Make Us One: A 31-Day Prayer Journey Toward Racial Healing was released October 1 by PrayerShop Publishing. Based on Jesus’ prayer in John 17 for the Father to make us one, Make Us One is a biblical, Christian response to racism in America.
It is a compilation of 31-Scripture-based prayers written by national prayer leaders, pastors, and racial reconciliation leaders. Compiled by Niko Peele and Jonathan Graf, both members of America’s National Prayer Committee (NPC), the book was a partnership with the NPC.
“The power of a truly unified Church that stands against the sin of racism will have an immense influence on the healing of our nation,” writes Peele and Graf in the Introduction. As they pray through it, Make Us One: A 31-Day Prayer Journey Toward Racial Healing will open the hearts of believers to be a part of racial healing in America.
“As new social justice and civil rights movements are pushing to dominate the narrative,” says Peele, “the Church carries the kind of justice that meets both the temporal and eternal freedom that the world is searching for. It is a Jesus-justice fueled by biblical conviction, compassion, prayer, and action that will bring revival to the heart and transformation to society.”
The prayer guide includes:
- 31 Scripture-based prayers written by national prayer leaders, pastors, and racial reconciliation leaders of all ethnicities.
- Short personal testimonies by people of color sharing an experience of racism and discrimination they have had.
- Action steps to live out racial unity in your community.
“The socially engineered lie of separate races and racism blinds us,” prays Alveda King in her Foreword to Make Us One. “We repent of our clinging to skin color. Forgive us Lord. Open our eyes Lord. Jesus, you give sight to the blind. Show us your one blood/one human race. Show us, help us receive this truth together. Help us to love you, to love one another, and ourselves.”
“Sadness, anger, fear . . . whatever your response to the racial tensions in our nation, no one is ignoring them. What can we do though, to make a difference?” asks David Butts, chairman of America’s National Prayer Committee. “That is where prayer comes in. Make Us One provides practical help to pray with compassion and power for racial healing in our land. Powerful, scripture-based prayers will focus your prayers on the Lord, who can bring the ultimate healing we need. The NPC is so proud to have a significant number of contributors to Make Us One. This book of prayers for racial healing expresses the heartfelt desire of our committee to see Christ honored through the compassionate prayers of his people.”
PrayerShop Publishing is especially known for developing guides for prayer initiatives. While Make Us One is a great book of prayers for an individual to pray through, it is primarily designed for groups and congregations to pray through together.
