Prayers at presidential inaugurations are typically offered by notable clerics and leading religious figures. (Billy Graham holds the distinction of praying at four different presidential inaugurations.) Most inaugurations open with an invocation prayer and close with a benediction. (Donald Trump broke with tradition and included six prayers in his presidential inauguration.) Two of our forty-six American presidents have led our nation in prayer to begin their presidency: Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953 and George H. W. Bush (1924-2018) in 1989. After Bush was sworn into office, he began his inaugural address with the words, “My first act as president is a prayer. Let us bow our heads…”
Two pivotal events in George’s early life served to deepen his faith. The first was a near-death experience as a young bomber pilot in World War II. The plane he was flying was shot down over the Pacific. His two crew members died in the attack, and George alone survived. He was left to ponder, “Why had I been spared and what did God have for me?” The second, tragic event that tested his faith was the death of his three-year-old daughter Robin of leukemia in 1953. He said of the ordeal for him and his wife Barbara, “Our faith truly sustained us.” George was raised in a devout Episcopal family who prayed daily from the Book of Common Prayer. His cabinet meetings always opened with prayer, and during his four-year presidency from 1989-1993, Bush referenced prayer more than two hundred times in his speeches. His biographers describe him as a man of quiet, deep faith. His inauguration prayer is appropriate for us to pray:
George H. W. Bush
Heavenly Father, we bow our heads and thank you for your love. Make us strong to do your work, willing to heed and hear your will and write on our hearts these words: use power to help people. For we are given power not to advance our own purposes, nor to make a great show in the world, nor a name. There is, but one just use of power and it is to serve people. Help us remember, Lord. Amen.
Russell Levenson, Witness to Dignity: The Life and Faith of George H. W. and Barbara Bush.
Rev. Dr. Peter James served 42 years as the senior of Vienna Presbyterian Church in Vienna, VA — 21 years in the 20th century and 21 years in the 21st century. He retired in 2021 and now serves as Pastor-in-Residence at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.
Even as a pastor, prayer came slowly to Pete. Read Pete’s story.