April 2, 2023
Palm Sunday

Offered by Matt Helms, Associate Pastor

Holy God — you whose deep and abiding love for us embraced that long and lonely journey to the cross — we humbly ask that you bring us close to you in this most holy of weeks as we make this journey once more in meditation and recollection.

Through Jesus’ faithfulness even as he was being betrayed, his peace even in the face of violence, his love even when surrounded by resentment, mocking, and hate, we see a better, more hopeful way for our world and pray that one day it would indeed be our reality. Yet just as it was in Jesus’ time, there are far too many who see violence, war, and hate as solutions rather than what is tearing us apart.

We pray for the victims of yet another school shooting this past week; for the staff and children who lost their lives at Nashville Covenant School and for the entire community who has suffered deep and lasting harm. We grieve that gun violence has become so ingrained in our country that we are on pace yet again to have more mass shootings than days in our year and pray that more would be done to protect our children than protect access to weapons.

We continue to pray for all those affected by the war in Ukraine and for those affected by the violence and oppression perpetrated by authoritarian regimes, as they cling to power above the sake of their own people. We pray for those hurt by violence in ways that appear outside the headlines — from cases of domestic violence to emotional and verbal abuse — and pray for safety and well-being for them, as we also pray for Christ’s healing and wholeness for all those who experience brokenness.

We lift all that pain up to you, Lord, knowing that you understand that pain more deeply than we realize — the pain of betrayal, the pain of the cross, the pain of death.

We lift it up, longing, believing, and trusting in your promise that transformation is possible, that hope can occur even in places that feel hopeless, and that new life can come even in the face of death, despite looking out into a world that seems to proclaim the opposite.

We lift it up asking that you challenge us to be part of your answer to the cries of the world around us and that you lead us in the way of Christ, the way of faithfulness, hope, and love.

Give us courage to take up our own cross and, in full reliance on your love and grace, to follow Christ wherever he might lead us. Help us to love you above all else and to love our neighbor as ourselves, demonstrating that love in deed and word by the power of your Spirit.

In all our thoughts and actions may we be your servants and reflect your love. Give us strength to serve you faithfully until the day you come again, when all your promises might be fully realized.

We pray all of this in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with your forever, and who taught us to pray for the coming of your kingdom, saying, Our Father …

Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church