Prayers in Public Settings

When I served on the Troy City Council, from time to time I was called on to deliver an invocation. I always insisted on acknowledging the name of Jesus in my prayer. However, I also recognized that I was a civic official who served everyone in Troy regardless of their religious belief.

Well, a recent posting on the Acton Institute's PowerBlog addressed this very same issue. The posting was entitled "What Do Our Holidays Mean to Us" and it was written by Ken Larson, a businessman and writer in southern California.

To make a long story short, Larson "cobbled" together a very appropriate closing for a prayer that I will be saving for future use.

Here it is...

Respecting all who worship God in their own way, I request your permission to ask His blessing on this day in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.