. It was a magnificent reminder this Republic has relied on God’s favor and protection from her birth pains right through the past four tumultuous years. It sparked hope that this Nation’s mission is not yet complete and reminds us to: “Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17 KJV

May we rise to the occasion and use this time to call others to repent and have faith in Christ. As David Kubal wrote, “This is a time for Christians to embrace their calling to be agents of peace, justice, and reconciliation, and to intercede on the government’s behalf for wisdom,” reminding ourselves that in Christ alone we place our trust and that we should use this time boldly and wisely while He continues to tarry.