We Lift Our Prayer to God
When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. Isaiah 43:2a,3a
It seems like every day we hear of another devastating earthquake, fire or flood. Tornadoes and hurricanes, so swift and sudden, cause immense destruction. When I think about the numbers of people who have lost homes, family members and friends, and those who have lost their lives, it is heartbreaking. Here is a prayer I found, and have continued to pray:
Most merciful and compassionate God,
Giver of Life and Love,
hear our prayers
and let our cries come unto you.
We weep with your people
We hear the cries of orphaned children and laments of bereaved parents
We feel the desperation of those searching for loved ones
We behold the silence of vanished villages, and leveled communities
We see the devastation.
We are overwhelmed by the enormity of it all.
Our hearts are hushed, our minds are numb.
Let not our hands be stopped, our voices dumb.
God, creator of the universe,
Open our hearts to feel your compassion.
Galvanize in us the act of continued giving.
Bond us to our sisters and brothers in need.
Comfort and heal the injured, the bereaved, the lost.
Strengthen the aid workers and medical personnel.
Bolster the resolve of governments and those with power to help.
Open through these tragedies pathways to partnerships and peace
In Jesus’ name of mercy and healing and grace we pray, Amen.