It’s a sobering reality we still face today in our nation that a holiday like Juneteenth can stir up discomfort in the hearts of some Americans. And yet, I believe that unease often points to a deeper misunderstanding of what this day truly represents.
We rejoice every year on the Fourth of July, celebrating America’s independence with fireworks, flags, and patriotic pride. But there’s an overlooked truth hidden behind that red, white, and blue. When those words “all men are created equal” were written in the Declaration of Independence, there were 500,000 people who were still living in chains as slaves in this nation. That represented one out of every five people in this country at that time. Take a moment and let that sink in.
While a nation declared its freedom, it did so while denying freedom to hundreds of thousands living within its own borders. Even some of the very men who signed the document proclaiming liberty, owned slaves. On one hand, declaring liberty and on the other hand denying it. The irony is impossible to ignore.
Eighty-seven years later, on January 1, 1863, President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring freedom for all enslaved people. The news of that freedom did not reach the enslaved people of Galveston, Texas, until June 19, 1865, a day we now celebrate as Juneteenth. For a moment, put yourself in the position of those slaves and imagine what it must have felt like to know you are no longer slaves but are now free.
As we celebrate the freedom declared on Juneteenth, we must also be honest about the world we live in today. Yes, we have made progress, but the journey isn’t over. Inequality still lingers, and words you thought could bring us together, like diversity and inclusion, are now controversial and drive us apart. That’s a clear sign there’s still work to do.
So, while Juneteenth should be a day of celebration, it should also be a reminder to pray. Let’s pray that the truths we declared when we wrote that all men are created equal, would move from historical ideals to a reality that everyone in our country can experience. That’s why I share with you today eight prayers to pray on Juneteenth.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/stevanovicigor
1. A Prayer of Thanksgiving
1. A Prayer of Thanksgiving
Today, Lord, we especially say thank you for the freedom of enslaved African-Americans, but not just their freedom, but the freedom of all Americans. We also thank you for those people of all races and backgrounds who took up this fight for liberation. As we mark Juneteenth, help us reflect on the exuberant joy of freedom won, and honor those who have gone before us whose resilience shines through generations as a testament to their enduring spirit. We pray that the memory of their struggles will serve as a constant reminder of the value of freedom, inspiring us to live with courage and grace.
2. A Prayer of Healing and Understanding
Father, many people are unaware of the emotional, psychological, and spiritual wounds that have been passed down through generations because of slavery, racism, and injustice. For those who have experienced this or heard the stories of family members who have, I pray you would heal their hearts, minds, and souls. Heal them so they can walk in the love, grace, and mercy that reflect your character. For those who may not share these same experiences, give them the grace to understand what others have been through. Let them be quick to listen and willing to bear the burden of others whose life experiences differ from their own.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/andreswd
3. A Prayer for Unity in Our Nation
3. A Prayer for Unity in Our Nation
Lord, we live in the United States of America, yet we are anything but united. Give us wisdom to see that there is strength in our unity and our diversity. In Genesis 11 you said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.” Father, we are a nation, but we don’t speak the same language. Give us the courage to tear down the walls that divide us and dismantle the economic, political, and social barriers that drive wedges between us. Help us build bridges around the things that unite us and let there be reconciliation between racial and ethnic groups, regardless of who they are or how they got here.
4. A Prayer of Unity within the Church
Lord, you have called us to be salt and light for society and many times we have failed. Often, instead of helping the situation, we have made it worse. Father gives us hearts that celebrate the heritage of all peoples and all nations. Let the church and your people be a model of racial harmony that would reflect your love for all nations. Help us be leaders and examples of what love for others truly looks like. Let our love for each other be the catalyst that shows the world we are your disciples.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Delmaine Donson
5. A Prayer of Acceptance
5. A Prayer of Acceptance
Father, give us the grace to hear the struggles of people of other cultures and not to dismiss them. Give us compassion that embraces their reality and does not summarily dismiss it. Give us open hearts and minds that will allow us to have hard conversations and listen to truthful stories, even when they make us uncomfortable. Use them to bring us together and don’t allow them to be used to tear us apart.
6. A Prayer for Justice and Equality for All
Lord, help us not to turn a blind eye to injustice and inequality. Some people have heard these terms so often, they have become numb to them and even resentful of those who use them. Yet, Lord, you are not only a God of compassion, but also a God of justice. I pray our nation would be one where justice prevails and we treat all people with fairness, dignity, and respect. Help us see each other as equals and as having equal value, humbling ourselves so we don’t value one group of people over another. Help us follow the words Paul wrote in Philippians, where we do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, we value others above ourselves, not looking to our own interests, but to the interests of others.
7. A Prayer for Embracing the History of Our Country
Lord, we are living in a day when people are trying to reshape and retell the history of our nation. Father, this is a tragedy. Lord, help us embrace our history and not try to dismantle it or cover it up. Yes, there are ugly truths about our past, but hiding them doesn’t make them go away. It only positions us to keep repeating them. Give us the bravery to not run from the truth but to walk into it boldly, so they become moments we learn from and not moments we run from. I pray we would honor and uplift the voices, stories, and contributions of people of color and people of all ethnicities that have contributed to this country, bringing inspiration to all who hear them.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Lakshmiprasad S
8. A Prayer for Wisdom and Strength
8. A Prayer for Wisdom and Strength
Lord, grant us wisdom to see clearly and strength to act courageously even in the climate that still lives and breathes in our nation. Where there is division of any kind, let us be agents of reconciliation. Transform our hearts by the power of the gospel, so we may love you first and love others as ourselves. Help us speak truth in love, even when it’s uncomfortable. Teach us to listen intently and pursue peace faithfully. Let this day not only stir remembrance, but renew our commitment to justice, mercy, and unity in Christ. We pray Juneteenth would be more than just a date we remember, but a divine reminder of the calling we carry as believers. Let us shine the light of Christ in places still shadowed by pain, and let us be your hands of healing in a world still marked by brokenness and division.
Final Reflection
As you reflect on these Juneteenth prayers, I hope you remember that true freedom is not based on a change in circumstance, but a change of heart. The freedom we celebrate today should point us to the freedom we all share in Christ, because those who are set free by Jesus are free indeed. May these prayers not end when you finish this article. Instead, let them echo in your heart as we seek to be people who build bridges as we speak truth, and do it all with the love and grace of Jesus Christ.
We pray all these things in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/NoonVirachada
Originally published June 18, 2025.
