Sunday, September 23, 2001
Offered by Calum I. MacLeod, Interim Associate Pastor for Evangelism

Our faithful and steadfast God,
In whose image we are created,
Through whose love we are brought into full relationship
With you and with each other;
In whose Spirit we find wisdom, resolve, and hope,
Hear our prayers of thanksgiving and concern for the world.
And it is with thanksgiving on our lips that we come,
for even in these dark days, Lord,
We remember that when we were nothing, you made us something;
When we had no name and no faith and no future,
You called us your children;
When we turned from you or ran from you,
You came searching for us,
welcoming us like a father,
nurturing us like a mother.
As we all still struggle to deal with the events of last week,
As we recognize that the very act of living day to day can be fraught,
We pray that you would come to us
As the Father who stands alongside,
As the Son who brings love,
As the Spirit who brings healing.
So it is to you our God who is love
That we come praying for our nation and our world
As we have done each day since September 11.
We pray for all affected by the actions of those who brought terror.
We remember those who have lost loved ones.
We stand with those who wait and wonder.
We pray for those whose lives have emptied.
We ask your steadfast presence for all who feel numbed, abandoned, bewildered by what the world has thrown at them.
We pray for those who bring help
Through the emergency services,
In the civil authorities,
Through the diplomatic community,
And through the acts of kindliness and neighborliness
Which bring a little ease and comfort.
We pray for a world which knows fear,
And which needs to know that love casts out fear.
We pray for those who think evil actions are justifiable,
And those whose hearts and minds are hard against humanity.
Stop them when we cannot.
Forgive them when we cannot.
Transform them when we cannot.
Prepare us for the world ahead,
To work for peace
To strive for justice
To change our ways
And to receive the gifts of grace and courage and faith.
Through him who was called the Prince of Peace,
Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Our Father . . .

Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church