Prime Minister Philip Davis’s Remarks at The Embassy International’s Service of Prayer & Atonement

I am here tonight because of prayer. 

I grew up watching my mother, Dorothy, pray. She didn’t need a platform or a microphone. 

She didn’t need an audience. 

Just a quiet moment, her Bible – worn from years of turning pages – and a firm belief that  God was always listening. 

I remember how she’d pause at the end of a long day, take off her apron, kneel at her bedside, and lift up this family to God. 

She didn’t pray for riches. She didn’t ask for ease. 

She prayed for strength. She prayed for mercy. 

And she prayed for peace in our hearts, even  when the world outside our door was anything  but peaceful.

Those prayers carried us through hard times. They carried me through storms. 

And today, as I stand here – not just as a son of  Dorothy Davis, but as the Prime Minister of this country – I am convinced that it is those kinds of prayers that are still holding us up. 

So before I say anything else, let me begin by saying thank you. 

Thank you for your prayers. 

Because your prayers are keeping this country going. 

Your prayers are holding back the chaos. Your prayers are pushing back despair. 

Your prayers are reminding us – reminding me – that we are never alone.

And I will say this without shame: I rely on your prayers. 

There are moments when the burdens of leadership feel unbearable. When you’re called to make decisions that will affect families, businesses, and entire islands.

And you know that no matter what you do, some will agree, and others will criticize. 

There are nights when I cannot sleep. Not because I’m afraid. But because I care. 

Because I know what it feels like to grow up  without. Because I know that behind every headline, behind every number, there is a person.

A grandmother raising her grandkids,

A fisherman who can’t afford to repair his boat, 

A student wondering how they’ll pay for school, 

A young man wondering if his life matters. 

So yes – I need your prayers. 

And I ask that you continue to pray for me. Not because I am perfect. 

But because I am willing. 

I’m willing to listen. I’m willing to serve. I’m willing to carry the weight of this country, but only if I know that God is carrying me. 

Brothers and sisters, tonight is a special service, but also a reminder. 

A reminder that this country has always been  strongest when we are united in purpose. 

We come from different denominations,  different islands, different walks of life –  but we are bound together by the idea that something sacred lives in this place. 

It’s in the songs of our ancestors. 

It’s in the soil of our land. 

It’s in the tears we shed when storms come. 

And it’s in the joy we feel when breakthroughs  happen. 

We are a people who believe. 

We believe in justice. We believe in peace. We believe in redemption. 

And we believe in the power of prayer. 

This evening, we are called to reflect. To repent. To release. 

To reflect on how we’ve lived – as individuals, as leaders, as a nation. 

To repent for where we have fallen short – in our thoughts, our speech, our conduct. 

And to release – to let go of bitterness, envy, anger, and fear. 

This country needs healing.

Not just economic healing. Not just political reform. 

We need healing in our relationships. Healing in our homes. 

Healing between generations. Healing between islands. 

And healing in our hearts. 

And that healing will not come from government alone. It must begin with the people. It must begin with a decision: 

To forgive. 

To show mercy. 

To walk in grace. 

To speak life, not curses.

To build, not tear down. 

Let me speak plainly tonight: 

If you believe that The Bahamas is too divided,  you’re right. If you believe we need a reset, you’re right. If you believe that politics alone cannot save us, you’re right. 

But if you believe, like I do, that with God, all things are possible –  then now is the time to act. 

Now is the time for the church to lead. Now is the time for the nation to pray. 

Now is the time for reconciliation. Now is the time for courage.

Tonight, we come together in a spirit of atonement to say: 

“Lord, forgive us.” 

For the things we’ve done. For the things we’ve left undone. 

For the silence when we should have spoken. For the division when we should have embraced. 

And just as my mother once knelt beside her bed and prayed for strength, tonight I ask you to pray with me. 

Not just for me. Not just for the Government. 

But for every Bahamian.

Pray for the child who is being bullied. 

Pray for the mother who is choosing between medicine and groceries. Pray for the father who is struggling with addiction. 

Pray for the teacher who is pouring into her students. Pray for the police officer who walks into danger. Pray for the nurse who stays after her shift ends. 

Pray for our young men – that they find purpose before the streets find them. 

Pray for our girls – that they know their worth cannot be measured by likes or followers.

Pray that this country becomes a place where the righteous are bold, 

where the humble are lifted, and where the weary find rest. 

We can build that kind of country. We can shape that kind of future. 

But only if we are honest enough to look at ourselves, and bold enough to change. 

As I close, let me say this: 

I do not have all the answers. But I know the One who does. 

And if you keep praying – I will keep serving.

If you keep believing –  I will keep fighting. 

If you keep standing –  I will keep leading. 

Because I didn’t come this far alone. 

And I don’t intend to lead this country without God. 

May God bless you. And may God bless the Commonwealth of The  Bahamas.

Thank you.