Sunday, February 24, 2019
Offered by Judith L. Watt, Associate Pastor

Mighty God, creator of the stars and the moon, the oceans and the mountains, and tender God, creator of every tiny baby born into this world, and steadfast God, the one to whom we cling in times of sorrow and struggle, and patient God, the one who waits for our return after we’ve wandered away because our lives are going just fine—for awhile—we turn to you now, because no matter what stage of life we might be experiencing, the fact is that we need you.

We need you to draw us to yourself again. We need you to assure us of your love for us and your hand in the world. We need you to break through the gloom, to walk with us in struggle, to teach us how to forgive, to let the light of hope peek into our hearts. We need you to remind us of our blessings.

We pray for the world around us, for people living in war-torn areas, fearing for their lives—civilians in Syria, people in Haiti. We pray for people whose countries’ economies can’t sustain the basic needs of food provision—for the people of Venezuela, many of whom are starving, for innocent people anywhere affected by government oppression and politics between nations. We pray for our sister church and friends in Cuba also experiencing difficulty in finding enough food. We continue to pray for the people at the borders, for our own government to work again to provide life and liberty and equality for all.

Loving God, we pray for ourselves too and for the people we love—for those in their last days of life, for those who struggle with chronic illness, for those so worried about a loved one they don’t know where to turn, for our people who need jobs and income. May your presence with them be palpable. We pray for our parents and our grandparents, for our children and our grandchildren. We pray for the children of the world, that they could count on this earth we inhabit to be treated well and sustained for generations to come.

We pray too that you would show us where forgiveness is needed, whether we need to ask for forgiveness or be forgiving. In any of our attempts, lead us to greater understanding of ourselves and others. Cultivate us for good action. Thank you, dear Lord, for your forgiveness and mercy, for being a God who shares in the human struggle. Make us mindful of our many blessings. We pray all of this in the name of Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray together, saying, Our Father . . .

Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church