“Prayer heals all wounds.” ~ Author unknown

Dear God,

Word of all words,

and the Mystery that makes sense of us all,

I believe that I am not a racial being, that I am made in Your image and not that of stereotypes, that I am part mystery and consequently, cannot be solved by race.  I believe that Your Word is above the words of race.

I believe that I am not a racial being, that my purpose is not decided or determined by the social coloring of skin or physical attributes, geographical location or historical systems of abuse, oppression and dehumanization as slave or master.  I believe that You made us uniquely and one of kind, not in bunches, groups or categories.

I confess that I have been wounded by race and that I have wounded others with it, that I have broken relationships and broken promises because I wanted to be found faithful and true to race.  I confess that You can bind up those wounds and cause me to live a life recovered and delivered from its pains and limitations, walking in the freedom of Your love and able to love all as You love all.

I confess that I am ashamed of the names that I have been called, that I answered to them, found pride in them, established leverage with them because I did not know where my true name would take me and what it would make me.  I accepted the name because I did not know my own.

I confess that I did not give by God- given name a chance, that I didn’t think it was worth the risk, that I deemed race right and more powerful than You.  I ask You, God, for forgiveness and healing.

I accept the healing that Your name provides and ask that You would restore the joy of life without race, that You would fix my eyes on You and not my flesh or the flesh of others, that I would live my life through the abundance of Your Son and not the scarcity of race.

In the name of Jesus the Christ, I pray.  Amen.